“Mom used to call me their little miracle baby,” I muse. “And I’m sure Stephanie loved being my mom’s little helper those first couple of years. But both of my siblings were out of the house by the time I was three or four, so I don’t remember them around much.”
“Wow.”
“It also meant I became an ‘aunt’ at age six.”
Oliver makes a face. “That’s got to be weird.”
With a nod, I finish off my sandwich, wipe my hands, and throw the wrapper in the bag. “But, enough about my freakish family dynamic. What about yours?”
Oliver glances at his phone. “I guess we have a little more time, so why not?”
“It’s only fair.”
“There’s not much to tell. I was actually born in Raleigh, North Carolina, and spent the first half of my life there. My parents divorced when I was nine. Two years later, my dad and I moved to Specter, where he married my stepmom, Ashley. She already had two girls from a previous marriage, so I went from being an only child to being an older brother to two stepsisters at twelve.”
I grin. “Aww, what are your stepsisters like?”
Oliver’s face lights up. “They’re adorable. Bella is fifteen, and Charli is about to turn thirteen in October.”
“Wait, Bella and Charli?” I echo.
He rolls his eyes. “Yes, they’re named afterTwilightcharacters. My stepmom is a weirdo.”
I snort. “That’s amazing.”
“It’s cringe.”
“Maybe a little, but those are objectively cute names, so it balances out.”
“I hope so.”
My curiosity was piqued by something Oliver mentioned early on, but I don’t want to pry if it’s a sensitive topic. At the same time, though, this is Oliver. He’s not easily rattled or offended. Maybe he wouldn’t mind.
“Get on with it, then,” Oliver says.
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“You look like you want to say something, but you’re second-guessing yourself.”
I gawk at him. “How could you possibly know that?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know, that’s just the vibe I’m getting from your face right now. So am I right?”
What the actual fuck? “I mean, yeah, I guess.”
“So, just say it!”
Reluctantly, I continue. “You said you and your dad moved after the divorce. In most divorce settlements, mothers tend to get custody of the kids. Can I ask why your dad got custody of you instead of your mom?”
Oliver presses his lips together thoughtfully. “Yeah, that’s a fair question. The short answer is, I don’t really know.”
My heart drops to my stomach. “What do you mean?”
He shrugs. “My mom kind of just…left after the divorce was settled. I don’t think she even tried to get custody, but I don’t know because my dad never talks about it.”
Holy shit. “Oliver, that’s…that’s awful. I’m so sorry.”
Oliver waves a dismissive hand. “Oh, I’m fine. It was a long time ago. My dad did a stellar job on his own, and Ashley’s great, too. To be honest, I don’t think much about my biological mom. She clearly doesn’t think about me either, so it’s cool.”
