Page 57 of So Wrong It's Right

“How is that supposed to make me feel better?”

He sets a beer down in front of me. “She didn’t marry a train wreck? Her child won’t be raised by an idiot? I don’t know. I thought you’d be glad he was gone.”

“Well, she’s better off without him, but I’m sure he can afford child suppor. What a weasel.”

I hear the door again and am surprised to see little Misty from the vet’s office in a princess dress and tiara. “Misty, you can’t be in here, sweetie. It’s a bar. Where’s your mom?” I get up to make sure she’s okay.

“You hafta come outside with me.”

“Okay, but honey, where’s your mom?”

She takes my hand and pulls me out the door. Her family is on the sidewalk. So is Megan.

Megan?

She flies into my arms smelling like coconut and Coco Chanel.

“I thought you were coming home tomorrow? Why are you smiling and is that a rose? Why are you holding a rose?”

Megan squeezes me. “We came back a day early as a surprise.”

“Um, okay.”

Something feels...off. Obviously. Everyone is staring at me expectantly. Why would Megan lie to me about what day she was coming home as a surprise? And why include Misty and her family?

Megan fidgets like she has to pee. “Oh, the rose is for you.”

Misty’s family is staring at me and smiling. Nash comes out the door and smiles. As does Perry who was in disguise wearing her hair up in a trucker hat, jeans, men’s shoes, and a flannel shirt.

I can’t figure out what is going on, but Misty tugs my hand again.

“Just a second, sweetie.” I look at Perry and throw my other hand out. “Why are you dressed like you just went fishing and your name is Joe or Mike?”

She pulls the hat off, her hair cascading out like a shampoo commercial. “I didn’t want you to recognize me when I came in to pretend to play pool. Duh.”

“Why?” What the heck is going on around here? It’s not my birthday. I don’t have any milestones to celebrate.

“Because I was in disguise!”

“But why?”

She flares her impatient face at me. “Take the rose from your sister and go with Misty.”

“Okay, okay. Geez.”

The street is dotted with people I know and some I don’t. As I walk down the road, Dixie and Leo and Tru step out from the curb and join Megan, Perry, and Nash, who are behind me. Now Dr. Anderson joins our party.

“Why are we having a parade?” I ask, but nobody answers me. People are filming us on their phones as we go down the street. There are cheerleaders on the corner with pom-poms and they fire off a glitter cannon. A spray of colorful paper streamers and shiny confetti showers us. Everything shimmers, catching the sunlight as the breeze picks them up.

“Mom, Dad,” I say as my parents fall out of line on the side of the road and we pause to hug. “What is going on?”

They loop their arms through my elbows on either side of me and propel me to the Victorian house with all the colors.

Balloons and paper stars decorate theSoldsign. Somebody bought the house. I’m disappointed even though I’m not in the market for a house right now. I think lately I just like feeling disappointed.

My great-aunt and her Pekinese are sitting on a chair in the yard and she claps at me.

What the heck is going on?

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