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I sigh. “Can we —”
“No, that’s a bad word, Meadow,” she says and I can already picture her shaking her head. “Like this world needs any more hate than it already has.”
“Okay, Mom, I’m sorry. I won’t put more hate into this world.” I grip the edge of the sink. “But can we please move on from this?”
“You say yes and we will.”
“Mom —”
“Where are you right now?” my mom asks abruptly.
I frown at the change of topic. “What? Why?”
“Are you at work?”
The way my mom asks, all stern and disapproving, makes me want to lie. So I do. “No.”
“And what have I told you about lying?”
Ugh.
How?
Howcan my mother always tell that I’m lying?
“You’ve said that I cannot lie to my own mother,” I grumble.
“Very good. Now, are you or are you not at work right now?”
I close my eyes, giving up. “I am.”
My mom hums. “Even in this weather, huh.” Before I can respond to that though, she goes on, “Is it or is it not your night off?”
“It is. But —”
“Ha! I knew it,” Jupiter practically screams into the phone.
And then I get it.
I get why my mother is asking me about work. Why shecaresthat I’m at work in the first place.
I mean, she always cares, of course; she’s my mother. She’s a little free-spirited and irresponsible by my standards but still. And she was happy for me when I landed this job six months ago. I’m only a sophomore in college but I’m already looking great experience-wise. I’m studying to be a child psychologist and being a nanny is going to help give me the edge that I need to succeed.
Plus it doesn’t hurt that I’m a very good nanny, if I do say so myself. I regularly have people call me out of the blue and ask me to quit my current job to come work for them. But my popularity as a child’s secondary caregiver is not the issue here.
The issue is that my friend — mybestfriend — isreallya traitor.
“Oh my God,” I breathe out, clutching the tap really hard.
Jupiter begins, “Look —”
I cut her off with a sharp snap. “Oh my God! You told her.” Again, Jupiter tries to say something but I don’t let her. “Youtoldmy mother. I can’t… I can’t believe this. I can’t —”
“Yes, she told me. Becauseyoudidn’t,” my mom interjects. “And you should have.”
Usually I pay attention when my mom decides to bring out her mom voice, and I have been paying attention all through this conversation, but I can’t be bothered with it right now.
I’m too shocked.
