Page 91 of The Wedding Hoax

“You’ll figure something out, Harry. I know you will.” Mom patted my back now, too. “Besides, only a fool would let someone like Simone get away from them. And the one thing you’ve never been is a fool, son. Not a day in your life.”

“Thanks, Mom.” I blew out a heavy breath as my parents continued to comfort me with their presence. It was a new feeling for me, leaning on them in a time of need. But it was new for them to seem so concerned about my well-being and my life, too. Strangely, in the middle of what was one of the worst things I’d ever been through, it felt like I was turning over a new leaf in my relationship with my parents.

Like there was going to actually be a way forward for us.

Like we were actually going to be a real family for what felt like the first time in forever.

I just hoped the same was possible with Simone.

* * *

“My birthday party.”

“What?” Mom was staring at a piece of art hanging in the hallway, her attention seemingly broken by me speaking to her. I’d been spending the last two days at my parents’ home, enjoying the time spent around my family, too.

It definitely beat being holed up in a hotel room, slowly losing all sense of the passing of time.

“I need you to invite Simone to my birthday party,” I said. “It can’t come from me, or else she’s either going to ignore it or she won’t show up.”

“Why do you think me asking her would make any difference?” My mom was puzzled by the request. “If she’s avoiding you, isn’t she avoiding all of us?”

“She likes you. And she wouldn’t want to be rude. If you invited her somewhere, she’d show up, only if it was for a few minutes.”

“So, you want me to invite your wife to your birthday party in the hopes that she stays for a few minutes?”

“Yep!”

“Harry?”

“Yeah?”

“What exactly are you planning?” Mom pressed. “Besides your own birthday party, apparently.”

“You’ll see.”

“Oh. I’m sure.” My mom pulled out her phone, then casually dialed a number. “Eileen! There you are! I haven’t heard from you in so long! Sorry it’s been a while since I called. How is your therapy going?”

Eileen?

My mom called Eileen to talk to her regularly?

I opened my mouth to say something, but quickly decided to close it instead. There had to be a method to my mother’s madness, and a part of me wanted to wait and see how the whole thing played out.

“That sounds awful, but also amazing. I’m happy to hear that the prospects are so good long-term,” my mom continued. “Listen, Eileen. I’m sure you know this by now, but it looks like Harry has made a complete mess of things with Simone and he’d like to try to make them better.”

My throat closed as I waited.

“His plan? To invite her to his birthday party.” Mom looked at me as she spoke. “No, I know. I’m sure there’s more to it than that. But here’s the thing. He needs to make sure that Simone actually shows up. Do you think you could convince her to come? Maybe as a favor to her dear mother?”

My mother suddenly held up a finger. “Hold on. Let me ask him.”

She moved the phone away from her mouth, then said, “Eileen wants to know if you’re serious about this. If you are, she says she can get Simone to show up. But she doesn’t want her daughter showing up just to get her heart broken.”

I nodded. “I’m serious about this. Dead serious.”

“Great.” Mom moved the phone back up to her mouth. “He says he’s dead serious, Eileen, and I believe him. What do you say? Do we have a deal?”

A few seconds passed before my mom was smiling wide. “Of course. We’ll see you both on Saturday. I’ll let Harry send over the details.”

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