Page 64 of Masquerade Mistake

“Oh. Yeah.” I start to spiral again, but I stop myself just in time. “I’ll have to call the school first, let them know Finn isn’t taking the bus. You may need to get him in the office since you haven’t picked him up before.”

“I can do that. Just tell me where to go.”

I give him directions and the time Finn’s school lets out, and by the time I hang up, I feel more alone than ever. The house is quiet. Empty. I have a full day to do whatever I want for as long as I want to.

And I hate it.

I call the school and let them know about Finn’s pickup change and find out all the security details so that Ethan can get our son. I spend the next hour sitting on my couch with a book, but I barely see the words on the page. I text Maren, but she’s busy working at the coffee shop. I realize I haven’t seen her in a while, so I grab my bag and head out the door.

Insomniacs is bustling as usual. I step inside the shop, greeted by a whir of machines, metal spoons on porcelain cups, and the clatter of conversation. Maren looks up as I enter, and her face breaks into a grin. She nods toward an empty table in the corner.

“Grab it,” she calls out over the noise. “Coffee’s on me.”

I do, waiting for a lull in the line of coffee fanatics before she can finally reach me. She yanks off her apron and sits across from me, handing me a latte with a line of hearts on it. I take a sip, sighing in appreciation at the taste of almond milk with a touch of honey.

“Finn is hanging out with Ethan today after school today,” I blurt out.

“Is he excited?” She sips her mocha, coming away with a lip of whip cream that she licks away.

“He doesn’t know,” I say. “Ethan is picking him up from school, and they’re going to do something without me.”

“And you feel left out.”

My cheeks burn as tears spring to my eyes. Why am I crying over this? “I’m being stupid, I know it.”

“No, you’re not,” Maren says, patting my hand. “You’ve spent years as the biggest person in Finn’s life. It’s only natural that it feels hard to share him.”

At this I burst into tears. I try to hide it, to control it in some way, but once the tears start, I can’t stop them. “This is so dumb,” I snivel. “I mean, I wanted this. But now that we’re here, I don’t. And I don’t even know how Ethan feels about me. So is this how it’s going to go? Finn will split time between me and Ethan forever, and that’s just the way it is?”

“I don’t know,” Maren says. “I think you’re getting ahead of yourself.”

“But I have to!” I wipe my nose on my sleeve. “If I don’t, then I’ll be completely unprepared.”

“And you’ll drive yourself miserable by living so far into the future instead of just focusing on the here and now. You are still Finn’s primary parent. You still get the final say in everything he does, how he spends his time, how he cuts his hair. Everything.”

I sniff loudly, swiping at my eyes, then my nose again. “I know.” I look at her, my head aching from an emotional hangover. “But what do I do in the meantime?”

“Right now? We get dressed up in our hottest clothes, then we go to the bar and grab a real drink. We listen to some live music, and we eat up all the attention we’re going to get because, damn girl, you’re a hot mess right now, but you still got it going on.”

I look down at my usual yoga pants, then back to her.

“I mean, with a little work you do,” she laughs.

We end up at Water’s Edge, a cool oceanside bar with open air seating that allows you to be a part of the live music inside while also enjoying the waves just across the beach. It’s still early enough that the sun is out, but it doesn’t make the nightlife any less. The place is crowded with tourists, and we’re lucky to have scored a table on the patio. I’m wearing one of Maren’s jumpsuits that leave little to the imagination in the way of curves. The front dips all the way to my navel, and I’m super grateful for the tape that’s holding it all together. Maren is in a short skirt with thigh high boots and a sheer top. Both of us look like we’re ready to mingle, judging by the amount of heads that keep looking in our direction. I cross my arms in front of me, keeping my head down. Maren just laughs at me, knocking my hands out of the way.

“Own it, Claire. Stop being selfish with your hotness.”

“That doesn’t even make sense,” I say, but I put my arms down and do my best to ignore the unwanted attention, focusing on the music in the corner. It’s some guy who came to play all the instruments, starting with the harmonica and bongos. It’s a strange combination, but it kind of works. I nod my head in time with the music, sipping a lavender vodka lemonade while Maren drinks a Coke. I used to think it bothered her to be at places that serve alcohol when she didn’t drink, but she always claims this is where her people are.

The waiter comes to our table, delivering a refill for each of us, even though I’ve only taken two sips of the one I have.

“This is from the two gentlemen at the bar,” the waiter says. I give Maren a pointed look. She rolls her eyes, then raises her soda to the men grinning at us from across the room.

“Thanks, but we’re together,” she shouts loudly, then she slips her arm around my waist and giving me a squeeze.

“Maren,” I laugh, smacking her arm as I pull away. Her declaration does nothing to dissuade them, judging by the way their eyes bug out, but they eventually turn around.

“I hope you’re happy. I just made sure neither one of us can get laid.”

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