Rachel’s mouth falls open. “Still? After all this time?”
“Yeah.” I make a face. “Since she moved in with Uncle Vince and Aunt Melissa, I haven’t seen her as much as I used to.”
“Don’t Uncle Vince and Aunt Melissa know now?”
“Actually, they don’t.”
“Amazing.” Rachel shakes her head. “It’s impossible to keep a secret in this family but somehow, you did it.”
“Well, you helped. I asked you not to tell family.”
“Yeah.” She tilts her head, eyes warm with sympathy. “I know you were hoping things might work out with you and Carson.”
I nod. It’s true. At first, after we separated, I had hope that Carson would come back and fight to make things work. But that hope gradually dissipated and then I was embarrassed to tell family my marriage was done.
“Honestly, it kind of fell off my radar,” Rachel says. “I was in Italy all last summer and I haven’t seen the cousins much since then. Who all knows, now?”
“I told Grandma and Grandpa, obviously, and my parents. My sisters. Ashley. Mostly, I hated to tell Nonna. She loved Carson. Loves. I guess.” I sigh. “She told me she can’t wait to see him, because this might be her last birthday.” I sink my teeth into my bottom lip. “I’m worried that she might have more heart problems.”
“Oh.” Rachel makes a sad face. “I hope not… but she is ninety-nine.”
“Yeah. And now… I don’t want to tell her Carson’s not coming because we’re getting a divorce at her ninety-ninth birthday party.”
“Ugh. Yeah.” Rachel pushes her lips out. “So… we shouldn’t say anything to her?”
I rub my cheek. “I think she’ll ask where Carson is.”
She slowly nods. “Yeah. Probably.”
“I could tell her he has a game.”
“Of course! That’s totally believable. An excellent excuse.”
“Except it’s the All-Star break that weekend.”
Rachel drops her head forward. “And Nonna will know that.”
“She loves hockey. I think she still watches all Carson’s games. She’s always been a big New Jersey Storm fan.”
“She loves the fights.”
“I know!” I can’t help my grin. “Well, I’ll figure out something.”
“I have an idea,” Rachel says slowly.
“What?”
She purses her lips, thinking, then says, “What if… Carson comes to the birthday party and you two pretend you’re still married?”
I open my mouth to say,That’s crazy. Then snap it shut. And think.
“That’s crazy.”
She laughs. “I know! But it would help.”
“It would.” Thoughts bounce around in my head. “But… he wouldn’t do it. And I can’t ask him.”
“Why not? He loves Nonna.”
