Page 74 of Ten Rules for Faking It
“You wanted me to come, so just tell me. What’s going on with you and Dad?”
Pasting on a phony grin that—to her credit—she didn’t use often, her mom leaned in. “I have an idea. Why don’t the two of us hit whatever hot spot is all the rage these days?”
Blinking rapidly, Everly tried to wrap her head around the sentence.Take it slow. No temper. She’s hurting.Hidden well or not, Everly knew her mom didn’t enjoy their blowups. Who would?
“I have no idea what would be considered a hot spot right now. Like, zero. And as to anything being ‘the rage’? I don’t think that’s a thing anymore.”
Her mom poked her in the shoulder again and then grabbed a piece of cheese from the platter. “We should switch spots. You act like you’re thirty years older than I am. Youth is wasted, sweet girl. Tell me about the date tomorrow.”
She wore yoga pants and a fitted tank top. Her dark hair was pulled up in a messy bun, and her face was makeup-free. Since she’d inherited her mother’s lack of cleavage, Everly hoped to age in a similarly graceful fashion.
Everly continued to stare until, finally, her mom’s shoulders dropped and she knew it was time.
“Marriage is hard, Evie.”
There’s a news flash.“Yeah, Mom. That’s why people go to counseling or talk things out, make changes.”The hard part is what you work at, persevere through.That was the whole point of the commitment.
“He doesn’t see my talent. My need for a creative outlet. He insulted my work,” she said, holding her wine in both hands.
Hobby, Mom. It can’t be work unless you actually commit toit. Maybe that’s a more common theme than I’d thought.She never returned to one of her blowout hobbies, so she never actually got better at any of them. Not balloon animals, crocheting, cross-stitching, fishing. The chances she’d become the next Picasso were slim.
Everly pushed back at the irritation roiling through her, but she hated this, everything about it from being in the middle to wondering if they’d ever actually pull the plug. How could anyone live with that kind of uncertainty? She couldn’t. Some people called it a piece of paper, but in her mind, you sign it, you mean it. You don’t run off when things take a sharp turn.
“Why do you do this to each other?”To me.The words came out harsher than she’d intended.
Her mother’s eyes widened. “Do what? I’m trying to navigate growing older with a man who says he’s changing and I’m not changing with him. He thinks our life is boring and we need more excitement. I asked him to try one of my hobbies. He wants to travel or to maybe try something new in the—”
Everly cleared her throat, interrupting her mom. “I’m begging you not to finish that sentence or even the thought.” There were so many things a kid never needed to know about their parents.
Her mom rolled her eyes and sighed. “How are you such a prude? People have sex, Everly. It’s normal and natural, and sometimes, when a dry spell happens, you need to spice things up. I’m not opposed to that.”
Everly’s brows pushed together, and she picked up a piece of celery. “It’s like I didn’t actually say, ‘Don’t tell me,’ out loud.”
“This is how he gets his way,” her mom said, bottom lip quivering. She pointed to her artwork. “Belittling the way I express myself.”
Despite Everly’s impatience with the situation and both of her parents—because no doubt both of them had a hand in whatever had caused this round—guilt and pity swamped her.She wanted them to be happy but had no idea how to help that along.
“It’s not healthy for you guys to go back and forth like this. Did you try telling him he hurt your feelings? Did you try to understand how he felt when he said he didn’t like seeing his wife draw nude men?” Everly grabbed another piece of celery, suddenly hungry.
Her mom lowered the sound on the TV. “It’s easy to judge when you’ve never been in a serious relationship, never mind married, sweetheart.”
Crunching into the tasteless vegetable, she figured it was a good thing her mouth was full. Maybe she’d never been married, but she knew when she did, it would be for good. Choosing to spend your lives together shouldn’t resemble a freaking yo-yo every time one person didn’t get their own way.
She swallowed, hoping the extra seconds smoothed her tone. “Relationships, marriage or otherwise, are supposed to be a mostly positive thing. I don’t need to get married or have been married to know that this back-and-forth you guys do isn’t healthy. If you love each other, you make it work. If you really want a hobby, get one and stick to it. Don’t do it as a way to get back at him for something. Stop coming here when you’re mad. Talk to your husband. If you can’t do it on your own, ask for help. There are professionals for this. You love each other. Leaving can’t be just one of the option boxes you check when you’re mad.”
Where had all that come from? She blinked, nerves swirling at the look of shock on her mother’s face. Everly picked up her wineglass again and gripped the stem tightly, taking a long swallow.
“I didn’t invite you over for this. I just wanted company,” her mother said quietly. She hadn’t invited her at all—she’d sent the “I need you” code, and Everly had gone.
Lowering her glass and her gaze, Everly nodded. “I’m sorry,” she said softly.
“You don’t understand. Maybe one day, you will.”
That had always been her hope. To one day understand them.Not today, obviously.
By the time she left, Everly felt wired. Unsettled energy coursed through her, looking for an outlet.Maybe you should go back to kickboxing now,she thought. She did have nine classes left. She was actually looking forward to going, but tonight, she was too tired.
On the drive back to her place, she thought about how she’d managed to piss off two of her favorite people today: her mom and her best friend. Thinking about it only made her antsier, so instead of heading for her home, she detoured to the grocery store.
