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“No.I’d never cheat on Keera.”
“I didn’t think so but I had to ask just to rule it out,” she said. “So what’s going on?”
I don’t want to offer any specifics. My mom wouldn’t judge or tell anyone, but Keera’s issues are hers to share. I thought for a minute, trying to figure out how to tell my mom what’s happening without actuallytellingher.
“Nothing that happened between us,” I said. “But there are some things from her past she’s working through.”
She rested her elbow against the island and shifted her whole body to face me.
“Did I ever tell you about the time I broke up with your father?”
“No. Why?”
“You know our basic story. He was the star athlete in high school and I was the nerd who tutored him in science senior year so he didn’t become academically ineligible. Then to everyone’s shock…including my own…he asked me to the prom. He’d been flirting with me for months at that point, but Ineverthought he was serious.
“We started dating after that and were inseparable all summer before leaving for college. I felt like I was living in my own true-life version ofSixteen Candles. The guy every girl wanted chose me and I was on cloud nine. Then we had to leave for college. Our schools were only two hours apart, but I had work and my course load, and he had football so we didn’t have a lot of weekends together. I made it a point to go to some of his home games, and when I was there, a seed of insecurity got planted that just grew until it consumed me. I imagined all kinds of things.” She shook her head. “When we were home for Christmas break, I told him I didn’t want to see him anymore. He was confused, and for good reason.”
“This is the first I’m hearing of this, so I’m guessing you weren’t apart long.”
“Two weeks,” she said. “But it felt like forever.”
“So how’d you get back together?”
“Remember this is pre cell phones and internet. The only way for him to get hold of me was to call the landline or come to the house.”
“So what did he do?”
“Both. Repeatedly. My mother got sick of it, and when he showed up at the house one day, she brought him to my room and insisted I talk to him.” She smiled. “Once I shared what was going on in my head, we were able to work through it. Because, in the big picture, it wasn’t a big issue.”
“I already know what’s going on in Keera’s head.”
“Then that’s half the battle,” she said. “Go see her. Talk to her.”
“She said she wanted a break.”
She stood and wrapped her arms around my shoulder and squeezed before pulling back to look me in the eye.
“AndItold your father I didn’t want to see him again.”
CHAPTER32
Keera
I curledup on the couch with my favorite cozy blanket and turned onThe Office. Normally I’d put on theGilmore Girlswhen I’m feeling low, but I was with Simon the last time I watched it, so it would only make me feel worse.
Granny Vi came downstairs and stood between the TV and me.
“I’m going out with June,” she said. “Darren and Cole are in for the holiday and they’re taking us out to dinner tonight.”
“Have fun.”
“Are you just going to lay on that couch and wallow for the entire holiday season?”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” I said.
“The way I see it, what you’re doing is messing up things with a good guy.”
“Granny Vi, please.”
