Page 92 of Love… It's Messy

“What kind of man would abandon a woman like that?”

“It’s a long story, but Luke is in the picture now. You’re going to have to deal with it.”

“Are you here, getting a paternity test?”

“We’re here to ensure that everything with Ainsley is in tip-top shape.”

I’m selective with the information I provide her. Kathleen Hathaway can be dramatic. She’ll either fall to the floor in a fit of dramatic tears or start planning a multimillion-dollar charity event for Huntington’s research. I’ll be happy to let her plan that in the future, but first, I need to process all of this myself.

I look down at her black leather loafers. “The better question is, where are you going in Gucci?”

She lifts her chin. “I have a lunch with Frank Hollenford, Eric’s father.”

“Do you always dine with your friends’ husbands?”

“You make it sound tawdry. We’re just having a casual lunch. You mind your manners.See not, say not.Gossip is beneath you.”

I uncross my legs and place my hands between my knees. “What’s the big deal if people know you went to lunch with a friend?”

“Perhaps I don’t want anyone to know. Maybe we’re throwing Jenny a surprise party, and this is our big meeting,” she says, flabbergasted.

“When’s Jenny’s birthday?”

“When did you become an interrogator for the FBI?”

“Wow.And I wonder where my issues came from. Everything you and Dad do is so hush-hush. For all I know, you could be having an affair with Dr. Hollenford.”

“Jillian Payne!”

“People are flawed, Mom. It’s okay if everything isn’t perfect. You know, I was so afraid to tell you about Luke that I lied about myself for so long. There is no shame in getting pregnant and that it didn’t work out with the dad. It never bothered me. It hurt me that you couldn’t accept it.”

“Darling, I accept Ainsley. I love my granddaughter. We are private people because the folks in this town are judgmental.”

“Private doesn’t mean shamed.” I rise from my seat, taking my latte and my purse. “I’m done with lies. I’m a thirty-two-year-old mother, I own one of the most successful wedding and design companies in the county, and I have an absolutely amazing daughter and group of friends. And for anyone who asks, Ainsley’s father is Luke Incendio, and he’s in the picture.”

I start to walk away when she shoots up from her seat and grabs my hand.

“Wait.”

Her word has me pausing. My mother never shows eagerness.

“I worry about you,” she says. “How do you know he won’t abandon you again?”

“I don’t,” I answer honestly. “But I’m tired of pretending my life is perfect. It’s messy, and it’s mine.”

twenty-five

“I’M READY!” AINSLEY CHEERSas she charges into my room, wearing her sparkliest unicorn dress with a blue tutu bottom and a coordinating headband.

“You look beautiful, my baby.”

Twirling in her dress, she raises her arms and does a ballerina pose. Her Chiclet teeth are all on display as she smiles.

“Come here, sweet girl.”

I take her hand and walk her to the bed so the two of us can take a seat. She saddles up so close that she might as well be on my lap.

“Ainsley, are you happy?”