“I—”
“She told me first that she was pregnant with you. She knew mama and daddy and our manager would kill her, but she told me and then she told me she was going to give you away.”
Xeni slowly sat down at the desk, like any sudden movement would end her mom’s confessional right then and there. When she spoke, she was careful to keep her voice calm and neutral. She wasn’t accusing her mother of anything. She just wanted to know the truth. “What happened?”
“Sable was selfish, but so was I. We both should have told you a long time ago. I just didn’t want you to get hurt because the whole truth wasn’t pretty, Xendria.”
“I know, Mom.”
“I wasn’t about to tell a twelve year old that her aunt who had just finished doing a Divas of The Eighties reunion tour, Sable Everly, was her real mama.”
“I don’t think—I don’t think of you as any less of my mother. I just wanted to know why.”
When her mother’s only response was a sad tilt of her head, Xeni knew there was nothing more to be said. She had already made the choice. Joyce Everly was her mom and had been her whole life, no matter what her original birth certificate said. She would always be grateful to Sable, for the joy and the memories and her mere presence as someone Xeni knew she could reach out to, but her mother had done the real work every day and if that wasn’t proof enough, she’d hopped on a plane, no questions asked to be by Xeni’s side.
Her mom turned and looked at her. “This the ring?” Xeni looked down and realized the bright diamonds were in full display.
“Oh. Yeah.”
Her mom came over and gently lifted her hand. Her own hand was starting to age. The dark brown skin creasing more and more, but Xeni was still familiar with those hands. The hands that had held her and wiped away her tears, rubbed her shoulders after a tough day at school, handed her the last piece of candy from her purse. Joyce Everly wasn’t perfect, but she’d been a damn good mom.
“What do you think?”
“It’s gorgeous,” her mom replied, the expression on her face letting Xeni know she wasn’t lying to protect her feelings. She patted the back of her hand, then started back toward the kitchen. “Come sit down, have your tea. You can tell me about this Mason boy and his jackass of a daddy.”
21
That Saturday morning, Mason left the hospital his father had been transferred to in the city and drove back up to the farm. While Kinderack County had one hell of an emergency staff, they weren’t equipped to deal with the angioplasty procedure his father needed. Xeni had been kind enough to put him in touch with her friend Sloan, who it turned out was one of the best heart surgeons in the country. While his father’s physicians in New York were fully qualified, Sloan had a better bedside manner, even over the phone. She thoroughly explained the procedure and did her best to answer all of Mason’s questions. Some of the information wasn’t new, but he appreciated hearing from an expert close to someone he trusted.
His father came through the procedure just fine. When he made a point to criticize how long Mason’s beard had gotten, he knew he’d be back to his old asshole self in no time. He left the old man to his breakfast and the patient nursing staff, and got on the road. He had to get back to say goodbye.
He and Xeni had come to an unspoken agreement that it would be easier for them to communicate via text. Her mom had come to town while he’d been busy with his bedside vigil. From their short correspondence, she’d let him know that her mom had accompanied her on a quick overnight trip to Martha’s Vineyard. They’d arranged for short-term caretakers of both homes while they figured out what to do next. She’d checked in, asking after his father’s health even though the cruel bastard didn’t deserve her kind consideration or well wishes, and then she’d let him know it was time for her to go. She was leaving a day early.
He parked beside her car outside of the cannery and shored up his nerves. Weeping like a child, loud enough for the whole county to hear, wouldn’t convince her to stay.
He stepped inside and found her with Liz, Maya and Ginny. Silas was wandering down the aisles. Sad goodbyes were not his scene.
“Late to the farewell party, I see,” Mason said as the door closed behind him.
“Just sending your girl off with some of that good stuff,” Liz said.
“This family jam is crack. And you said you guys ship?” Xeni asked.
“We sure do.”
“Okay. I’ll be ordering by the case.”
