Seven Years Waiting for a Fake Marriage novel · Chapter 12 of 24
Chapter 12: The First Night
Lorna agreed to it in the clinic parking lot, standing with her arms wrapped around herself.
"One night," I said. "Sam sleeps at my place. My father stays on the couch. You take a room at the motel with the caseworker's number on your phone."
"I understand."
"If Russ calls you, you tell me."
"I will."
She bent down to Sam, and he let her hug him with one arm.
"I'll see you in the morning," she said. "Be good for Elliot."
"I will," Sam told her. And then, to my surprise, he added, "Don't be sad, Mom."
She nodded and walked quickly to her car.
My mother had already gone ahead with her dish, and by the time we climbed the stairs, my apartment smelled like lasagna.
I had never in my life seen my mother enter a kitchen she had not been invited into and rearrange the knives within a minute.
She set four plates on the table.
I had not set four plates on that table in seven years.
"Sit, sit," she said. "Sam, there's a booster cushion under the sink, I brought it from the neighbor's grandchild."
"You brought a cushion?"
"I plan ahead."
Sam climbed up and looked at the lasagna.
He looked at me.
"I'm allowed to have some?"
The question stopped everyone's forks.
"Yes," I said. "All you want."
He took a small square on his plate and began to eat it with his left hand, carefully, one bite at a time, watching the plate in case someone changed their mind.
My father watched his hand.
My father is left-handed too, and so am I, and for a moment none of us said what we saw.
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