Page 101 of Summer Reading

I found Em in the staff workroom. I sat in the chair next to her desk and told her everything, almost collapsing from a lack of oxygen at the end of my tale of woe.

“Good call in coming here,” she said. “Getting into a brawl with your boyfriend’s mother is not a great plan.”

“But she—”

“I know.”

“And she—”

“You can’t win this way, Sam. She’s holding all the information and is keeping it close.” Em patted my arm.

“What do I do?” I asked her. “She just stood there and insinuated that she had some sort of relationship with my father. Shouldn’t I have challenged that?”

“You need to talk to your dad first,” Em said. She typed on her keyboard, checked something on her computer monitor, and then shelved the book in her hand onto the book truck beside her. She picked up the next book.

“I tried on the ride over here,” I said. “But he and Stephanie are on the cruise portion of their trip and their cell service is terrible. I left a voicemail but who knows when he’ll get it.”

“Maybe you’ll get lucky and he’ll get it today or whatever day it is where they are. In the meantime, you need to stay away from that toxic narcissist.” I glanced at her in surprise and she explained, “I have not lived with my mother for all these years to not understand what one looks like.”

I sat back in my seat. I didn’t know what to say. Em continued working on the book records. My brain was buzzing with all of the possibilities, sifting through all the outcomes I could envision.

“I have to tell Ben,” I said.

“Do you?” Em asked.

“If what Moira said is true, that my dad stayed with her when my parents were separated, which would have been after Ben went to live with his grandparents, he might not know about it. But what if he does and he just doesn’t remember? What if he and my dad meet and Ben’s all, ‘Hey, I remember you. You came out of my mom’s room wearing her robe’?”

Em burst out laughing. “I’m sorry.” She snorted. “Really sorry, but the picture of your dad wearing a lady’s robe. Too much.” Clearly, she hadn’t seen him in his skinny jeans.

I dropped my face into my hands. “Em, what am Igoing to do? There is no way I can keep this from Ben. He’s going to find out.”

“And what if he does?” she asked. “What’s the worst that can happen?”

“It’s confirmed that our parents are exes,” I said. I made a face like I’d just bitten a raw cranberry. “That would be the worst. I mean, how could Ben hang out with my dad knowing that my dad and his mom...Ack!”

“It was a long time ago,” Em said. “You have to give Ben some credit.”

“Maybe, but what about me? I’m not prepared to have Dad and Ben meet knowing what I know,” I said. “It would be so weird.”

“Admittedly, it is odd,” she said. “But it’s not end-of-the-world stuff. I mean, it’s not like your dad is his da—”

“Don’t say it,” I cried. I clapped my hands over my ears. She laughed and shook her head.

“My dinner break is in an hour,” she said. “Want to join me so we can discuss in greater detail?”

“I wish I could,” I said. “But I have to pick up Tyler and feed him.” I stood up and leaned down to hug Em. She gave me a tight squeeze back.

“It’s going to be all right,” she said. “Your dad will be back soon, and you can ask him if what she said is true. It could be that she was just messing with you. She clearly has her issues.”

“You’re right,” I said. “I just don’t know how to face Ben. I mean, what am I supposed to say? ‘Hey, I thinkour parents might have hooked up and how about those Red Sox?’ This is a total nightmare.”

“Sam!” Em said my name in that sharp way people do when they want your full attention. I met her gaze and she continued, “You’re panicking, and I say that as your friend and a person who has an intimate relationship with panic.”

“You’re right,” I said. “Moira was clearly unimpressed with me and this is likely her petty revenge.”

“Exactly,” Em agreed. “You have nothing to worry about. You just need to figure out how to share this new information with Ben. It’ll be fine. You’ll see.”

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