“It’s okay, no big deal,” I said with a reassuring smile.
“Uncle David,” Jessa’s son called across the grass.
David bolted upright and knocked his knee on the table. After a curse, he shot us a quick look before jogging over to the boy. Brian shifted uneasily. After a moment, he mumbled an excuse and took off after David.
“Well, this is uncomfortable,” Jessa said.
“Not even, don’t worry. I’m sure it’s hard to keep track of all David’s girlfriends.” She cocked her head at me, and my hand flew to my mouth. “I’m sorry, I didn’t meant to imply anything. Just that he’s so charming, I’m sure he’s had many girlfriends.”
Jessa released a fluid, heartfelt laugh. “Don’t worry, I know David’s something of a ladies’ man. But ‘girlfriends’ is the wrong word.” I waited for her to continue, but she just popped a grape into her mouth and looked over to the grass.
“Is that your son?”
“Alex—sorry I didn’t introduce you.”
“It’s okay, he’s busy. How old is he?”
“Just turned ten.”
I nodded and watched as David scooped him up effortlessly and spun him around until Alex started giggle-screaming. As soon as David released him, Alex stumbled sideways and fell to the ground laughing. David leaned his hands on his knees and said something to Brian, who burst into laughter. David’s head swung in our direction then, a carefree smile plastered on his face. He really was blindingly beautiful when he smiled, especially when it was directed right at me.
“I’m surprised,” Jessa said.
“I’m sorry?” I asked, reluctantly breaking from my adulation.
“That you’re married. You and David seem to have a connection. I certainly haven’t seen him look at someone like that . . .ever.”
I exhaled audibly and fingered the hem of my spandex tank top, trying unsuccessfully to avoid her stare.
“Brian has the idea that your being here today is a coincidence. Is it?” Jessa’s eyes came alive with questions, and I was afraid of the answers she might read in mine. I felt scarily close to confessing everything to her—she seemed so warm and understanding and disconnected from my life. I grasped at words, opening and closing my mouth like a goldfish.
Judy appeared suddenly, rescuing me from any spontaneous confessions. “Hot dog or burger, girls?”
“Burger for me,” Jessa chimed.
I nodded my agreement.
“Two burgers,” Judy called to her husband, and she climbed onto the bench. She sat up straight, brushing dark hair off her shoulder and flashing a colossal ring that dominated her slender fingers. “So, Olivia, where are you from?”
“I grew up in Dallas, but I moved here after college.”
“Oh? You don’t strike me as a Southern girl.”
“I get that a lot,” I said with a laugh.
“Where’d you go to school?”
“Notre Dame. Your husband went there, right?” I recalled my conversation with David the last time we’d had burgers. “My dad, too.”
“How funny,” she exclaimed. “Ger, Olivia here attended Notre Dame.”
Gerard brightened visibly and called, “A fellow Leprechaun. That’s my girl!”
I couldn’t help but smile back at his enthusiasm.
“We tried to get David to go there, but forsomereason he chose Yale instead,” Judy said, laughing.
“You must be so proud of him,” I said. “He’s done very well for himself.”
