Page 19 of Back in the Saddle

“What part of separated don’t you get?”

“The part where it doesn’t fucking make sense.”

I groaned.

“Whose idea was it that you move back in?”

“What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Answer the question.”

“Taylor’s.”

“As I said, it doesn’t make sense.” He paused as if he’d just dropped a grenade into the middle of our conversation and was waiting for me to catch up. “I gotta go. The kids will be up soon.”

He hung up, and all I could do was stare at the phone and shake my head.

The school buspulled up at the wooden front gate as I waited for Isabelle and Callum. They had a lot to answer for. It was bad enough they hadinvitedmy mother without telling us, but the fact that she was coming, and they hadn’t told us, was even worse. People had to prepare for that shit, mentally.

Taylor’s support had surprised me. I didn’t think she cared anymore. But putting herself in that position to help me showed she did. I’d wanted to kiss her in that moment, from sheer joy and relief.

Living with them as a family and pretending that we were in love would be hard. I would have to remind myself that we were pretending. I could so easily believe it was real. But it wouldn’t be. And that’s why I’d need to remind myself it was all make believe. Otherwise, leaving again after two weeks would destroy me.

Isabelle and Callum saw me as soon as they got off the bus and started talking, heads close together as they threw furtive looks my way.

“Hi, Dad,” Isabelle said as she approached their farm car.

“Isabelle. Callum. You’d never guess who arrived today.”

They shrugged.

“Nanna.”

“Really?” Callum asked.

For two conniving little shits, they were good at playing dumb.

“Yeah. And she told some tale about you inviting her to a party that doesn’t exist.”

Isabelle swallowed. “We didn’t say party exactly.”

“And imagine our surprise when Nanna said that Mamo will be here in two days.”

They threw their bags into the back of their car, ignoring that last revelation.

“And that you paid for her airfare.”

Isabelle laughed nervously. “We really wanted to see her.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Callum nodded emphatically. “It’s been so long. And we figured it was cheaper for one person to fly than four.”

“Uh huh.” I was lost for words. “You can follow me back to my place to help me pack.”

“Where are you going?” Isabelle’s voice was high.

I turned on my heel and went to my car. Let them panic for a few minutes on the drive. It wouldn’t be nearly as bad as how I felt when Lorraine said my mother was arriving in two days. My mother, who’d left me to fend for myself for the first time when I was seven.

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