Page 61 of About that Fling
Two hours later, Jenna was up to her elbows in soapy water, washing the last of the breakfast dishes.
She still hadn’t managed to wash Gert’s mental picture from her mind. As if conjured by dirty thoughts, Aunt Gertie strolled into the kitchen and fluffed her hair.
“Did you have a good nap, Aunt Gertie?”
“Lovely, dear. Thank you so much for taking care of those. My energy level just isn’t what it used to be these days, I’m afraid.”
“You made an entire breakfast from scratch. I’d say your energy is pretty good for seventy-eight.” Jenna pulled the last plate from the suds and began to rinse, her brain trolling for the best way to ask her question. “Aunt Gertie?”
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“I was here all week. You didn’t have an overnight guest.”
“No? Hmm, perhaps my memory isn’t what it used to be, either.”
Jenna set the plate aside and turned to face her aunt. “There’s no beau who went to Cornell Law School, is there?”
Aunt Gertie smiled and picked up a dish towel. “Of course not, dear. Arthur was a proctologist who went to Oregon State—an ass-man from OSU, as he likes to say.”
“Right.” Jenna turned back to the sink. “So why did you cover for me?”
“You looked like you needed it. Like there’s something you weren’t quite ready to talk about with the group, or at least not with Mia.”
Jenna fell silent a moment, digesting her aunt’s words. How much did Aunt Gertie know? How much could Jenna still hide? Her mind was still racing when Gert spoke again.
“Your mother had the same talent.”
Jenna looked up. “What talent?”
“For guarding her secrets. Hers and anyone else.” Her sad little smile told Jenna that Gert had been missing her sister. “Remember that year I was supposed to come visit for Christmas? I think you were eight.”
Frowning, she tried to remember. “Mom said you had to go on an important business trip.”
“I had to go to rehab.” She smiled when Jenna looked up sharply. “It’s okay. I know you didn’t know. I developed a little addiction to pain pills after knee surgery and ended up losing my job.”
“Oh, Gert.” God, she’d never had a clue. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay, dear. Things turned out okay. And your mother was trying to protect me. She didn’t want to confuse you or damage my relationship with you. My point is that sometimes, little fibs are meant with good intentions. And I know that’s where your heart is, always.”
Jenna swallowed hard, her hands growing pruney in the dishwater. “I don’t know what to say.” Her sense of control started to wobble.
She missed her mother. Missed the days when her job didn’t consume her with stress about bad news leaking out. She missed the sense of having a relationship with Mia that didn’t involve any deceit.
After a long stretch of silence, Gert spoke. “You know, dear, Mia loves you very much.”
Jenna kept her eyes on the water, feeling it sluice warm over her hands as she rinsed another plate. “I know that. She’s a very loyal friend.”
“Hmm, yes, loyalty is important. So are other things, too.”
“Like what?” Jenna’s voice was barely a whisper, and she was gripping the china so hard she feared she might break it.
“Like the ability to be honest with one another. To care for each other even when one friend does something the other might not like very much.”
Jenna nodded, not sure how to respond. Part of her ached to tell Gertie the whole story. To break down and confess everything so she could ask her aunt what she should do.
But part of her wanted to keep the secret locked up tight. To protect Mia. To protect herself.
“All I’m saying is that Mia would want you to be happy,” Gertie said. “Even if that happiness comes with elements that might make her a little uncomfortable.”
