Maybe This Time(63)

“Obviously.”

“I thought I understood why he does what he does. Stress, pressure. Trying to climb out of some failure hole he feels he’s fallen into.”

“Failure hole?”

“Yes. His show failed, his marriage failed, his restaurant—the one he tried to open after the show—failed. So he takes on these failing businesses and helps make them successful. I think it keeps his demons at bay. But just barely, apparently. Because the demons that make him think it’s okay to yell at a little kid are still thriving in there.”

“For what it’s worth,” I said, “my brother is going to be fine. It’s not like he’s never been yelled at. Plus, he got through the maze on his own and was super proud of that.”

“As he should be. This thing is no joke.”

“Right?”

Andrew sighed. “There’s no excuse for what my dad did and since I doubt he’ll say sorry, I apologize for him.”

“You don’t need to do that. By the way, my mom told him off. Your dad, I mean.”

Andrew’s eyebrows shot up. “Your mom?”

“Yep. My normally selfish, usually apathetic, often oblivious mom stood up to the man she’s been flirting with for the last five months. It’s been a strange night.”

“For the record, I don’t think your mom should’ve worn heels to a farm either,” Andrew said. “I’m not sure why that particular comment set Micah off.”

“Thanks,” I said quietly, but I wasn’t sure I believed him. “I’m sure it wasn’t that comment. This has obviously been stewing in her.” A stalk of corn brushed my elbow, and I shook it off. “But I do have a bias when it comes to my mom. She pretty much can do no right. She has this habit of embarrassing me.”

“What?” Andrew asked in faux shock.

“I know. I’d lost my patience for her and stopped seeing her, I think.” I shrugged. “I don’t know. The maze didn’t really tell me exactly what my deep-seated issues with my mother are. We were working on that before I ran into you. But maybe I’ve been wrong … about a lot of things.”

We turned a corner, and in front of us were the wooden stairs leading to the platform.

“I knew I could find it,” he said. We took the stairs, climbing to the top. When we were there, we gazed out at the whole cornfield in silence.

What were my issues with my mother? Aside from her embarrassing me at every turn. There had to be more than that, didn’t there? Because that would be a really dumb reason to be so angry with her all the time.

“Maybe I blamed her … for my father leaving,” I said at last. “If she wasn’t so … her … then he’d have wanted to stay. My dad would still be here.” I put my hands on the railing of the platform and lowered my head. “That’s so wrong of me. He left. I should’ve been mad at him, but it’s like I thought I understood why he wanted to. I mean, look at me, I can’t wait to get out of here. Micah is right about me. I’m a judgmental, self-righteous, horrible person.” And Micah had finally figured that out. Had finally had enough of me. She’d called me out and was done.

“Sophie,” Andrew said, putting his hand on my shoulder.

I turned into him, letting him wrap his arms around me.

“You aren’t horrible,” he said.

“I am. I’m not mad at my dad. I mean, I wasn’t until tonight. He’s been lying to me and he’s irresponsible and flighty and selfish and what if I’m exactly like him?” Tears streaked down my face, the ones I’d been holding in all night. I couldn’t hold them back now.

Andrew rubbed my back softly. “It was easier to be mad at your mom because you see her every day.”

“I’m tired of being angry.”

“My mom left and I only blamed her, never saw that my dad would be hard to live with. We’re opposites.”

“We are,” I said. “In so many ways.”

“Is that why we have a hard time getting along?” he asked, his breath on my temple.

“Probably. Or you’re just impossible.”

He chuckled a little and I could feel it rumble against my chest.

I started to smile but then the night weighed on my shoulders.

“The maze will keep this a secret, right?” I asked, looking up at Andrew. “We can’t have people getting the wrong idea about us.”

I couldn’t make out the expression in his eyes, but he nodded. “I have complete faith in the maze.”



When we finally made it out, we both let out a shout of victory.

“Remind me never to enter us into any sort of puzzle race,” Andrew said.

“If this was a puzzle, I would’ve figured it out a lot faster,” I argued.

“Oh really?”

“Yes.”

He started to respond but then he looked around. “Um … the whole town was just going to leave us in there?”

I looked around too. How long had we been in that black hole? All the booths were broken down and trucked away. All the tables were stacked and waiting to be moved. And nearly every car in the dirt parking area was gone. All except the flower van. The tins of flowers were lined up beside it. Caroline had left. Micah had left. Everyone had left.