Page 73 of One Sweet Lie

“It’s Denise,” he said, pulling it out. “I need to take this.”

I pushed the stroller to a bench and heard a laugh I’d know anywhere.

Dad?

He rounded the corner with Lauren at his side.

Panicking, I swung the stroller to the side and turned around so my back faced them. I pulled shades over my face and kept my head down.

“Harlow?” He stepped closer. “Harlow, is that you?”

“No, sir.” I shook my head. “You have me confused with someone else.”

“It is you, Harlow!” Lauren laughed. “Will you look at that? We came here to surprise you this weekend, and we run into you early.”

“I don’t who you people are, Miss.” I decided to cling to my act a tad bit longer. “I’ve never seen you before a day in my life.”

“Okay, hon.” Lauren pushed the shades off my face, giving me a warm smile. “You know, it’s a good thing you fell in love with something other than acting, because you still have a lot of work to do in that department.”

“Tell me about it.” I stood to give them a hug, but William began to cry.

“Oh no, hold on,” I said, instinctively pulling a napkin from my pocket.

I dabbed his lips and handed him Binky Bunny Number Seven.

“See?” I smiled at him. “You never have to wait too long for it. I always keep it around.”

My parents exchanged glances.

Shit.

“Whose kids are these?” Lauren asked.

“Sasha’s.” I threw her under the bus. “I’m helping her out while she finishes another book.”

“Sasha has kids?” my dad asked. “Since when?”

“Since, well, they’re not hers per se. The kids are…”

My heart raced so loudly that I was certain they could hear it.

“No, well, the kids belong to a man who is uh…”

“Nan-eeee.” William yelled at the worst possible time. “My naannn-eeee!”

“Aw!” My mom stooped down and pinched his cheek. “Is he trying to say his name? Is it Manny?”

“Nan-eeee,” He cooed again.

“I think he’s trying to say, Nathan, Lauren.” My dad couldn’t help pinching his cheek, too. “Na-thannn?”

“Hol-lowww.” Charlotte decided to heighten the stakes by attempting to say my name. “Hol-loww.”

“Is the baby girl trying to sayHarlow?” Lauren gushed. “Or is that her name?”

“Hollow ishername. Weird choice, I know.”

“Don’t tell me Sasha took on a daycare job to do research for her book.” Lauren shook her head. “She could’ve called me.”

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