Page 110 of Cherry on Top

Because just inside, in the dim light of the reception area, was his mom.

And Joy.

And they were kissing.

Splat.

His sub fell out of his suddenly numb fingers, and they both looked up, surprise and trepidation written across both their faces.

Enzo didn’t know what to say, so he didn’t say anything at all.

Just stared.

At where Joy’s arm was still wrapped around his mother’s waist.

Giana spoke first, but not before doing the opposite of what Enzo expected. Instead of disentangling herself from Joy’s embrace, she leaned in closer. Like she didn’t want to let her go. Like they were partners, a team.

Enzo had felt that way with Will, just this morning.

“Enzo, darling,” she said softly, “I wanted to tell you the truth. I was going to tell you, actually, tonight, but we got . . .” She hesitated. Clammed up.

Enzo swallowed hard. “Please don’t say you got carried away, Mom,” he said.

It was easier to banter with her like he always did than face head-on the truths that were currently, blatantly, in front of his face.

His mom was not straight.

Oliver’s mom was not straight.

And they were not straight together.

“I won’t then,” Giana said. She glanced up at Joy. “I do need to talk to him, though, and you said—”

“Yes,” Joy agreed, nodding. “I’ll talk to Oliver. Tonight.”

They kissed again, briefly, but thoroughly enough Enzo felt his whole world re-aligning around him. He swallowed hard. “I’ll just be . . .uh . . .outside then.” He turned, nearly tripped over his sandwich, picking it up in its paper-wrapped bundle at the last second, and managed to get outside, to the far end of the patio, with no more accidents.

Because he really wasn’t thinking right now.

If he thought . . .well.

He just wasn’t going to think about it. No good could come from him doing any thinking whatsoever right now.

Of course, with the way his mom approached, wringing her hands and looking like she wanted to bare her soul, Enzo had a feeling the opposite was in the cards for him.

He settled down on one of the long couches and she sat, right next to him.

“I’m sorry you had to find out that way,” she said quietly.

Enzo had seen his mother a whole lot of ways. Since his dad had never been around, he’d only known her. He thought he’d witnessed every possible mood she possessed but he didn’t think he’d ever seen this one before. Almost like she was diminished.

Ashamed.

And holy hell, that was not going to work. Not now, not ever.

“Mom, you know I don’t care right? I don’t care if you go around kissing a hundred women. A thousand. Or . . .” Don’t think, don’t think. “Whatever you want to do with them.” I only care that you didn’t care enough to tell me.

“I know you don’t, but it’s . . .it’s a huge adjustment,” Giana said. “And it’s new. So we’re still working our way through it. It’s why we didn’t tell you or Oliver yet. Or anyone. But it’s one of the reasons I pushed so hard to have you come home. When I did tell you, I wanted to do it in person.”

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