Page 108 of Hot Four Teacher
When she finally calms down a little, I lead her over to the couch and then grab her some tissues and a bottle of water. After I hand them to her, I get comfortable beside her.
“Okay, kid. Time to tell me what happened.”
“When you dropped me off yesterday, everything was fine. Dad and I went and grabbed lunch, and then, he took me shopping.”
Of course, he did.
She keeps going. “We went back to his place and just hung out. His new house is big and beautiful. We talked and caught up, and I thought things were going great.”
“But then?”
“His girlfriend came home. I guess she’d been out of town for a few days.”
“Oh.”
“But I guess she’s not really his girlfriend. She’s his wife.”
“I’m sorry–what?”
“You heard me. Dad got married.”
“When? How? Why?” I can’t decide what question I want to start with. After taking a deep breath, I ask, “He got married without inviting you or telling you beforehand?”
“Yeah. Well, they decided to get married before the baby came.”
“Baby?”
Oh, this just keeps getting worse.
“Yep. She looks like she’s about ready to pop.”
“And he didn’t tell you any of this beforehand?”
“No. He didn’t even tell me they were married until about an hour before she got there. So, that was this morning.”
“Okay, wait. So, if that was this morning, what happened after that? You didn’t call me until way later.”
“Because that wasn’t what pushed me over the edge.”
There’s something worse?
I take another deep breath, trying to calm myself down. “Alright, so he tells you he got married?”
She nods. “He sits me down and tells me how he got married, and it was just a courthouse thing because she’s pregnant. He said he wanted to include me, but everything was so rushed.”
Bullshit.
She continues. “You know what? Whatever. I could’ve lived with all of that. I don’t want him to be a spinster. But then,shecame home.”
“And she was awful?” I’m asking questions because sometimes, Eve takes approximately seven business days to get to her point.
“She was fine. Nice, even. She seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me…and then, I met her daughters.”
“She has kids, too?”
She nods. “Two girls who are younger than me. I think she said they were seven and eleven. They were all fine. Everyone was nice, but I spent the day watching how they all act together.” She pauses amoment. “They call him Dad, and he actually acts like their dad. He takes them to sporting events and plays with dolls. They were in his wedding, and I wasn't even told about it–let alone invited. They are all one big happy fucking family.”
I usually don’t let her swing around the F word all willy-nilly, but I think this occasion warrants it.
