Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand Page B

previously wonderful relationship Jennifer had with her mother-in-law. Jennifer can’t bring herself to call Margaret back, and texting feels like a cop-out. She has considered writing Margaret a letter but she doesn’t know what she would say.
    Margaret doesn’t think any less of Jennifer—that’s a bold-faced lie. Of course Margaret thinks less of her! Jennifer has striven for perfection in every aspect and especially in every aspect Margaret can see. Jennifer has never valued anyone’s opinion or sought anyone’s approval as much as Margaret’s. But now, Jennifer has blown it. She has disgraced herself and proven herself unworthy.
    Margaret isn’t like that—true, she isn’t like that. She was very restrained in expressing her disappointment with Patrick. She couldn’t have liked the situation but she remained supportive and nonjudgmental. Jennifer realizes Margaret will probably be understanding—Jennifer was dealing with a lot, her circumstances made her vulnerable—but in her most honest, most secret and forever thoughts, Margaret will see Jennifer as weak.
    â€œI can’t call her,” Jennifer says. “I just can’t.”
    â€œEvery day you wait makes it worse,” Patrick says. “Call her right now. Get it over with.”
    â€œI can’t,” Jennifer says. “I’ve been drinking.”
    Patrick nods. “In the morning, then.”
    â€œOkay?” Jennifer says. She sets down her fork. She has lost her appetite.
    In the morning, Jennifer and Patrick make love again and Jennifer hopes the act is distracting enough that Patrick will forget about Jennifer calling Margaret. But only seconds before he steps into the shower, he turns to Jennifer, who is at the sink brushing her teeth, and says, “My mother. Do it now. You promised.”
    She knows for a fact that she
didn’t
promise; she knows she said
Okay?
with a question mark in her voice. She had said
Okay?
only to put the topic to bed. Was he really going to hold her to her
Okay?
    She nods, spits, shuts off the water, and leaves the bathroom.
    She sits on her bed holding her cell phone. She has never dreaded anything in her life as much as she dreads dialing Margaret’s number. But putting it off means having it hang over her head, which is stressful enough to make Jennifer crave an Ativan.
    Vicious cycle. She will not fall prey to it.
    She dials the number, brings the phone to her ear. It’s nine o’clock on a Saturday morning so Margaret won’t be working, but she may still be asleep, or at the gym, or making Drake an omelet.
    â€œHello?” Margaret says, sounding fresh and awake.
    â€œMargaret?” Jennifer says. Her heart is slamming in her chest. “It’s Jennifer.”
    â€œJennifer?” Margaret says. She sounds confused, and Jennifer realizes Margaret doesn’t recognize her voice. Margaret must know five hundred Jennifers, including Lopez, Lawrence, and Aniston.
    â€œYour daughter-in-law,” Jennifer says. She squeezes her eyes shut.
    â€œJennifer!” Margaret says. “You must think me monstrous. Drake tells me I shouldn’t answer my phone without checking the caller ID, but I can never find my glasses. And I’m supposed to be interviewing a woman named Jennifer to be my new assistant. I thought maybe you were her.”
    â€œNew assistant?” Jennifer says. “What’s happening to Darcy?”
    â€œDarcy will be leaving in a month or so,” Margaret says. “CNN is making her a full producer. She’s moving to Atlanta. Isn’t that the most awful thing you’ve ever heard?”
    â€œYes,” Jennifer says. “Darcy is… she is…”
    â€œMy right hand,” Margaret says. “I don’t know about this other Jennifer. She graduated summa cum laude from Princeton and she sounds very tightly wound. How are you, my