Page 118 of Bewitch

* * *

Not two days later, Mom sits across from me at a diner. Normally, she would never be seen in one, but I’m buying. I baked all weekend long, and I already sold out of everything, and I’m using my profits to treat her.

“When do you think you’ll article will be published?” my mom asks.

“Hopefully soon. It should be online tomorrow, but I’m pushing for them to print it too.”

“That’s wonderful.” She beams at me. “I can hardly believe what he told you.”

“All of it was a lie,” I say. “Every last bit of it. When he claimed to have fought in the war, I should’ve checked out and verified that fact, but all of that about his having a granddaughter, her parents dying… He never did say if Lola’s mom or dad had been his child, but then, Lola never even existed! Trust me. I’ve learned a very valuable lesson from all of this. I need to check my sources more carefully, and I should’ve already looked him up online.”

“Yes, well, I’m already trying to figure out how to spin this so that the media doesn’t blame the university.” She wearily rubs her forehead. “This could be a PR nightmare.”

I shake my head. “A student cracked the case before any true harm came to any students?”

“I don’t know about that,” she murmurs. “Psychological trauma can cause issues even if there wasn’t any physical contact between him and the girls.”

“Offer counseling for free for any students who need it. For any reason, not just because of this. Plus, you know I’m not going to paint the university in a bad light.”

“Counseling is a good idea, and yes, we have more than enough in the budget to cover the costs. I’ll bring this up at an emergency board meeting tonight. I can’t tell you how proud I am of you, for so many things.”

“For losing weight too, huh?”

My mom hangs her head. “I was looking through old pictures last night, and I found this. I thought I got rid of it but…”

She removes an envelope from her purse and pushes it across the table.

I take it and look inside. The picture is of my mom when she’s maybe ten. We look a lot alike, only she was so much heavier than I ever was.

“It’s hereditary,” she says. “My fault that you have issues with your weigh, and I had to work very hard through a terrible cycle of diets to break through and finally get to a healthy weight. My best friend in high school was even heavier than I was. We were both teased mercilessly, but she… She ended up taking too many dangerous diet supplements… She died.”

“Mom!”

“That was what I needed to get myself on track, and… maybe I didn’t help you enough or harmed more than I helped, but my intentions were good. Not that intentions matter, I suppose. Do you… Should I have gotten you therapy long ago?”

“Mom, you’re healthy. I’m healthy. I’m in a very good place right now.”

She lifts her eyebrows. “Does that mean that you and that trainer of yours are finally dating?”

“Maybe.” I grin.

“Extra cardio, huh?”

“Mom!”

“Just be careful,” she says. “Do you want me to buy you condoms?”

I gape at her. “Are you serious?”

“I would rather buy condoms than baby diapers, so yes, I’m serious. I mean, after you graduate, I’ll be more than happy to buy the baby diapers.”

“What if I do get pregnant because we want to while I’m still in school? Will you only buy diapers after I graduate when the baby might be in pullups?”

She blinks a few times. “I would prefer you to get married before you have a baby together, and I would like to meet him sooner than later, but, ah, it is your life, and if you know what you want—”

I hold up a hand. “We haven’t talked kids or marriage, so we aren’t exactly that serious—”

“Oh, I can see that expression on your face when you talk about him. It’s the same look I had in all of the pictures when I married your father.”

---