Boot.
I felt like I had lived through my birth mother’s story. She had to be the same Maeve Riordan on my birth certificate. She had to be. I tried to remember if I had seen the place of birth—if it had been Meshomah Falls or Widow’s Vale. I couldn’t remember. Did my parents know any of this story? How had they found me? How had I been adopted? The same old questions.
I started my car, feeling anger come over me again. They had the answers, and they were going to tell me. Tonight. I couldn’t go through another day without knowing.
At home I parked and stormed up the front walk, already forming the words I was going to say, the questions I would ask. I pushed through the front door—
And found Aunt Eileen and her girlfriend, Paula Steen, sitting on the couch.
“Morgan!” said Aunt Eileen, holding out her arms. “How’s my favorite niece?”
I hugged her as Mary K. said, “She said the exact same thing to me.”
Aunt Eileen laughed. “You’re both my favorite nieces.”
I smiled, trying to mentally switch gears. A confrontation with my parents was out for now. And then—it was only then that I realized that Aunt Eileen knew I was adopted. Of course she did. She’s my mom’s sister. In fact, all of my parents’ friends must know. They had always lived here in Widow’s Vale, and unless my mom had faked a pregnancy, which I couldn’t see her doing, they would all know that I had just turned up out of nowhere.And then two years later she really had had a baby: Mary K. Oh my God, I thought, appalled. I was utterly, utterly humiliated and embarrassed.
“Listen, we brought Chinese food,” said Aunt Eileen, standing up.
“It’s ready!” Mom called from the dining room. I would have given anything not to have to go in, but there was no way to get out of it. We all swarmed in. White cartons and plastic foam containers filled the center of the table.
“Hi,” Mom said to me, scanning my face. “You got back in time.”
“Uh-huh,” I said, not meeting her gaze. “I was with Robbie.”
“Robbie looks amazing lately,” said Mary K., helping herself to some orange beef. “Has he been seeing a new dermatologist?”
“Um, I don’t know,” I said vaguely. “His skin has gotten a lot better.”
“Maybe he’s just grown out of it,” suggested my mom. I couldn’t believe she was making polite chitchat. Frustration started to boil in me as I tried to choke down my dinner.
“Can you pass the pork?” my dad asked.
For a while we all ate. If Aunt Eileen and Paula noticed that things were a bit weird, if we were stilted and less talkative, they didn’t show it. But even Mary K., as naturally perky as she is, was holding back.
“Oh, Morgan, Janice called,” said my dad. I could tell he was striving for a normal tone. “She wants you to call her back. I said you would, after dinner.”
“Okay, thanks,” I said. I stuffed a big bite of scallion pancake in my mouth so it wouldn’t seem weird that I was being so quiet.
After dinner Aunt Eileen stood up and went into the kitchen, returning with a bottle of sparkling cider and a tray of glasses.
“What’s all this?” my mom asked with a surprised smile.
“Well,” Aunt Eileen said shyly as Paula got up to stand next to her. “We have some very exciting news.”
Mary K. and I exchanged glances.
“We’re moving in together,” Eileen announced, her face full of happiness. She smiled at Paula, and Paula gave her a hug.
“I’ve already put my apartment on the market, and we’re looking for a house,” said Paula.
“Oh, awesome,” said Mary K., getting up to hug Aunt Eileen and Paula.They beamed. I stood up and hugged them, too, and so did Mom. Dad hugged Eileen and shook Paula’s hand.
“Well, this is lovely news,” said Mom, although something in her face said that she thought it would be better if they had known each other longer.
Eileen popped the cork on the sparkling cider and poured it. Paula handed glasses
I felt like I had lived through my birth mother’s story. She had to be the same Maeve Riordan on my birth certificate. She had to be. I tried to remember if I had seen the place of birth—if it had been Meshomah Falls or Widow’s Vale. I couldn’t remember. Did my parents know any of this story? How had they found me? How had I been adopted? The same old questions.
I started my car, feeling anger come over me again. They had the answers, and they were going to tell me. Tonight. I couldn’t go through another day without knowing.
At home I parked and stormed up the front walk, already forming the words I was going to say, the questions I would ask. I pushed through the front door—
And found Aunt Eileen and her girlfriend, Paula Steen, sitting on the couch.
“Morgan!” said Aunt Eileen, holding out her arms. “How’s my favorite niece?”
I hugged her as Mary K. said, “She said the exact same thing to me.”
Aunt Eileen laughed. “You’re both my favorite nieces.”
I smiled, trying to mentally switch gears. A confrontation with my parents was out for now. And then—it was only then that I realized that Aunt Eileen knew I was adopted. Of course she did. She’s my mom’s sister. In fact, all of my parents’ friends must know. They had always lived here in Widow’s Vale, and unless my mom had faked a pregnancy, which I couldn’t see her doing, they would all know that I had just turned up out of nowhere.And then two years later she really had had a baby: Mary K. Oh my God, I thought, appalled. I was utterly, utterly humiliated and embarrassed.
“Listen, we brought Chinese food,” said Aunt Eileen, standing up.
“It’s ready!” Mom called from the dining room. I would have given anything not to have to go in, but there was no way to get out of it. We all swarmed in. White cartons and plastic foam containers filled the center of the table.
“Hi,” Mom said to me, scanning my face. “You got back in time.”
“Uh-huh,” I said, not meeting her gaze. “I was with Robbie.”
“Robbie looks amazing lately,” said Mary K., helping herself to some orange beef. “Has he been seeing a new dermatologist?”
“Um, I don’t know,” I said vaguely. “His skin has gotten a lot better.”
“Maybe he’s just grown out of it,” suggested my mom. I couldn’t believe she was making polite chitchat. Frustration started to boil in me as I tried to choke down my dinner.
“Can you pass the pork?” my dad asked.
For a while we all ate. If Aunt Eileen and Paula noticed that things were a bit weird, if we were stilted and less talkative, they didn’t show it. But even Mary K., as naturally perky as she is, was holding back.
“Oh, Morgan, Janice called,” said my dad. I could tell he was striving for a normal tone. “She wants you to call her back. I said you would, after dinner.”
“Okay, thanks,” I said. I stuffed a big bite of scallion pancake in my mouth so it wouldn’t seem weird that I was being so quiet.
After dinner Aunt Eileen stood up and went into the kitchen, returning with a bottle of sparkling cider and a tray of glasses.
“What’s all this?” my mom asked with a surprised smile.
“Well,” Aunt Eileen said shyly as Paula got up to stand next to her. “We have some very exciting news.”
Mary K. and I exchanged glances.
“We’re moving in together,” Eileen announced, her face full of happiness. She smiled at Paula, and Paula gave her a hug.
“I’ve already put my apartment on the market, and we’re looking for a house,” said Paula.
“Oh, awesome,” said Mary K., getting up to hug Aunt Eileen and Paula.They beamed. I stood up and hugged them, too, and so did Mom. Dad hugged Eileen and shook Paula’s hand.
“Well, this is lovely news,” said Mom, although something in her face said that she thought it would be better if they had known each other longer.
Eileen popped the cork on the sparkling cider and poured it. Paula handed glasses
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