On my birthday, my family never showed up. Confused, I called my mom. She laughed, “Oh, we had more important plans!” I stayed silent and posted a photo of my “amazing birthday party” — with a caption thanking my real family. Hours later, my parents saw it and showed up, furious that I made them look bad.

Synopsis

On my twenty-sixth birthday, I sat alone at a corner table in Maple & Rye, a small restaurant in downtown Portland, staring at six untouched place settings. I had paid the deposit two weeks earlier. I had ordered my mother’s favorite lemon chicken, my father’s favorite bourbon-glazed ribs, and even a gluten-free cake because my younger sister, Brittany,…