or after he fathered your child?”
“Take a wild guess.”
He picked at a piece of pepperoni. “You really loved him, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“Has he been a part of her life at all?”
I shook my head, feeling miserable.
“Man, what a jerk. If I had you two, no way I’d ever—”
“He didn’t know,” I whispered.
Craig’s eyebrows shot up.
I tore off a piece of napkin and began to roll it between my fingers. “I’m guessing he knows now. My father told his father last night.”
“Didn’t you want him to know?”
“I wanted to tell him myself.” I took a small bite of pizza.
Isabella’s cheeks blazed red as she plopped next to me and sucked down a gulp of her drink. I laid a piece of pizza before her.
“Mommy, I have a new boyfriend.”
“Oh, really?” I took another bite.
She spoke around a mouthful of cheese and crust. “Uh-huh, his name is Jimmy. We’re gonna get married.”
Craig stared at her with such a disapproving expression that I couldn’t look at him without wanting to laugh. I focused instead on Isabella, trying to make it at least appear as if I took her engagement seriously. “Well, congratulations, sweetness.”
As Isabella inhaled her slice, Craig gave me a look that asked what I intended to do about this situation. When I said nothing, he crossed his arms. “You’re a little young to be into boys, don’t you think?”
She reached over and grabbed a piece of pepperoni off his half-eaten slice.
My mouth dropped open at her rudeness. “Bella!”
“Pepperoni’s fattening anyway.” Craig patted his stomach. “Go ahead and take them all.”
Without missing a beat, Isabella picked off the remaining two circles. “Mommy, are you going to marry Craig?”
My daughter had been obsessed with marriage lately, so the question didn’t catch me off guard. “No, honey, Craig and I are just friends.”
“You’re never gonna get married!”
Craig’s gaze fixed on her as he sipped his Coke. “Why do you think your mother is never going to get married?”
“Because she doesn’t have any boyfriends.” Isabella planted her fists on her waist and rolled her eyes. “You need a boyfriend to marry you.” She gave him a look that screamed duh .
I picked at my cheese. “Don’t be rude, and not everyone needs to be married, Bella. Not everyone needs that to be happy.”
“You’re not happy.”
I faked a cough. “I’m happy, silly.”
“No, you’re not. You cry too much.”
I dared not look at Craig as Isabella exposed me. “Hey,” I said, keeping my tone light, “we’re going to be leaving in about twenty minutes. Do you want the rest of your coins?” She shoved the last bite of her crust into her mouth and held out her hands. I dumped the remaining tokens into her palm. “Put them in your pocket with the others.”
Isabella hurried away as Craig studied me with a load of pity that was nearly unbearable. “I really don’t cry all the time.”
“You want to talk about it?”
“You ask that a lot.”
His pinkie touched mine. “Do you want me to stop?”
“I’m dying,” I whispered.
His impassive expression told me he already knew. Oddly enough, I felt no betrayal, only relief. “She told you.”
“She was really broken up. She needed to talk to someone.”
Until then I hadn’t imagined how hard the secret must have been on my grandmother. “How did she take it?”
“It brought her to her knees.”
I closed my eyes.
“That’s okay, Jenny. That’s where we all need to be anyway.”
“You sound just like her.”
“Thanks. So are you going to let me take you out somewhere nicer next time?”
His question left me speechless.
“Well?”
“Have you lost your mind? I’m dying, Craig. I have a year max, probably much less.”
“Have you gotten a second opinion?”
“Yes. A second, a third . . . a fifth. The cancer’s already spread to my liver, my bones, and my lymph system. There’s no cure at this point. They
“Take a wild guess.”
He picked at a piece of pepperoni. “You really loved him, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“Has he been a part of her life at all?”
I shook my head, feeling miserable.
“Man, what a jerk. If I had you two, no way I’d ever—”
“He didn’t know,” I whispered.
Craig’s eyebrows shot up.
I tore off a piece of napkin and began to roll it between my fingers. “I’m guessing he knows now. My father told his father last night.”
“Didn’t you want him to know?”
“I wanted to tell him myself.” I took a small bite of pizza.
Isabella’s cheeks blazed red as she plopped next to me and sucked down a gulp of her drink. I laid a piece of pizza before her.
“Mommy, I have a new boyfriend.”
“Oh, really?” I took another bite.
She spoke around a mouthful of cheese and crust. “Uh-huh, his name is Jimmy. We’re gonna get married.”
Craig stared at her with such a disapproving expression that I couldn’t look at him without wanting to laugh. I focused instead on Isabella, trying to make it at least appear as if I took her engagement seriously. “Well, congratulations, sweetness.”
As Isabella inhaled her slice, Craig gave me a look that asked what I intended to do about this situation. When I said nothing, he crossed his arms. “You’re a little young to be into boys, don’t you think?”
She reached over and grabbed a piece of pepperoni off his half-eaten slice.
My mouth dropped open at her rudeness. “Bella!”
“Pepperoni’s fattening anyway.” Craig patted his stomach. “Go ahead and take them all.”
Without missing a beat, Isabella picked off the remaining two circles. “Mommy, are you going to marry Craig?”
My daughter had been obsessed with marriage lately, so the question didn’t catch me off guard. “No, honey, Craig and I are just friends.”
“You’re never gonna get married!”
Craig’s gaze fixed on her as he sipped his Coke. “Why do you think your mother is never going to get married?”
“Because she doesn’t have any boyfriends.” Isabella planted her fists on her waist and rolled her eyes. “You need a boyfriend to marry you.” She gave him a look that screamed duh .
I picked at my cheese. “Don’t be rude, and not everyone needs to be married, Bella. Not everyone needs that to be happy.”
“You’re not happy.”
I faked a cough. “I’m happy, silly.”
“No, you’re not. You cry too much.”
I dared not look at Craig as Isabella exposed me. “Hey,” I said, keeping my tone light, “we’re going to be leaving in about twenty minutes. Do you want the rest of your coins?” She shoved the last bite of her crust into her mouth and held out her hands. I dumped the remaining tokens into her palm. “Put them in your pocket with the others.”
Isabella hurried away as Craig studied me with a load of pity that was nearly unbearable. “I really don’t cry all the time.”
“You want to talk about it?”
“You ask that a lot.”
His pinkie touched mine. “Do you want me to stop?”
“I’m dying,” I whispered.
His impassive expression told me he already knew. Oddly enough, I felt no betrayal, only relief. “She told you.”
“She was really broken up. She needed to talk to someone.”
Until then I hadn’t imagined how hard the secret must have been on my grandmother. “How did she take it?”
“It brought her to her knees.”
I closed my eyes.
“That’s okay, Jenny. That’s where we all need to be anyway.”
“You sound just like her.”
“Thanks. So are you going to let me take you out somewhere nicer next time?”
His question left me speechless.
“Well?”
“Have you lost your mind? I’m dying, Craig. I have a year max, probably much less.”
“Have you gotten a second opinion?”
“Yes. A second, a third . . . a fifth. The cancer’s already spread to my liver, my bones, and my lymph system. There’s no cure at this point. They
Similar Books
