He might’ve played up that stroke a bit, making it sound far worse than it had been for sympathy, and he felt no shame at all. Jenn, empathetic and kind, had been willing to chat, encourage him, offer any kind of assistance he might need. What he needed was Jenn. He didn’t deserve her but he needed her.
“Hello there!” he said. “Happy Thanksgiving, a little early.”
“Same to you! How is your mom doing?”
“Better, though there was some drama last week. Apparently she got a nosebleed that was really tough to stop. Once things calmed down and got under control there were a lot of laughs—I guess Jess walked in on her clerk trying to help Mom and Jessie stuffed a couple of tampons up her honor’s nose. She got a picture. It’s hilarious.”
“Poor Anna,” Jenn said, but she chuckled.
“I guess they’re going to wind down the blood thinners a little bit. This is not a good time for my mother to be in a car accident!”
“Like it’s ever a good time! Will you be having dinner there tomorrow?”
“Sure,” he said. “Where else? How about you?”
“Here, with my folks and sisters. Julie, Beau and the kids are already here. They flew in earlier today. Tommy and Susanne are driving from Sacramento and coming tomorrow morning but of course they’re staying over.”
Jenn was the youngest of three girls and the girls were close. Like best friends. “And you’ll stay over, too?” he asked.
“Actually, this is my home now,” she said. “I gave up my apartment. I’m going to live with my parents for a while and save some money. Maybe in a year or two I’ll be able to afford a small house. That’s my goal, anyway.”
He could now afford a small house. Thanks to his father. The liar and cheat. “Not a lot of privacy for you in that plan.”
“I don’t need a lot of privacy but I could sure use a more permanent investment and one that doesn’t look out at a brick wall or a parking lot. My fifth year in the school district is coming up, too. That’s a nice pay increase. And I’ve been thinking about taking on a part-time job.”
“You’re really serious about this savings program.”
“I am,” she said. “There’s a private school that provides after-hours care. They have after-school care till ten p.m. for working parents. They pay decently and you know me and kids. It would be like getting paid to play.”
“You aren’t going to have much time for yourself,” he said. “For, you know, grown-up fun.”
“I’ll manage,” she said. “Is your mom going to be able to go back to work any time soon?”
“She’s been working from home a lot, but she still gets wobbly and tired. She’s improving with physical therapy and I’ve noticed the walker isn’t being used anymore, but I also noticed she shuffles a little when she walks.”
“She might be a little nervous,” Jenn said. “Maybe she’s worried about falling.”
“Could be,” he said. “She does seem to be taking things slow. And then Jessie won’t let her do too much.”
“So, is it just the four of you for dinner tomorrow?”
“Bess has a boyfriend and he’s going to stop by for a little while. And our friend Joe is spending the day at his daughter’s house in Bodega Bay, so on his way back to his house, he’s stopping by. That’s it.”
“How about that new sibling?” she asked. “If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s okay.”
“There’s nothing to talk about. But no, she’s not coming. Really, that wouldn’t be cool. I mean, it’s not my mom’s long-lost daughter. It’s my dad’s secret illegitimate daughter.”
“I really think it’s amazing that your mom has met her, befriended her, gotten to know her...”
“My mom’s really liberal.”
“I was thinking she’s very forgiving and loving.”
“She thinks the baby is cute,” he said. “But it’s not her grandchild, it’s my dad’s grandchild... Not cool.”
“Do you ever get tired of being so judgmental? Stuff like this has been happening for centuries! Kings and queens have been sired out of wedlock. Sometimes these scandals have started wars and sometimes they’ve created new dynasties.”
“This isn’t that.”
“But it isn’t your half sister’s fault. And it sure isn’t her new baby’s fault. Your niece, by the way.”