Page 211 of By A Thread
“Oh, lord. Dominic, I really don’t need you having some sort of existential crisis right now,” Mom sighed. “We have an issue to discuss.”
She was talking about the magazine.
“Actually, we have several issues to discuss,” I countered, leaning back and shoving a hand through my hair.
Issues.
Stories.
Secrets.
Ally.
I sat up a little straighter, thinking it through. I heaved myself out of the chair and crossed to the board. “Secrets and stories,” I said and picked up the eraser.
“What’s gotten into you? Are you having a breakdown right now?”
“Probably,” I said, starting to erase the list.
“Dominic!” Mom appeared at my side. As I scrawled the words “secrets” and “stories” at the top of the spot I’d just cleared.
“We foster secrets. We encourage people to keep secrets and hide things, and this is what happens. Everything rots from the inside.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Dad. Irvin—who I’m firing in twenty minutes if you want in on that. Me. You. Simone.”
Mom went still again.
“We’ve all kept secrets,” I said. “But what happens if we stop keeping them? What happens if we tell our stories?”
* * *
Twenty minutes later,I was back in my office with calls in to HR, the magazine’s general counsel, and the family attorney. Mom was working her magic on her favorite designers and photographers. There was a new energy, an excitement. But I could only watch from the outside.
My cell phone buzzed, and I pounced, hoping that something had happened and Ally had magically forgiven me.
Harry: Del just texted. She read that you dumped Ally for being pregnant with another man’s baby.
Me: Tell Del not to read that shit.
Harry: So you didn’t dump her? I can tell my wife to stop sobbing into her bottle of Merlot?
Me: Ally and I decided we were no longer a good idea.
Harry: Mainlining wine gif.
Harry: WTF gif with a really pissed off face.
Harry: Are you fucking with me right now?
My phone rang. I knew it had been too optimistic, hoping that Harry would give up and leave me alone.
“Man. Seriously?”
It sounded like he was ringside at a professional wrestling event.
“Where are you?”
