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“Why doesn’t he think you’re a vault?”
“Oh, because I’d told you things about his childhood,” Valerie said, making a face. Then, with a dismissive wave, added, “You know, like when he played a carrot in a school play and threw up on stage, and when he had braces and acne.”
“Those were good stories … but the pictures were better, though,” Paige mused, doing her best to hide a smile.
“Oh, God,” Valerie groaned. “Please don’t ever tell him I showed you pictures.”
“I won’t. Because unlike you—and your son—I truly am a vault.”
With a self-deprecating grin, Valerie admitted, “He was right not to let me contact you. I probably would’ve said something I shouldn’t have and blown up his plan.”
“You know, it’s funny you say that …” Paige trailed off with a soft chuckle. “Because that’s pretty much what he did.”
“Are you serious?”
Paige nodded.
“Is that something you can tell me about, without embarrassing—” Valerie paused, pretending to look around and see if they were being overheard, “—anyone?”
Paige had literally just claimed to be a vault, but what the hell. “No, but I’ll tell you about it anyway,” she said, as she reached over for one of the bottles of wine. “Over a glass of wine.”
“I’ll get the corkscrew.”
Valerie jumped up and began opening drawers, clearly not knowing which one it was in, so Paige told her, “It’s in the drawer next to the fridge.”
With a hint of a smirk at Paige’s knowledge of the kitchen, Valerie grabbed the corkscrew, then asked innocently, “Wineglasses?”
“Above the sink,” Paige replied with matching innocence.
After Valerie had poured them each a glass and they’d taken a drink, Paige relayed the story of the unplanned ‘reveal’ in her kitchen (leaving out the sweaty, needy, mind-blowing sex that preceded it), but sparing few of the humorous details after that. By the time she was done, they’d both polished off two glasses of wine and were wiping their eyes.
As their laughter died down, Paige leaned forward, her elbows on the granite countertop. Adopting a more serious expression, she asked, “So you really didn’t think what he was doing was weird?”
“Are you kidding? I was thrilled. I was totally behind him and his plan, and wanted it to succeed in the worst way, because I’ve always hoped you and David would find your way back to one another.” Valerie’s expression turned serious, matching Paige’s. “When you two got divorced, it almost crushed me. It was so hard losing you.”
“It was hard losing you, too. Harder than losing my mother, even, if I’m being honest.”
“Have you had any contact with Claire, since your book came out?” Valerie asked. “David told me you sent copies to her and your uncle Carter, and that he … killed himself.”
Paige quickly refilled their glasses and took a fortifying sip of wine before nodding. “She called to tell me he was dead and before I could process the shock of that—because it was pretty shocking—she told me his death was my fault and his blood was on my hands. She also said that she was ashamed of me for ‘peddling lies’ to make money and would never forgive me.”
Valerie almost choked on her own sip of wine. “Jesus Christ, what a horrible woman.”
“I know. I don’t disagree.” Paige was silent for a few moments as she recalled the tail end of that phone call. “So, I told Claire I would never forgive her for not believing me and then hung up on her. That’s the last time we spoke, almost a year ago.”
Valerie’s gaze was sympathetic. “I’m sorry for everything you had to go through with her.”
“Me, too. When she made her choice and it wasn’t me, that was almost crippling. I had to deal with a lot of anger and betrayal, and it took a great deal of effort to get through it, but eventually, I did.”
Valerie raised her glass. “Here’s to getting through it.”
Her eyes a little moist, Paige clinked her glass against Valerie’s. “To getting through it.”
Chapter 40
From there, the conversation returned to lighter topics, starting with Valerie praising Paige’s book, as they haphazardly began working on preparing side dishes.
“I really loved it,” Valerie said. “It was honest and heartbreaking, but uplifting, too. And so very well written. And I’m not just saying that because you’re my daughter-in-law. I mean, were my daughter-in-law,” she amended quickly.
