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I’m still in shock that the dirty-talking man in the homemade porn and the guy who made me birthday s’mores could be the same person. This whole thing with Gavin escalated so quickly. Seeing him again, forgiving him, kissing him. I know he lives in Providence but I have no idea what he does for work, if he’s still teaching like he planned to, or if he changed careers.
We skipped all of the normal get-to-know-you stuff in favor of making out. That’s how desperately we needed to get at each other.
I’m millimeters away from pressing replay on the video when my mom’s face appears on the screen.
“Gah...”I close my gallery app before accepting the call. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hey, honey. I didn’t think you’d be up this early. I was planning to leave a message.”
“I have morning classes this semester.”
“Blech, I’m sorry to hear that.” My mom refuses to wake up before noon if she can help it. She says her muse is nocturnal, like a vampire bat. I’m willing to bet she hasn’t even been to bed yet. “Listen, sweetheart, I wanted to remind you that you promised to help me with Erica’s baby shower.”
“Of course,” I say, hoping I sound convincing. “I remember.”
“I talked to Lorenzo at the party last night and he says she doesn’t want it to be a big deal. Just a few friends and some family.”
Erica’s husband, Lorenzo Ricci, also teaches at Brookstone, in the Linguistics Department. Unlike my sister, Lorenzo always has a smile on his face. Our whole family loves him. He’s smart and friendly, and from what I hear, kind of a pushover in class.
“Sounds like it shouldn’t be too hard to pull off,” I say.
“Well, she says she doesn’t want a big party, but this is her first baby. I really want to make it special. I was thinking we could make those baby quiches she likes, maybe order a cake from LaSalle.”
My mom tries so hard to be a good stepmom to Erica, but her efforts go unappreciated more often than not. For as long as I can remember, my half-sister has tolerated my mom’s affection. I’m sure it doesn’t help that our dad left Erica’s mom for his massage therapist—my mother—approximately eight-and-a-half months before I was born.
“Is Cynthia coming?” I ask, referring to my dad’s first wife.
“She said she’d try to make it, but I’m not holding my breath. I really hope Erica isn’t counting on her either... Hey, babe. I’m on the phone with Alexis.”
I hear my dad’s muffled greeting in the background and the sound of the refrigerator door closing.
“Your dad says good morning,” Mom says.
“Tell him I said hi back. How’s he doing by the way?”
“Good.” She pauses, then whispers, “I think he really enjoyed himself last night. I keep telling him that he can still get together with these people. He’s been so restless lately. I’m hoping an afternoon of antiquing this weekend will cheer him up. Anything to get him out of the house.”
“Yeah, that’d be good for him.” I’ve been setting reminders for myself to text Dad more often since he retired from teaching. I know it’s been a tough transition.
“Oh, I almost forgot, because I didn’t want to mention it in front of your father. I saw Gavin Dunn at Carl’s party last night.”
My entire body stiffens. “Did you?”
“I wasn’t sure if it was him at first. He doesn’t look like a surfer anymore. God, you had such a big crush on him.”
I pretend to scoff. “No, I didn’t.”
“Honey, I’m sorry to tell you this, but it was obvious to everyone. Did you see him at all last night?”
I saw more of him than I’ve ever seen before...
“Only for like, a second.”
My mom sighs. “It’s such a shame, what happened between him and your father. Frank respected him so much.”
“Gavin respected him, too.” I should change the subject, but since she’s the one who brought him up, I figure now’s as good a time as any to mention, “I still don’t think he meant to take those letters.”
“Well, your father thinks he did, and I don’t see him changing his mind about it. It’s a shame because you’re technically old enough to date him now.”