Silas stepped to the counter and tossed down a green McInroy Farm t-shirt. “All that on the house,” he told Ginny.
“Silas, no. I’ll pay for everything,” Xeni pleaded.
“Too late, you’re a McInroy,” Silas said.
“Yup,” Liz added with a smile.
“Seriously, I hate you guys. I cannot keep crying.” Xeni shook her head. Then she went back and grabbed two more t-shirts. “These are for my parents and I’m paying for them.”
“Fine,” Ginny laughed. “Buy two, get ten free deal.” Ginny totaled her items up and handed them off to Maya, who packaged everything neatly for her. Then they all came around the counter and swarmed Xeni.
“You are welcome here anytime,” Liz said.
“I’ll be back to see about the house. I just have no idea when.”
“I’ll be less pregnant then. We’ll get fucked up.”
That brought the smile back to Xeni’s face. “I can’t wait. I should go. Thank you guys for everything, really.”
She turned then and nodded for Mason to lead the way as the others said loud goodbyes.
“Don’t fuck this up, Mason,” Ginny called after them.
“Thank you, Genevieve,” Mason said, rolling his eyes. “Very helpful.”
They stepped outside into the morning sunlight and walked back over to Xeni’s car. She set her parting gifts in the back seat, then turned to him.
“You didn’t bring your mother. I thought you’d want to show her the cannery.”
“Maya, Ginny and my mom in the same room is a recipe for disaster. I know how to exit gracefully. My mom, not so much. We’d be here all day.”
“I can understand that.”
“Plus, I’m not sure introducing you guys right now is the best idea. You’re under enough pressure.”
“I appreciate the consideration.”
“You know I got you,” she teased. “How’s your dad?”
“They are discharging him Monday. He’ll stay with Silas and Liz until it’s safe for him to fly.”
“I’d offer my place, but it’s kinda far from the farm. And he’d probably hate to accept the offer.”
“I know he would. We fly to Edinburgh in two weeks. I don’t think I’m coming back,” he said.
“Ah—oh.” Mason could see the pain in her eyes as her gaze dropped to his chest. She looked up again and fought to plaster a smirk on her face. “Oh, so you’re dumping me, dumping me.”
“I wouldn’t look at it that way. More like I’m saving you from myself. I have a lot to figure out and I can’t ask you to wait around for me. And why would you want to? You’re rich!”
“Har.”
Mason swallowed and told her the rest of the truth. “This? My life? This isn’t happiness. I don’t want this for you.”
“I don’t want this for you either,” she replied.
“My mom’s leaving him. She hasn’t told him yet, but I need to be there.”
“He wouldn’t, like, hurt her, would he?”
“I don’t think so, but I have to be there.”
“I get it.”
“I think if anyone would understand how complicated this all is, it’s you.”
“No, I do. I do. Hell, my mom’s here. I mean, you know how I was feeling about her this time last week. I get it.”
They were both silent for a moment. Mason couldn’t help but wonder and hope if the same words running through his head were running through hers. We can make it work. Long distance isn’t impossib
le. If we love each other… if.
If might have been enough if his father hadn’t been right about one thing. It was time for Mason to grow up. He couldn’t spend forever dreaming of music stardom while flipping burgers at his cousin’s farm, and he couldn’t abandon his mother to chase whatever future he wished he and Xeni could have with each other. His soon-to-be ex-wife deserved better than what he had to offer and the fucked up package it came with. He hadn’t earned the support he’d need from her in the coming months. He had to walk away now.
“Well, I’ll make sure I talk to Mr. Barber about the divorce papers,” she said before a big smile spread over her face. “I’ll make sure they’re served to you in the most dramatic fashion. A guy in a clown suit. The works.”
“I prefer strippergram.”
“Done.”
“I’ve never met anyone like you,” Mason let slip.
“What is wrong with you? You can’t break up with me and then say some shit like that.”
“Sorry, let me try again. You’re a feckless hag and I hope your luggage gets lost on the way home.”
