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“I see how she keeps pushing me on my cousins. Hoping they’ll rub off. How she keeps encouraging me to find my gift and be something better. She wants to be sure I don’t fly back to the nest again like some undeveloped adolescent bird.”
“Your mom believes in family. That’s it. That’s her deal with your cousins, and as for pushing you out of the nest, it’s only because—” Grace cut off her impassioned speech with a snap of her teeth that even Merry heard.
“What?”
“She’s…”
“Oh, my God, don’t try to come up with a made-up reason!”
“It’s not made up! Your mom is dating someone and she doesn’t want to tell you!”
Going by Grace’s expression of solemn horror at the secret she’d revealed, Merry felt like she should have experienced a moment of shock, but she could only shake her head and laugh. “And that’s supposed to weird me out? Seriously, Grace. I’d be happy for her!”
“I know, but…”
“She wouldn’t tell me to get out and stay gone just because some man occasionally spends the night.”
“Um. I don’t think it’s a man.”
Now Merry felt the shock. She blinked. She opened her mouth. Then closed it. “What?” she finally managed.
“Look, she called one day for you when you weren’t here and I heard a woman’s voice. Someone walking in like she was free to come and go as she pleased. I wouldn’t have thought anything of it,
but your mom acted so flustered I noticed it. And then the other day when she was on video, I saw a pair of heels next to her couch. She never wears heels. She chastises me for wearing them. And these were red spike heels, and I just…I called her the next day. Just to see if she wanted to talk. To see if anything was going on. And…”
“And?” Merry demanded.
“And she said she was freaked out about telling you. I’m sorry, Merry. She was trying to figure out a way to tell you herself, but I couldn’t keep my mouth shut any longer.”
“Oh.” Merry edged backward until her heels touched rock, and then she sat down on the first narrow ledge of the wall. “But… Why wouldn’t she tell me?”
“She just…”
“Why would she think that would matter to me? She’s a hippie for God’s sake! She raised me to love everyone! And she couldn’t even be honest about that?”
“Merry, she’s your mom. Sex is weird for her to talk about. And it’s complicated, because… Just call her, okay? When you get home, call her and let her tell you.”
She groaned and laid her head back. “Ow,” she said when it hit the edge of the next step up.
“Let’s get out of here. Please? You’re not a loser and this place is depressing you. Actually it’s depressing me. And your mom loves you. She thinks you’re perfect. So fuck Crystal.”
“Oh, Jesus. Crystal even knows!”
“Her mom must have said something. What a disloyal witch. Come on.” Grace grabbed her hands and pulled. “Stop groaning and feeling sorry for yourself.”
“My life sucks,” Merry said.
“Maybe, but groaning won’t change that, and I’m cold.”
When she got back to the car, Merry slouched down in the passenger seat and turned on her phone. When she saw there were four messages, her poor upset heart gave a violent twist of alarm. Four messages. That couldn’t be good. Not at all. The press, maybe, calling to confirm all the sordid details of her scandalous behavior. In that moment, she was relieved she had a more urgent matter to see to.
Ignoring all the messages, Merry called her mom instead. “Mom?”
“Oh, hi, baby!”
For a moment, Merry couldn’t speak. Was her mom with someone right now? Was she on a date and waving at the woman to be quiet so Merry wouldn’t hear? How could she have thought it would matter to Merry? How could she have kept it secret?
Merry took a breath and told herself it would be fine. “Mom?
