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“There’s nothing you can do about that but learn from it, I’m afraid. Anyway, it’s done and over with.”
“Is that why you’re able to walk away from Ryan so easily?”
Frowning, Lisa weighed her words carefully. Having a moment with her mother could be so easily flushed away. Pam just didn’t get it.
“It wasn’t easy. Please understand that. This has been coming for a year. Maybe longer, Mother. I turned my cheek many times with him. I know there was something going on down at your house, and I even overlooked that.”
“Lisa…”
“No, I think we’re making some headway here. If I can do that, can I get some respect from you in the meantime?”
“Yes, my God, I have all the respect in the world for you. I wouldn’t let anything happen with Ryan, Lisa. I know we were getting too close.”
Rubbing her forehead, Lisa hoped that there wouldn’t be any confessions. She didn’t need to know.
“You can stop there.” She turned to Pam. “Does Dan know?”
“There’s nothing for him to know. Ryan was just bored. I told him to go home whenever he came around. I made it clear to him that I wasn’t going to give him money or cars or places to live without your blessing.”
“I appreciate that so much, Mom, you have no idea. It’s forcing him to stand on his own. Notice that he ran to the only person he knows in lower Manhattan to get a place to live, however.”
They looked at each other and chorused, “Jolene!”
“What are you two plotting?”
They looked up to see Dan in the doorway.
“What did you think about Ryan hooking up with Jolene?” Lisa asked him.
“He’s a jackass.”
“So far today I’ve heard that word used for two people, Tony and Ryan.”
“Laura told Jolene that Ryan slept with everyone on Sea View,” Dan said.
“Not me,” Pam said.
“Me either,” Dan said, snickering. “Come on, Grandma, let’s head for home. I want to get into my recliner for our Sunday night reality television.”
“No way,” Lisa said, laughing.
They followed Dan single file into the house. Zach had his arms around Megan and Marcus, and Dan Junior was sleeping at his feet, covered with an afghan.
“Aw,” Pam said, elbowing Lisa.
“Yeah. I know. And Mom, remember, not a word.” She nodded toward Dan, who was at the coat rack getting Pam’s jacket.
“Not a word.”
At seven thirty, Lisa prompted the children to get ready for bed. “School tomorrow.”
Groans of misery came from the three of them.
“Where are the little girls?” Zach asked.
“With Daniela in the playroom. She’s going to stay tonight. The attic will be done soon, and then she’ll have her own room. For now, she’s comfortable on the rollaway bed in the playroom. The only reason I had her on the daybed was because there were no stairs to climb after her fall. Do you want to tuck in with me, or is that too domestic?”
“No, I’m ready for the full monty.”
