I nod. If I say anything, I’m afraidI’llstart crying, which will make this situation more surreal than it already is.
“On to more practical matters,” she says. “There’s no way to keep the pen pal thing from your father. He’ll find out eventually, and he doesn’t need to hear it secondhand. I’ll tell him.”
“He’s not going to like it.”
“I don’t care if he likes it or not. He’s going to accept it.”
“If you say so.” I have my doubts, though.
“Now, I need you to promise me one thing—no, two things.”
“What?”
“One, that you do your best to make sure Leslie meets me before she meets your father or he finds out about her. We can’t let him scare her off. And this meeting should probably be soon, considering she could run into him at the office. Can you make that happen?”
Since Leslie and I aren’t supposed to spend any time together, that could be a problem. Even after the way Mom is responding now, I’m not sure I want to send Leslie to her alone. But maybe she doesn’t need to be alone.
“What are your plans next Saturday night?” I ask her.
“Your father will be out of town, so I was planning to enjoy the peace and quiet.”
I choke back a laugh.
“Go ahead and laugh,” she says.
I do and then ask, “How about you meet Leslie and Randall for dinner?”
“Why would Randall be there instead of you?”
“Because Leslie and I have decided not to spend time together for a while.”
“And you don’t want to subject her to me all on her own?” she teases.
“Honestly, no.”
Mom chuckles. “I understand. And where will you be during this dinner? Eavesdropping from the next table, wearing a ridiculous disguise?”
“No, I’ll be at dinner with her brother.”
Her eyebrows raise. “The twin?”
“Yes.”
“She wants to make sure he approves of you?”
“More that he wants to make sure. She’s not one to need anyone’s approval.”
“Aha. I think I like her already. Next Saturday it is. I’ll talk to your brother to work out the details.”
“What’s the second thing?” I ask.
“What?” Her forehead wrinkles. “Oh, the other promise you need to make is that you won’t tell anyone about this conversation—at least not how understanding I was. I have a reputation to uphold, you know.” She winks at me.
I give her a solemn look. “I promise to not tell anyone other than Leslie.”
“That’s what I was hoping you would say.”
fifty-five