“Much better. Bring it in, champ.”
Xeni gathered him close like he wasn’t twice her size and he made sure to soak in the moment. He knew it would be the last time he touched her.
“I’m not gonna kiss you,” she said when she stepped back.
“Good thinking.”
“Bye, Mason.”
“Goodbye, Xeni.”
He watched her as she climbed into her car and waited until she pulled down the rock paved parking lot and back out onto the main road. Just before she turned, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He looked at the preview of the text staring back on the screen.
* * *
Your father is wrong. You are amazing.
And I’ve been proud to call you mine.
* * *
Mason almost went diving for the proper gif response, the perfect image to relate the depths of his heartbroken despair. Instead, he slipped his phone into his pocket and went inside to change. If he responded to her text, he knew he’d never stop responding to her texts again.
Xeni took one last look at her rings, then let out a deep breath and rang Keira’s doorbell. It was time for their weekly viewing of A Match Made In Paradise: Australia. She taken both rings off that morning before she went to school to meet her students. She was jet lagged and beyond dehydrated, but the little ones had been a welcome distraction. It was hard to think about her shattered heart while chasing after a bunch of six year olds.
The door swung open and Keira’s husband, Daniel, with his ridiculously hot face, welcomed her inside.
“Odd question, but how was it?” he asked as she followed him to the kitchen.
“Weird.”
“Weird?”
“I’ll give you the whole story when everyone gets—” Shae, Keira and Erica were already screaming and rushing at her before she could finish her sentence. She could spot Sloan hanging back on a kitchen stool as she tried to survive the onslaught of hugs. She’d already seen Meegan at school, who was currently busy trying one of Shae’s cupcakes.
“Welcome back!” Keira said.
“Ugh, I missed you,” Shae said, squeezing her tight.
“I brought you apple butter.” Xeni reached into her tote and pulled out the jar she’d brought from the farm.
“She brought me jam. I had some when I got home, right out of the jar. It was a-maze,” Meegan said, pretending to drool.
“Uh, excuse me,” Shae grabbed her hand and turned it over, examining her rings. “What’s all this?”
“Oh, pretty! Was it your aunt’s?” Keira asked.
“Uh, no.”
“I repeat, excuse me,” Shae said.
“I have a lot to tell you guys.”
Erica came around the counter and grabbed her hand. “Bitch, are you married? I see that band.”
“Let’s wait for Sarah and Joanna to get here and I’ll explain.”
“Oh. My. God. You’re married,” Shae spun away dramatically.
“Hi Sloan,” Xeni said, trying to ignore the flailing of her other friends.
“Hey,” her friend laughed.
“Did she know?” Meegan yelled.
“What are you talking about?” Xeni casually shrugged off her jean jacket.
“Yeah, you seem awfully calm, Sloan. What gives?” Keira said.
“My role in this was strictly medical.”
The doorbell rang, giving Xeni the out she needed. “Just wait, like, five whole minutes and I’ll tell you all everything.”
“I can’t believe you told Sloan when I, your best friend, am sitting right here. I am hurt,” Meegan said.
“I’m her best friend,” Sarah said, walking into the kitchen. She handed Keira a bottle of champagne.
“No, me,” Joanna said, walking into the kitchen behind her. “Who are we talking about?”
“Xeni. This ho went and got married,” Shae said.
“Why doesn’t everyone grab a drink, we’ll watch the first half of the episode and then I’ll tell you what happened,” Xeni said, knowing it would never work.
“Or you tell us what happened right now,” Meegan replied. “I can’t believe you did this to me. Now I’m the only single one left. We were supposed to die together, old and bitter in each other’s arms.”
“Oh, we still will. Let’s get lit and I’ll tell you all about it.”
An hour later, Xeni had gotten the whole story out. She told them the details of her birth, her extensive inheritance, Sable’s zany scheme to get her and Mason together and how that had fallen apart. The girls had listened intently, asking all the right questions, saying all the right things that she’d wanted her friends to say.
