Sitting on the couch opposite her, I pull out my notebook to writedown anything I’ll need to remember.
We are about to begin when a flurry of red hair and chaos rushes into the room.
“Hi, Mom,” MJ says, dropping a kiss on Abigail’s cheek and flopping beside me on the couch.
Abigail reaches out and pats MJ on the knee. “Nice of you to join us, darling, but next time, let’s try to be on time.”
MJ pulls a face, sticking her tongue out at Abigail when she turns away, but the love in her eyes gives her away.
A year ago, Abigail and MJ didn’t talk, but now they understand each other better. And maybe it’s petty, but that’s hard to watch because not every mom is like Abigail. Not every mom tries.
You don’t belong here.
Clearing my throat, I sit up straighter in my seat.
“I heard you went to court,” MJ says.
I shift, glancing down.
“That’s right, Theo’s custody hearing. How did that go?” Abigail asks.
I want to do anything but answer that question or talk about Theo, but I cannot ignore Abigail, even if I could brush off MJ.
“It—” I start, but I also don’t know how much either of them know about Theo and his past. I open my mouth to tell them what I know—how Theo is an addict, and that’s why he hasn’t been in Tanner’s life—but no sound comes out. There’s this strange sense of loyalty to a man I know nothing about, “didn’t go as planned.” I finish lamely.
MJ’s brows press together. “What do you mean?”
“Let’s just say the judge wasn’t a big fan of Theo’s, and the only reason he granted fifty-fifty custody is because he took Tanner into his chambers. Whatever Tanner said must have convinced the judge to at least give him a chance. They’ll split custody, but only for the summer. The judge will reevaluate then.”
“That’s ridiculous,” MJ cries, anger burning in her voice. She, of all people, knows how bad this could be for Tanner. She had first-hand experience of how bad Josephine was for him last year. “Who was the judge?”
“Ranker.”
MJ curls her nose, coming to the same conclusion I did at the court. Theo was never going to have a fair trial, not with that judge, and honestly, it’s a miracle he was able to get the deal he did. Although no one has ever been able to prove any payoffs, Judge Ranker always favors the rich.
“Mom, is there anything you can do?” MJ asks, looking at Abigail, but Abigail shakes her head, sadness written on her face.
“I’m sorry, honey. There isn’t. The best thing for Theo to do now is to play the small-town game—ingratiate himself here. Build relationships,” she stops, looking at me curiously, “the lasting kind.”
I think there’s some message I’m supposed to pick up, but whatever it is, I’m not picking it up.
MJ looks between her mom and me, and a slow smile spreads across her face. “Maybe a relationship with a certain principal would help.”
It dawns on me then what they are hinting at.
“No,” I say vehemently. “Absolutely not. There is nothing between Theo and me.”
“Are you sure?” MJ asks, cocking a brow. “Because you looked awfully cozy on the dance floor at my engagement party.”
“That was—” I don’t know what that was, but I also don’t need them to know that. “Nothing.” I finish lamely.
Abigail laughs. It’s warm and beautiful—and everything I wish I could be.
“I think we’ve already had this conversation once, dear,” she says, patting my hand.
We did, and she’d said the one thing I was afraid of—that the thingswe run from always catch up to us. I wonder if she would still say that if she knew how much I fear that the girl I used to be is catching up to me. Lately, it feels like that’s what’s happening, and it’s terrifying.
“Theo and I—we’re like oil and water. We just don’t mesh.”
