“What are you doing with those?” I asked.
“Taking them to the donation center.”
I looked at them once more.
“Good.”
“Taking them to the donation center.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“I’m still mad at you,” I said.
“Fair.”
“You owe me.”
“Also fair.”
“Start by getting those pants out of my ex-husband’s wedding.”
“You owe me.”
Edward lifted the box.
“Best fake date you’ve ever had.”
“Only fake date I’ve ever had.”
“Still undefeated.”
I laughed despite myself.
“Only fake date I’ve ever had.”
I gathered the girls soon afterward. My youngest had somehow doubled the amount of frosting on her dress.
As we reached the exit, Max called my name.
“So what happens with you and Edward?”
I turned.
Even now, he wanted an answer.
“So what happens with you andEdward?”
If Edward wanted me, Max could measure that.
If Edward didn’t, he could measure that too.
“You really need to know, don’t you?”
Max opened his mouth.
I kept walking.
If Edward wanted me, Max could measure that.
Outside, my older daughter stopped beside the car and smoothed both hands over her dress.
“Mom?”
“Yeah?”
“Does this make me look weird?”
The question was casual.
That made it worse.
“Does this make me look weird?”
I could have told her she looked beautiful.
Instead, I asked, “Do you like your dress?”
She looked down at herself.
Then she turned once, making the skirt swing around her knees.
“Yeah.”
“Do you like your dress?”
“Then I like that answer.”
She smiled and climbed into the car.
Her little sister followed, leaving a frosting handprint on the door.
“I look sticky.”
I laughed.
“You definitely do.”
“Then I like that answer.”After buckling her in, I walked around to the driver’s side.
My reflection waited in the dark car window.
For a second, Max’s voice returned.
“When was the last time you even looked at yourself in the mirror?”
So I looked.
For a second, Max’s voice returned.
I didn’t inspect my waist.
Didn’t turn sideways.
