mom: "y/n, I'm so happy you decided to come for dinner. I made your favorite."
stepdad: "I helped!"
mom and stepdad: (laugh)
y/n: "Thank you."
mom: "Come in, come in! I'll take your jacket. You can put your bag down on the counter. Are you thirsty? Or do you want a snack?"
y/n: "I have my own water bottle."
mom: "That's fine. I'll make you some tea."
stepdad: "So, y/n, what have you been up to these days? Staying out of trouble?"
y/n: "Sure."
stepdad: (awkwardly laughs) "I'm just joking with you. You're a good kid. Your mom tells me you work at a bookstore?"
y/n: "Yes."
stepdad: "So, how did that happen? Did you just apply?"
y/n: "My dad knew the owners. They attended my parents' wedding."
stepdad: "...Ah. I see."
mom: "Everyone come to the table. Let's eat!"
stepdad: "Everything smells delicious, honey. You're such a wonderful cook."
mom: "Oh, stop. It's nothing. You know, y/n is actually very good at cooking, too. Right, y/n?"
y/n: "A little."
stepdad: "Oh really? What was the first thing you learned how to cook?"
y/n: "Lemon spaghetti."
stepdad: "Sounds fancy. Honey, you need to make me that."
mom: "Oh, I do--"
y/n: "Mom doesn't know how to make that. My dad taught me."
stepdad: "...ah. Well, he seems like he was a wonderful cook, too."
y/n: "He was wonderful."
mom: "So y/n, how is the job hunting going?"
y/n: "Good."
mom: "Any promising offers?"
y/n: "A few."
mom: "That's great! You know... I can always help out with your school finances. Actually, we were just--"
y/n: "That's okay. I've got it."
mom: "Are you still getting paid the same rate at the bookstore?"
y/n: "Yes."
mom: "Hm."
stepdad: "That's alright, honey. Give y/n some time. She's a smart girl."
mom: "Sometimes money doesn't run on time."
y/n: "Where is the mini sofa?"
mom: "Sorry?"
y/n: "The mini sofa. The one that used to be next to the living room window."
mom: "Ah. We moved it to make more space."
y/n: "...for?"
mom: "Well, we were thinking of buying a new shelf."
stepdad: "I have lots of books that I need to store somewhere. That's one thing you and I have in common, y/n."
y/n: "That was Dad's seat."
mom: "y/n."
stepdad: "Oh, I'm... I'm so sorry, y/n. Your mom didn't mention it to me."
mom: "Of course not. y/n, it's not like we threw it away. It's in the basement."
y/n: "The basement. Where all the other boxes of forgotten items are stored."
mom: "y/n."
stepdad: "Honey, it's okay. y/n, again, I'm so sorry. I would have never moved it if I had know it was your dad's special seat. We can move it ba--"
y/n: "I'm so sorry. I thought I could do this, but I can't."
mom: "Do not walk out on us, y/n. We spent time preparing this dinner."
y/n: "And I spent time preparing to even come to this dinner, Mom. I didn't want to but I... I wanted to give it a chance. But now I've realized: it's not him. It's you. You want to just forget all about Dad."
mom: "That is not true."
y/n: "The basement, Mom. Are you hearing yourself? Even he knows it's wrong and he's only been living here for a few months! But you can't even acknowledge Dad. You don't even have any pictures of him up anymore."
mom: "y/n--"
y/n: "I'm sorry, I really can't. I need space, mom. Give me space."