“So, you guys are going to dissolve the marriage in a few weeks?” Shae asked.
“Yup. He’s staying in Scotland.”
“I mean, you’re a rich bitch now. You could go after him,” Erica suggested.
Xeni shook her head. “We didn’t end things like that. I would be in the way, but I think—I mean, I get it. Sometimes you only have room in your head to process so much, and with his parents and shit? I think he’s at his limit. My going there wouldn’t be romantic. It would be selfish. Plus, I am not in a good place.”
Sloan reached over and squeezed her hand. “It’s okay to be feeling a lot of things right now. I mean, you didn’t just have a wild and wacky teen adventure. You lost someone close to you, then you found out some serious family secrets and fell for someone all at once. And the money, too? It’s a lot to process.”
“Yeah, maybe don’t up and run off to Scotland,” Sarah said.
“I won’t. Seems like now would be a great time to start seeing a therapist.” Xeni paused, noticing that Meegan had fallen silent, her lack of poker face telegraphing her obvious distress. “Meegs, what’s wrong?” Meegan shook herself like she’d been caught and schooled her features.
“Oh, nothing. Just thinking. Go on.”
“That’s it. I wait until the thirty days are up, sign some divorce papers and get on with my life,” she shrugged.
“Let me see the pictures again?” Joanna asked. Xeni handed over her phone.
“Jesus. You guys look so cute together.”
“Salt the wound a little more, dear. It feels so good.”
“Sorry.”
“You really like him, huh?” Keira asked.
“How’d he measure up to the list?” Sloan asked.
Shae pointed at Sloan. “That’s what I wanna know.”
“Conservatively? A nine out of ten, so I guess I’ll just have to hold out for that perfect score,” Xeni said, lying through her teeth. He’d been all tens, across the board.
“Wow. It was the street magician thing, wasn’t it? He felt short there,” Shae teased.
“Nope. He did magic tricks.”
“Damn.”
Joanna laid her head on Xeni’s shoulder. “Well, you know we’re here for yo
u. You’ve helped us through our heartache. We got you.”
“Yeah.”
“We sure do.” The girls agreed.
“Thanks. It was a whole week, so I’ll give myself a few days to mourn and then get back to being my fabulous self. I’m sure there’s a prince of some remote kingdom somewhere who needs my money to help revive their economy.”
“Are you going to quit teaching?” Meegan asked.
“No, not yet. No drastic changes. I haven’t even properly grieved Sable yet, not as my mother. I’m waiting for those emotions to club me over the head. No need to throw an abrupt career change into the mix.”
“Good idea,” Sloan said.
Almost on cue, a wave of exhaustion hit Xeni. She’d just poured so much of herself out on the table and talking about Mason and her family made her realize all over again just how sad she was. There was no other way to describe it. Sadness had settled in the pit of her heart as Keira finally pressed play on the silly dating show. All she could do was wait for the pain to pass.
22
March
Mason sorted through the post, relief washing over him. It had been the same almost every day for the last six months. He spent his afternoons instructing the local youths through music lessons and then he waited for the divorce papers and they never came. He and Xeni had only texted a few times since they’d parted ways. Mason liked to think she was struggling the same way he was, heartsick and lonely, refusing to move on. He’d even refused to take off his ring. He wanted the best for her, and he could admit to himself that he hoped she hadn’t found someone new. Not yet.
“Anything for me?” his mom asked.
“Yes. Here you go.” He handed her a small package from her favorite paper company. Fancy stationery and calligraphy kits were her new hobbies, now that his father was out of the picture.
When they’d returned to Edinburgh, she’d agreed to take care of his dad until he was back to his old asshole self. As soon as the doctors cleared him to go back to the office, she started showing him listings for one-bedroom flats close to his work. She kept the house.
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