Page 91 of From This Moment (After We Fall 4)
“Oh?” My mom looked from Abby to me. “What’s a special person?”
“It’s someone in the family who visits their classroom, reads a story, that kind of thing,” I said. “Right, Abs?”
“Right. It’s for when I’m student of the week. A lot of kids bring their dads, but I asked if I could bring an uncle, and my teacher said it was fine.”
“How nice.” My mother sipped her coffee.
“Because I asked Uncle Wes the night before if he could be my dad, and he said he couldn’t.”
My mother’s cup clattered onto the table. “What?”
“Mom. Don’t worry about it.”
“He said I already had a dad,” Abby went on, “and no one can take his place.”
“That’s right.” My mother reached out and touched Abby’s arm. “Your daddy was Drew, remember? We looked at all the pictures together?”
“Yes, but that daddy isn’t here anymore, and my mom and I are sad about it. And it’s okay to be sad,” she said, probably echoing Hannah or maybe her therapist, “but it’s better when you’re happy. Mommy is happy when uncle Wes comes over.”
“Is she?” My mother pinned me with a stare.
“Yes. She doesn’t cry as much during the night anymore. That’s why I thought he could move in with us. But Mommy said he can’t, because he just bought his own house.”
“That’s right, I did.” Maybe I could get the train back on the tracks before it completely derailed. “Remember that orange and purple bedroom?”
“I said he could sell that house.” Abby looked at me pleadingly. “So can you? Sell that house?”
“Oh, Abby.” My mother looked like she was about to cry. “Even if Uncle Wes sold his house, he can’t be your daddy.”
“Why not? My friend Kenzie got a new daddy after her parents got a divorce. She got to be a flower girl in the wedding.”
My stomach was tightening up, and I set my fork down, trying to think of some way to get off this topic before the conversation took a horrible turn. But I was too late.
“Because he’s your uncle, and your uncle cannot be your daddy, ever.” My mother’s tone was final.
“But he could get married to Mommy,” Abby said.
“No, darling, because your mommy was his brother’s wife, and he’d never do that to his brother.” She looked right at me as she said it. “A man can’t marry his brother’s wife. It’s wrong. Terribly, despicably wrong.”
“It is?” Abby looked at me. Her eyes were full of tears.
“Yes,” my mother snapped.
“But they love each other. They hold hands and kiss.”
My mother gasped. The look she gave me singed my skin. “No. I’m sure you’re mistaken, Abby. You couldn’t possibly have seen something so vile.”
“What’s vile?”
“Okay.” I cleared my throat. “I think we’ve talked about that enough. Abby, what story should I read to your class? Do you have a favorite?”
She didn’t answer. After poking at her breakfast for a moment, she put down her fork. “Nana, my tummy hurts. Can I be done?”
My mother pursed her lips. “Yes.”
Abby slid off her booster seat and slowly walked out of the kitchen, her mouth turned down, her eyes on the floor. I felt horrible—my stomach hurt too.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. This was a mess. And Abby was sure to go home and tell Hannah about it.
