Page 21 of Maybe We Can Fake It

I finish chewing and brace myself. My time’s up. I either have this incredibly awkward conversation with my daughter, or I have an even more incredibly awkward conversation with her grandparents when I explain that I completely lied about being in a relationship. Only one of those options has me talking to someone who I know loves me.

“This has to stay between us,” I tell her.

“Is there a celebrity staying at the inn?” she asks excitedly. “Oh my god, please tell me it’s Skyler James!”

“What? No.”

Her face falls. “Damn.”

Shaking my head, I say, “Anyway, this is something that nobody else in town knows, and it needs to stay that way, but... Travis is gay.”

“Okay. That’s none of my business, so why are you telling me?” she asks. Then, eyes growing wide, she grips my forearm. “Oh my god, you guys are dating!”

“Yes,” I say, relieved she gets it. Oh, wait.No.“No, we’re not dating. Why would you think that?”

She cocks her head at me. “Um. Because you guys are kind of obsessed with each other?”

“What?We are not!”

“Sure... Then if this isn’t about the two of you, why do I need to know about Travis’s sexuality? He’s a private person.”

God, she’s too mature. And yeah, I guess I didn’t need to start with that. I stuff another emotional support French fry in my mouth while I recalibrate. Then as we walk past some of the small businesses on the other side of the square—the general store, the salon—I spill everything.

I mean, noteverything. I don’t explain my fear that her grandparents might try to swoop in and take her away from me. She doesn’t need to know about that.

But she knows how off-kilter they can make me feel sometimes. So when I explain how I accidentally told Elise I had a boyfriend, that’s probably why she’s kind enough to try to hold back her laughter.

“It’s fine, you’re allowed to laugh at me,” I tell her. “I’m a mess! I don’t know what happened. I just blurted it out, and now they’re expecting to meet my imaginary boyfriend.”

“So tell them the truth.”

I cringe. “Right. Yes. See, Icouldtell them the truth, except it feels like I really can’t. I don’t want them to not trust me or think I’m a bad parent. It’s hard to explain, but your grandmother really liked the idea that I had someone else around to help take care of you.”

May frowns. “I don’t need anyone else.”

“I know,” I say automatically. Although maybe I’m wrong and Elise is right. If that’s the truth, I really don’t want to face it. “But I think it would be best if we just go along with this and make her happy.”

“How the heck are we supposed to go along with it?” she asks. “You can’t just pull a boyfriend out of thin air.” She abruptly stops walking and stares at me, mouth hanging open for a second. “Tell me you did not ask Travis to pretend to be your boyfriend.”

I pick at the corner of the Styrofoam. “Um. Well.”

“Dad! You can’t do that to him.”

“To him?” I only thought she might be upset about me lying to her grandparents. What am I doing to Travis? “He said he wants to help me.”

She rolls her eyes in perfect thirteen-year-old-girl fashion. “Of course he wants to help you, because he—” Cutting herself off, she pauses, then says, “All right.”

“All right?” I question. “As in you’re okay with this? Because you don’t have to be! I know how much it sucks asking you to go along with this in front of your grandparents, but it’ll only be for their short visit, and then I swear after they leave, I’ll tell them we broke up.”

I feel guilty for not specifying when I’ll tell them. I’m thinking maybe in four years—when May’s close enough to eighteen that they won’t bother trying to take her from me.

May sighs. “Stop stressing, please. I hate the idea of lying to them, but it’s not going to hurt them. If this will make their visit easier for you, then it’s fine. You do so much for me. I can do this one thing for you.”

I didn’t think it was possible for me to love my daughter more than I already do, but for this, I just might. Because this is hardly the first thing she’s done for me. She does so much for me, apparently without even realizing it.

I hold the box out so she can grab some fries. “Have I ever told you that you’re the best daughter in the world?”

“Many times.”

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