Page 30 of Fathers of the Bride
“Oh. That sounds awful.”
“It is.”
“Will he be in the bathroom long, do you think?”
I just shrugged.
“My word,” Lissa said. “I remember a time when it was impolite to talk about such things in public.”
“I wish I’d gotten a picture,” Raj said. “I’d post it.”
“You want to post that Miles went to the bathroom?”
“Sure, why not?”
“So, you’ve never actually met Miles?” Lissa asked Raj.
“No and I can’t wait. I grew up watchingThe Happy Home. I had a total crush on him when I was fourteen.”
“Miles is very angry,” I said.
“Well, yeah, you keep telling me that. But I had nothing to do with your breakup. There’s no reason in the world he and I can’t be friends.”
“Oh, God.”
“What does that mean?”
“Miles does not want to be friends with you.”
“How would you know? You haven’t actually spoken to him in ages.”
“I was just speaking to him.”
“And he said he didn’t want to be friends with me?”
“Not directly, no. Look, Raj, imagine you’ve been married for twenty-six-years and you have to go to a party with your ex’s boyfriend.”
“Well, that’s hard for me to imagine, Bae. You see, it’s not legal to get married at three-years-old. At least, not in this country.”
I just stared at him then asked myself an important question I should have asked earlier: Why did I bring him? I didn’t necessarilywanthim there. I just wasn’t sure how tonotinvite him. I doubted he’d have taken it well.
I know what you’re thinking. I should have stood up for myself, I should have considered Miles. I should have said to my boyfriend, ‘Maybe it’s not appropriate for you to be there.’ But then, you’ve probably never had a three-hour argument with a twenty-something Internet influencer. It’s exhausting. And demoralizing.
“He can’t stay in the bathroom for the rest of the party,” Raj said. “Can he?”
“I was telling Andrew and Miles all about our un-couples therapist, Dr. Fefferman. They didn’t seem very interested—”
“I would love to go. Do you have a card?”
“I do!” Lissa said, happily. “I’ll be right back.”
Then she ran off to get it.
“I’m not going to un-couples therapy,” I said, putting my foot down.
“But you know I love therapy,” Raj said, with beginning of a pout.
“You’ve never been in therapy.”
