However, that night was anythingbutquiet. Even with the sliding back door closed, Callie could hear another obnoxious shark movie playing in the living room, along with David and Mallory howling with laughter every few minutes. But the sound didn’t disturb her too much, she was happy to hear them having fun together.
When the sliding door opened a short while later, she thought it was David coming out to tell her that she should come inside before she caught a cold. Instead, it was Sasha. She didn’t have Dot with her, but she was carrying her own glass of wine.
“Hey,” Sasha said with a tentative voice, “I hope you don’t mind that I poured myself a bit of red. I saw the bottle sitting out and—”
“That’s perfectly fine,” she said, beaming. Callie was glad that Sasha had come out to talk to her so she could clear the air about what had happened at the market. “Have a seat.”
Sasha lowered herself down onto the other deck chair and kicked her feet up on the same footrest Callie was using. Shesipped from her glass and smacked her lips together. Callie had a feeling there was something on her mind. Nonetheless, Callie was more than willing to let Sasha initiate the conversation, so she waited until the young woman was ready to speak.
“I didn’t tell David about what I saw at the farmer's market... in case you were wondering.”
“Sasha,” Callie said with a deep sigh. “Nothinghappened.”
At that, Sasha shrugged. “If that’s the story you want to go with, okay. I just want you to know that I didn’t say anything to David. I don’t wanna stir the pot. I’m assuming you were just flirting to get a better price.”
Callie chuckled and shook her head. “Joshua is just a friend of mine. A friend ofbothof ours, didn’t I mention that?”
“Yes. You did. But... um... that was flirting.” Sasha leaned in, her chin resting on her fist. “Sorry. But there’s no other word for it... I mean, obviously, you can do what you want.” She raised her arms in surrender; the drink still clutched in one hand. “Not here to bust you or anything.”
Shaking her head again, Callie took another swig of wine as her chest tightened. Although she hadn’t done anything wrong, she felt like she was sitting in the hot seat. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you, there’s nothing to ‘bust.’ If you think I crossed a line, then fine, maybe I was flirting a little too much with Joshua, but I’m telling you, it’snot a big deal.”
Sasha scoffed. “So, you’re saying you would’ve acted the exact same way with Joshua if David had been there at the booth?”
Callie drew in a deep breath. “I can’t say for sure.” This was the truth, even if she was leaving out some important details. “But if you think that there’s something going on between Joshua and I, you’re wrong.”
Leaning back into her chair, Sasha raised her brows. “Never said anything about you cheating.”
“Good,” Callie said with a sharp tone. “Because I wouldnevercheat. I’m not that kind of person.”
“Alright, alright.” Sasha waved her free hand up and down, as though to calm Callie. “I believe you.”
“And yet, I can hear the doubt in your voice.” While Callie usually helped resolve conflicts and hated doubling down, she felt it was important to dispel any of Sasha’s fears or misconceptions. “There are things you don’t fully understand... things that are simply none of your business, but I will say this—I have nothing I need to answer for.”
A long, charged silence settled between them as Sasha’s gaze stayed fixed on Callie. Finally, Sasha nodded and spoke again. “I understand. And really, I’m not trying to accuse you or anything... Honestly, I was trying to reassure you that there was nothing to worry about. You seemed a little panicked when you saw me by the booth earlier... so I figured I should say something.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “Definitely not trying to call you out.”
“There’s nothing to call me out on,” Callie insisted. “I know youthinkyou understand what you saw, but you just don’t. There’s nothing going on between Joshua and I, and even if there was—” Callie paused, she couldn’t talk to Sasha about any of this, not when her own children were unaware.
“What?” Sasha asked, tilting her head with an eager expression. “What were you gonna say?”
Callie sat back with a sigh and stared into her wine glass. “Nothing. Never mind. This is just private stuff and I’m not comfortable talking about it right now. I’m sorry.”
Sasha shot her a nervous look. “Oh, yeah. No. Of course. I—I understand.”
Guilt sank into Callie’s gut like a stone, but she held her ground. It was only natural for Sasha to be curious about what she saw, but Callie also felt like she’d crossed a line. Sasha livedwith them and felt like part of the family, but they were all still getting to know each other.
“There’s just—” Callie started, then stopped and then began again. “There are parts of my life I’d rather not get into... You, of all people, must understand that.”
Sasha inhaled sharply and swirled her drink a few times. “I do. And I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable... I—I’ll try to respect your privacy going forward.”
“Thank you,” Callie said with a reassuring smile. She was glad they had been able to navigate their way through that very awkward conversation without escalating. “And I’m sorry for snapping at you a bit.” She rubbed her forehead. “I just have a lot on my mind.”
Sasha smirked, a playful glint in her eyes. “Thanksgiving?”
Callie laughed. “How’d you know?”
“Lucky guess.” Sasha smiled. “I hope you’ll let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. I’m excited to meet the rest of your kids and grandkids, but I’m sure it’s stressful to have everyone under one roof at once, so if you need me and Dot to stay somewhere else, or—”
“That won’t be necessary,” she reassured her. “We’ve got plenty of room and I knowallmy kids are going to fall in love with you and Dot, just like David and I have.”
