A Different Kind of Forever(81)

She agreed, laughing, and they went out after his class, and later walked back to the train station, and she sat with him, waiting for his train, talking.

When she got home, it was still early, barely eight. Emily was upstairs, music blaring, and Megan and Becca Griffen were in the kitchen, bowls everywhere, obviously trying to bake something. Diane looked wearily at her kitchen.

“Why did you feel you had to do this so late, Meg? I’m not cleaning this up, okay? Becca, how could you let her rope you into this?”

“Well, she had dinner at my house, Mrs. M., but my mom said no dessert, and Megan said you wouldn’t care.” Becca grinned sheepishly. “It’s brownies. You can have some.”

Diane shook her head, and headed upstairs. She pounded on Emily’s door. The music stopped, and her daughter threw open her door.

“Gee, Mom, glad you could make it home. What was it tonight? Did you have emergency surgery to perform? Finding a cure for cancer? Rescuing some poor stranded kitten?”

Diane exhaled loudly through her mouth. “Emily, you have been a bitch on wheels for weeks now. Rachel told me that your father was taking care of the car situation. If that’s still why you’re so pissed off, please act out at his house, not mine.”

“Did you sleep with him here?” Emily asked angrily. Her dark eyes were blazing, her thin body tense.

Diane’s mouth dropped open. “What are you talking about?”

“Alison told me there was a car parked over here a lot this summer. Most times it was some junky old truck, but there was also a fancy silver car, she said. Her mom told her it was a gardening guy for your stupid roses.” Emily was breathing fast and heavy, and Diane forced herself to lean casually against the door jamb.

“Rachel told me all about it, you know.” Emily went on. “Tonight. She called, and I asked her about the Internet stuff. I didn’t believe it was you, but Rach said that it was, that you had a ‘relationship’ with him. Did you?”

“Yes,” Diane said calmly.

Emily’s jaw dropped open. “Oh. Oh, Mom.” Emily cast her eyes around the room. “I can’t believe it. Is that why you were so happy for us to spend the summer down the shore? So you and your ‘boyfriend’ could play house all summer?”

Diane kept her voice quiet and steady. “Emily, you asked to spend the summer with your father before I even met Michael. You asked me, remember?”

“How convenient for you, though. I bet you hated the idea of us coming back.” Emily’s voice was shrill and harsh. Diane could feel her daughter’s anger like a wave.

“Emily, I asked you all summer long to come back home to spend a few days. You’re the one who wanted to stay down there. I had to drive down to see you. Is any of this sounding familiar?”

“Did he come with you? When you drove down to Long Beach Island?”

Diane shook her head. “No. He was never with me. I wanted to spend the time with you, honey - you and Megan.”

“Where was he when we came up in July?”

“He went to Toronto. But if he hadn’t, he would not have been here. I would not have had him stay here when you girls were in the house.” Diane said emphatically.

“But when we weren’t here, did you sleep with him, Mother? In our house?”

“Michael and I are grown-ups, Emily,” Diane said quietly. “And what I choose to do in my own home is my own business.”

“Oh, that’s right. It’s Michael. You’re in that special little group, aren’t you? The ‘Call Me Michael’ group.” Emily spat out the words.

“He also asked you to call him that, Emily,” Diane reminded her, trying to keep her own rising anger at bay.

“I wonder if that meant he wanted to f*ck me too.”

Diane left the safety of the doorway and lunged toward her daughter. Emily scrambled back. Diane froze. Her voice was low and hoarse.

“You will not speak like that again in my house - ever. If you do, I will throw you into the street with nothing but the clothes on your back.” Diane was aware of movement behind her, and she turned quickly to find Megan and Becca in the doorway, eyes wide.

Diane swallowed hard, wondering how long the younger girls had been there. “Becca, you have to leave now,” Diane said. “I’m sorry. Megan, go down and watch her from the steps ‘till she’s at her house. It’s late. Go.” The girls scurried away. Diane turned back to Emily.