Chapter 3 - The Mountain Cabin Exclusion
A few weeks after the restaurant incident, Gavin and Naomi hosted a weekend gathering at a sprawling mountain estate. The lodge featured soaring ceilings, massive glass windows, and a sprawling kitchen stocked with gourmet provisions. Yet, almost every item in the massive refrigerator bore masking-tape labels designating them for Gavin, Naomi, and their twin sons.
Nothing bore Caleb’s name.
May you like
That evening, Gavin prepared a lavish seafood feast. As Naomi distributed portions around the table, she reached Caleb, paused dramatically, and claimed she had forgotten to account for him, stating that all the food was spoken for. She repeated her cruel refrain: he was used to going without.
Instead of arguing, I stood up, gathered my keys, and drove into town. I returned an hour later carrying takeout bags from the finest steakhouse in the region, arranging a complete, high-end meal for Caleb right there at the table. No one laughed this time, but the underlying hostility in the cabin only deepened.
