Every Sunday, Mom carefully lifted each glass from the cupboard. She polished them until they caught the light like diamonds. Then she told me stories of the day she bought them in Grove Wood.
“Someday, Jenny,” she would say, “these will be yours for something special. Only take them out for the moments that matter, okay, honey?”
That special day finally arrived. My engagement to Michael brought pure joy. But it also brought Sandra into focus. My stepmother had married Dad five years after Mom’s death. She never let me forget that she was the new woman of the house.
From day one, she felt like she was competing with a ghost. I could never say my mother’s name without Sandra grimacing, as if she’d tasted sour milk. She never hid how threatened she felt by the memory of my mother.
I ignored her most of the time. I mean, what was the point? But the moment I got engaged, it was like he raised the bar.
First came the blows.
“Accidents happen,” she continued. “I guess some things aren’t meant to last forever.”
I turned and ran. My shoes crunched on the shards. Every step broke my heart a little more. I couldn’t let her see me cry. I wouldn’t give her that victory.
That night, I called Aunt Marlene in tears. She was Mom’s sister. She was the only person who would truly understand what I’d lost.
“Sandra destroyed Mom’s crystal set,” I shouted into the phone.
The silence stretched between us. Then Aunt Marlene’s voice came back.
“Jennifer, honey, I have something important to tell you.”
“What?”
“Last week I came to your house. Sandra was on the phone with her friend Nancy. She thought she was alone.” Aunt Marlene paused. “She was planning to destroy those crystals.”
“Are you planning this?” »
“She said, and I quote, ‘If Jennifer wants to honor anyone at that wedding, it should be me. It’s time to get rid of Alice’s precious memories.’”
Anger flooded my veins. This wasn’t an accident. This was murder. Murder of my mother’s memory.
“But Jenny,” Aunt Marlene’s voice softened. “I did something. I bought a cheap set of crystals from the thrift store. I exchanged them the same day.”
My breath caught. “My… my mother’s set of crystals…”
“Your mother’s real crystals are safe in my attic. And I installed a tiny camera in your dining room. We have everything on video. I knew you’d call me. I was planning on surprising you with crystals at your wedding, sweetheart.”
For the first time in weeks, I smiled.
The next morning, Sandra hummed as she made coffee. She seemed so pleased with herself. She was so confident in her victory.
“How are you, dear?” she asked. Her voice exuded feigned concern.
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