Page 43 of Perfectly Grumpy

It doesn’t. I take a step back, the memories pressing in on all sides. I grasp my suitcase handle like a lifeline, backing away from the group, from the house, from all of it.

Then I turn and walk out the door, the ache blooming so big it drowns out everything else.

Because there’s only one thing worse than finding out your dad has moved on.

It’s realizing everyone else already has.

SIXTEEN

lauren

Olivia scrambles after me as I head out the door. “Don’t leave yet, Lauren. You have to make a showing at dinner tonight. For Granny’s sake.”

She shuts the door behind us so Bart and Abby can’t hear our conversation, a small act of kindness I’m grateful for.

“The only reason I showed up was for you and Mom,” I say, turning to Liv. “And it’s clear you have everything taken care of.” I start down the porch stairs, noticing the hanging swing shifting gently in the breeze on the porch. I always loved reading in that swing with Mom. She would take one end of the swing, and I’d prop my feet on her lap.

“What about the promise to Mom?” Olivia asks gently, snapping me out of the memory. “And this isn’t me trying to play the guilt card, Lauren. She wanted us to carry on this tradition because it was the only thing keeping us together. We can get through this.”

“Yeah, well, it’s pretty hard to keep a family together when you hide things from each other,” I say. “And believe me, Mom would understand.”

I don’t look back at Olivia as I head to the parking lot. Even mentioning Mom makes my chest tighten. She would havehandled this situation so much better than me, reminding me that being together is better than being right.

Apromise is a promise.

But I’m exhausted from pretending I’m fine. And I’m hurt that no one thought to tell me about Dad’s new relationshipbeforeI walked into this reunion completely unprepared.

I haul my suitcase over the gravel, the wheels catching and stumbling behind me. The rough, jarring motion matches exactly how my heart feels—scraped raw.

I miss Mom so much.

As I fumble through my bag searching for my car keys, everything turns into a blur behind the tears welling in my vision. I open my trunk as someone calls from the end of the parking lot.

“Lauren, where are you going?”

I spin around. Granny is standing there, holding her aluminum lawn chair from the sixties with its woven green seat. She’s decked out in her traditional vacation attire—a straw hat bigger than a small planet, Bermuda shorts, and a Hawaiian shirt decorated with flamingos even though there are no pink birds around here. “Aren’t you supposed to be helping Olivia at the registration table?”

I glance back at the porch. Olivia’s gone now, and part of me feels guilty for leaving her to handle everything alone, but the larger part just needs to escape before I completely fall apart.

“I was just moving my stuff,” I say, even though it’s clear I was putting my suitcase into the trunk.

“Let me help you with that.” Before I can stop her, she grabs my suitcase and hauls it right back toward the house.

“Granny, stop! I need that.”

“Sorry, honey, but I don’t have my hearing aids turned up,” Granny says, not meeting my eyes as she marches toward the front door. I get the feeling she’s tryingnotto hear me. Like she knows I’m trying to escape.

“I need my suitcase,” I say firmly, reaching for thehandle. “Right now.”

She yanks it just beyond my reach. “But you’ll miss our special announcement at dinner. There’s a wonderful surprise planned.”

“Another one? I’ve had about all the surprises I can handle for one day.”

“Oh, you’ll like this one,” she insists.

I hesitate, stopping next to a rose bush in full bloom. “If this is anything like finding out Dad has a new girlfriend, I really don’t want to be here for it.”

Her forehead creases. “Your dad didn’t tell you, did he? After I specifically told him to?”

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