Page 189 of Smooth Sailing

Mom homed in on me as I walked around the kitchen bar to the living room.

We were going to have a showdown?

Time to take my position.

“I can’t believe you just said that to me,” Mom whispered, full of hurt.

“What’s my favorite color?” I asked.

“I—” She cut herself off, and to save face about the fact she didn’t know, she demanded, “Is this going to be some kind of test?”

But…damn, that cut to the quick.

It was a test, and she failed.

My mother didn’t know my favorite color.

“What color is it?” I pushed.

“Blue, doll, it’s all over the place,” Gram chipped in fake perkily.

“Don’t help her, Shannon,” Dad said.

Before Mom or Gram could say anything, I did.

“Dad never told you to do anything, did he?” I asked. “At least, not successfully.”

“What are you—?” Mom began.

“Though, he tried, so that’s why you turned to Brendon,” I stated.

I watched the color drain from Mom’s face.

I’d believed Dad when he told me, but seeing that, I knew.

I knew.

“What?” Gram asked.

“So many questions,” I said. “The normal ones, like how could you cheat on your husband and the father of your child? And the unusual ones, like how could you have the audacity to tell everyone he was the one who cheated on you?”

Gram rounded Mom. “What’s Di talking about, Maggie?”

“I see he’s telling you lies,” Mom said.

Before I could reply, Dad did.

“You broke my heart.”

At the frank emotion in his voice, my stomach clenched so hard, I thought I’d hurl.

Gram’s eyes flew to Dad.

Mom’s face got color, and fast, but this time it was red.

Dad moved out of the kitchen and did it talking.

“I loved you so much. I was so immensely destroyed by what you did to me, I found a good woman after you and messed it up. Lost her too. But that was my doing.”

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