Page 138 of Give & Take

Thatfucker.

But the woman—the woman climbs right off the bike and comes running over here.

Horror clenches my stomach. What the fuck is going on?

Vaguely I notice Raph’s done a quick U-turn, parking right in front of the curb.

But mostly I’m focused on the woman, who’s screaming inside her helmet. I pull Nova and Auroraback, my hackles all the way up. Is she going to attack me?

“Stay away!” I yell.

There’s a crash inside the restaurant. “Lana?”

Dolly’s calling my name.

But the woman’s paused on the other side of the fence, seeming to realize she needs to take her helmet off.

“Lana, what’s going on?”

I’m wild-eyed, I know. “Take the girls!” I cry. If this woman wants to fight, is that what I’m going to do? I’ve gotten into altercations before, but they’ve always been verbal. And controlled. In a courtroom, or when Mike and I were falling apart, in hushed tones in our bedroom.

“What?” Dolly’s alarmed, but Raph’s got his helmet off now, his thick hair tousled above his head. “No!” he cries. “Lana, it’s fine, I?—”

There’s more muffled sounds coming from the woman. She’s stuck.

I’d laugh if any of this were funny. Except Raph helps her.Helpsher. Rage and jealousy course through me at the gentle way he leans over and untangles her straps.

That is, until he pops the helmet off the woman’s head.

And I see my mother.

My jaw unhinges from my head as I reel with this rapid turn of events.

The girls, who I’m still hanging onto, squeal, wrestling from my grasp. “Grandma! Raph!” They yell, tripping over themselves trying to get to the two of them on the other side of the little iron chain.

Aurora throws herself at Raph, Nova at Mom.

Then they switch, and my mom is reaching out her arms to me. “Oh honey. Don’t look so shocked.”

“Mom?” I say, my voice half-broken. I can barely move as she pulls me into a tight squeeze. “I thought…you weren’t supposed to be back yet, I?—”

“How could I miss my little girl’s birthday?” she asks, hands on my shoulders.

I’m so shaken, I still can barely register what’s going on.

“Surprise,” Raph says, looking sheepish.

“Mom, you should hug Raph,” Aurora says. “You missed him.”

My chest seems to fold in on itself then. All the panic I just felt, the jealousy, the betrayal—it was completely misplaced. Not just because Raph didn’t do anything wrong, but because it wouldn’t be wrong if he had. We’re not together, I remind myself.

I don’t realize I’ve said it out loud until Raphael’s jaw clicks, and he glances at my mother.

Mom looks between us, realization dawning.

I can see the pieces drop into place in her expression. The way he had to have been planning this for a while. A little unusual for the nanny. The outsized reaction I just had to seeing Raphael with another woman.

The way Aurora revealed how close we are—that hugging is something not unusual between us.

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