Raud Kennedy
	Mother   At dinner at her daughter’s house, she forces a smile, but her darting eyes give her away. Her skin is screaming, her eyes itching. With a hot flash of adrenaline, the leading trail of detox washes over her. She needs her wine, but she can’t drink around her ex-husband. He told her they were both alcoholics, and now she must feign she’s not. But it’s beyond that. Everyone sees the nerve damage, the awkward walking, the poor balance, drunk or sober. She avoids social affairs unless there’s wine available and she’s accompanied by others who won’t say anything about her drinking because they don’t want anyone to say anything about their own. When dinner is over she leaves abruptly, and her anxiety wanes now that her first sip of wine is just a short trip away and she wishes she could’ve stayed longer.