Our Secret

“Don’t you love her even a little bit?”

Alex looked at me over his shoulder. “Don’t you?”

“She’s my mother.” I swallowed. “I must.”

“I’m her husband, and I don’t.” He smiled when I flinched. “Would you prefer me to say I did?”

“I don’t know. I feel bad.”

He turned around and said, “You’ll get over it,” before disappearing down the hall.

I didn’t go to the pool party. I called Jackie and told her I couldn’t make it. She knew something was up but I didn’t have it in me to come up with a lie. I promised I’d tell her about it later, rushing her off the phone.

Instead of going back home, I went to the mall and wandered around like a zombie.

I tried to talk myself out of doing anything more with Alex. My mother sucked, and I knew he didn’t love her. In reality, I didn’t think she loved him either. She was more obsessed with the idea of Alex, the allure he brought to her life, than she was with himself. Even I had to admit I didn’t know him well.

When I went home that night, Mom was already