"I thought you would have gone home by then. How was I supposed to know you'd wait there like idiots?
"Alright, I get it. You care about Mom, and she takes your side. But do you have to keep using her to guilt-trip me?"
Seeing the swelling on my face and sensing my cold demeanor, she reluctantly apologized.
"Fine, fine. It was my fault. I'll go to the hospital later and make it up to her."
I scoffed.
"Why didn't you think of that earlier? It's too late now."
Yedda had never been treated like this by me before.
Usually, whenever we argued, I'd back down as soon as she gave me an out.
She struggled to keep her anger in check. "Boyce Todd, you... you've gone too far."
Raymond, who had been watching with a smirk, added fuel to the fire.
"This is ridiculous. You're treating Yedda like a fool.
"You can't go a minute without dragging Adelaide into this, huh? You just want to make Yedda feel guilty."
Yedda suddenly stood up.
"Yes, I admit I stood you up yesterday. But I'm here now, aren't I? You don't have to be so dramatic.
"Besides, Mom was doing much better yesterday; she was even up and about. One night wouldn't make a difference, right?"
It wasn't improvement—it was just a final burst of energy.