Page 61 of Life, Love, and Other Messes

Mom sounded shocked. “Of course you’re coming!”

“Well, I’ll go alone, then.”

“And why on earth do you think you’re a disappointment? That’s silly.”

“Mom.”

“It won’t be that bad! Gerald’s a nice boy.”

“I’m sure he’s very nice, but I am not going to pretend he is my boyfriend. That’s a hard no, Mom. Absolutely a hard no.”

“That’s why I’m saying plus-one. He doesn’t need to be your boyfriend to be your plus-one.”

“Oh, Mom. God.”

“We’ll all have a nice time,” she said, although her voice was no longer singsongy.

“I have to go, okay? I’m running late for class.”

“Just think about it, okay?”

“Goodbye, Mom.”

“Just think about it.”

I clicked my phone to hang up, tossed it down, then leaned against the counter and hung my head in my hands. I wanted to kill that woman some days, I really did. She had never been proud of a single thing I did, she had never shown me that she gave a damn, and she’d never defended me to anyone in my life. Well, maybe once, but the rejections added up. I had to go back in and sit with Lisa and pretend everything was okay. I had to do it.

“So.” Lisa set her laptop on the coffee table and gave me her full attention.

“Hmm.” I shrugged and sat on the loveseat. “My niece has strep.”

“Sucks for her. And for the rest of the family.”

“How do you not catch every single thing those kids bring into your classroom?”

“Teachers spend the first two years sick as a dog, then gain immunity to everything. A kid with strep could lick me and I’d be okay.”

“That’s disgusting.”

“But true. Were you talking about the party?”

“Yep.”

“I assume I will not be your date.”

“Would you actually want to go?”

She grinned. “Not really, to be honest. I’m not a fan of big family things.”

I remembered what she’d said about Christmas. I wanted to ask, but felt like it would be a bad idea. “Well, good, because she’s set me up with Gerald Sandridge.”

“Who?”

“This guy.”

“I gathered as much.”

“Sorry. We were in swimming lessons together when we were preschoolers or something.”