Page 69 of The Wrong Track

I nodded. Ok.

“When my first husband walked out, I was totally lost,” she told me. “I really didn’t think I’d ever be happy, not ever again. I thought that my life was over but I was trying to put on a good show for poor Mackie, because I knew that she didn’t deserve two bad parents. My ex was a real…” She glanced around, but we were totally alone in her office. “He was a real asshole,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry.”

She waved that away. “No one talks about him, especially not in front of her, because of course they don’t want to hurt her feelings. It's not her fault,” she continued in a normal tone. “Things happened and looking back, I don’t think they were anyone’s fault but his. Now, everyone is just so glad that Neil and I are together, that our family is so strong. It doesn’t matter if someone is a stepmom or a birth mom, a stepdad or adoptive. We’re real parents because we do the work. And give the love. I feel like I was the luckiest woman in the world.”

“Because you met Neil?”

“Well, yes, but also because Mackie got to have him as a new dad, and because I was fortunate enough to be Ellis’s mom, too. He needed somebody and I got to be that person.” She wiped her eyes. “He’s the best son ever, and I love him so much. I’m just going to write quickly and let him know that.” She dripped tears on her screen as she did.

I stared at her. “Did Charlene tell you?”

“Hm?” She fumbled with a tissue, then picked up her phone again and studied it. “I was sure I had a message from one of the kids. Hm.”

Yes, Charlene had told her about the marriage proposal—no, not a proposal, but a suggestion. “I wish she hadn’t done that,” I said. “It’s hard on Tobin. It’s not fair to him.” How humiliating it must have been to have these people know that I had turned down his offer—not his offer, but his concept. It hadn’t been a real proposal or offer, it had only been him throwing out ideas about how he could save Ella. But he didn’t need to; I was going to take care of both of us.

“She didn’t tell everyone, just me. And Hazel, I think. And Monica. And probably Evelyn.”

That was way, way too many. I frowned. “What is everyone saying?”

“Nothing. Nothing much. Well,” she considered, “some people are saying that they’re very disappointed.”

“In him? That’s a load of crap! He didn’t do anything to make them feel that way about him!”

Annie’s eyes widened. “No, not that they’re disappointed in Tobin! Some people are sad that it’s not going to work out between the two of you, that you and Ella are leaving.”

She meant one person, Hazel. She hadn’t spoken one word about it in my presence but the last time she’d seen me and the baby, she’d almost started to cry.

“And some people understand,” Annie went on. “Like Monica. She’s telling everyone to stop pressuring both of you.”

“Who’s supposed to be pressuring us?”

“Charlene. You know how she wants Tobin to get married.”

“Yeah, but not to me,” I said, shaking my head.

She shrugged. “She seems very upset. She told Monica that now her son has lost out twice, first on Hazel and now on you, and they got into a big fight. Monica doesn’t think that Tobin and Hazel are right for each other,” she explained. “She and Charlene aren’t speaking.”

“Christ.” That made a lot of us in that condition. Tobin and I hadn’t had more than three words to say to each other and all of them had been centered around Ella, her diapers, and her meals.

“Put me down in the disappointed camp,” Annie said. “I was really hoping that the two of you would get together.”

“It wouldn’t have been us getting together. Tobin was talking about marrying me for Ella’s sake, so he could take care of her and keep her in his life.” I hesitated. “Do you know anything about me?”

“I know you’re from the South. You have the cutest accent.”

More like all of them had accents, but I liked how they talked. “I mean, do you know what I was doing before I moved in with Tobin? Before I started working for you?”

Now she looked slightly confused. “Why would I care about that?”

“Because it matters to me.”

“Oh, ok.” She nodded seriously. “What do you want to tell me?”

“Nothing.”

“Ok. If you ever do, I would be glad to listen.” She paused and when I shook my head mutely, she said, “Then let’s discuss the roman shades. I have the measurements in here somewhere. Oh, no! This document somehow merged with a disgusting ad about Swiss penis enlargement devices! Not particularly Swiss penises.” She stared at her screen. “I guess this would work on anyone’s penis no matter the nationality but the machines themselves are made in Europe. And, if that one is real, it’s very impressive—the penis, not the device. Leave it to the Swiss, those mechanical geniuses,” she said, and I walked around the desk to help her.

---