Seven Days in June(85)

Eva tossed her napkin at Audre, and she giggled.

“You excited to see Daddy?” asked Eva, changing the subject.

“Yeah, I miss him! It’s refreshing to be around someone one thousand percent un-snarky.”

“He gets such a kick out of getting a kick out of things.”

“And I heard from Daddy that Athena’s started a woke wellness spa. She actually got her massage-therapist certificate. The spa’s called And Still I Rise. Auntie Belinda would love that.”

“Huh. What happens at a woke wellness spa?”

“Exfoliation, by any means necessary?”

Eva laughed at Audre’s joke, but it was a hollow sound. It was 11:17 a.m. He was more than an hour late, with no word. She texted him once more but, deep down, knew that he wouldn’t answer. And then she started to panic.

Dear God, she thought. Please let him be okay. What if he started drinking again? What if he’s lying in a ditch somewhere? Does New York have ditches? What if he’s hurt and I can’t reach him? I’m his only real friend! What do I do?

She briefly considered calling local hospitals and then nixed the thought. She was being dramatic. And she didn’t want to freak Audre out.

So, with a trembly voice, Eva called a waitress over to put in their entrée orders.

By the time their fancy, complicated egg dishes came, Eva had no appetite. She couldn’t taste the food.

It was time to land the cover-up. Scrolling through her phone, Eva faked a gasp. “I’m so silly,” she said. “I’ve been so caught up in our conversation, I missed his text ages ago. IKEA’s late, so he can’t make it. He says he’s devastated he missed you.”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t know what you two talked about at Cece’s, but you definitely have a fan.”

“We bonded,” she said with a mysterious smile. “Tell him it’s cool, and we’ll hang out after Dadifornia.”

Eva nodded, too fast. “Of course, baby.”

“Mom, why are you so wiggly? You’re doing that thing where you shake your right leg at triple speed.”

“No reason,” she said dryly, stuffing roughly fourteen fries into her mouth. “I think I just have to pee.”

“Before you go to the ladies’, I have something to tell you. I think I like a boy.”

Eva almost choked to death on her fries. “What? Who? Dash Moretti from algebra?”

“Ew, no. I’d never date a Cheshire Prep boy. Yeah, he looks like Shawn Mendes, but he has no soul. No, this guy, Zion? He’s Athena’s godson.”

“Oh, isn’t he your stepmom’s third or fourth cousin? You played together when you were little.”

“Yeah, and now he’s cute. Look at his Insta.”

Audre slid her phone across the table, and Eva checked him out. His latest post was a pic of him, mid–soccer tournament, rocking a retro high-top fade. Cute, he definitely was.

“If you don’t tell me every detail of this developing crush, I’ll die.”

“Of course I’ll tell you!” Audre smiled, eyes shining. “And you, same. You better give me Shane updates while I’m gone. He promised me he’d be nice to you.”

“He did?” Eva’s hands were trembling, so she sat on them.

“If he doesn’t, he’s dead,” Audre said, taking a healthy bite of her egg dish. “I can be savage if necessary.”

Eva could barely force a smile. She’d moved past panic and settled into hurt and humiliation. It was 12:00 p.m., and she’d been stood up. It was mortifying, watching the clock and having to come up with a lie to protect Audre’s feelings. Standing Eva up was bad enough, but standing Audre up was another thing altogether.

She wouldn’t let him hurt Audre with his carelessness the same way he’d hurt her before. Why would he take the time to bond with Audre and, Jesus, promise to be nice to Eva—if he wasn’t going to come through? Eva was furious that she’d let her guard down, allowing herself to trust. Have hope.

Once the check was paid and they were headed for JFK Airport in a Lyft with Audre’s luggage—and she still hadn’t heard from Shane—Eva’s bewilderment had blossomed into a tumult of feelings. Blind rage at Shane, and the urge to soak up every last moment with Audre before she left.

While Audre headed into a Hudson News for a magazine, Eva called him twice. A last-ditch effort. But it was pointless, because Eva already knew what had happened: brunch had been too much pressure, and he’d bounced. It wasn’t a far-fetched thought. Even she felt it was a little soon to welcome Shane into a special date with her daughter. But she’d believed that their connection was deeper, their roots were connected. Right?

She supposed she was wrong. And then Eva spiraled.

Shane had changed his mind. About them. About her. Eva was too much for him. He didn’t want her after all. It was immense pressure, taking on a woman and her daughter. Yesterday was fun and games, but when he’d gotten home and put some distance between them, he’d realized that an instant family wasn’t for him.

It made sense.

Shane was able to live a lusty, unencumbered life, because he answered to no one. His books read the way they did—airy, untethered, all vibe—because that was who he was. Defiantly ungrounded and not accountable to anyone. He didn’t have to check in or be present or keep his promises.