“So no more nonsense about not being together?”
Something in her voice gave me pause. “Grandma, what’s going on?”
“Well…” She ducked her head and couldn’t look me in the eye. “I might’ve known that you two weren’t really boyfriends.”
“You got your memory back?” Absolute delight rushed through me. “You know how old we are and everything?”
She nodded. “I do. But I have a confession.”
“Mom,” my mother broke in. “What’re you saying?”
“Let me talk, please.” She took my hand and held out her other. “Ezra, you too. I need you to listen.”
“Nettie, is everything okay?” He shot me a worried look, and even Grace rose from her chair.
“Mrs. Friedman, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing, nothing. I’m fine. That’s what I’m trying to tell you all.” Her eyes held mine. “Monroe. I played a trick on you and Ezra.” She squeezed his hand. “I knew you two weren’t boyfriends. At first I didn’t remember, but it all came back to me a week or so afterward. I thought to myself, ‘What if they just spent some time together? Then they’d know how right they are for each other.’” She glanced down at her shaking hands and laced her fingers together. “When I saw him back here after all these years, I took it as a sign for you to get back together and this was the perfect opportunity. But you couldn’t get past your pride, and I got worried you wouldn’t give yourself a chance to fall in love with him again.”
“Wait. You…you knew?” I reeled from the shock of what she was saying. “You knew all along we were older and not together?” I dropped her hand and jumped to my feet. “How…why? Why would you do this?”
She tipped up her chin, and tension crackled between us. “Because you were getting in the way of your own happiness. No matter what, you were determined to push Ezra away. We all saw it. I wasn’t going to let that happen. If you’re going to be angry with me, then so be it. But I know you love him. And he loves you.”
“So you faked losing your memory?” A horrible thought crossed my mind, and I whirled to face my mother. “Did you know?”
“No, no of course not.”
“No. Don’t be mad at her. I didn’t tell anyone.”
“Mom, how could you?” My mother’s incredulous expression proved she had no knowledge.
White-faced with shock, Ezra, still seated on the couch, passed a hand over his face. I bet he wished he’d never gotten involved in my family drama. “I guess we should come clean as well.”
The night went from bad to worse. “Yeah.” My voice shook. “Grandma, your little plan failed. You tried to push us together, but we were pretending all along to be together so you wouldn’t get upset. We figured we’d tell you when you became stronger, but I guess you’re strong enough.”
Her bright-pink lips trembled. “Please don’t be mad at me. I did it because I know how happy you two would be together. You belong together.”
“That’s not for you to decide, Grandma. You can’t play games with people’s lives.” The room closed in on me, and I had to leave. “I’m going. I can’t be here right now.”
“Monroe, I’m sorry. I love you. You know that. But you’re so closed off, and I wanted—”
Despite how much I loved her, I couldn’t let her continue. “But it’s not about what you want. It’s my life. What I want.” Without waiting for a response, I stomped out, slamming the door behind me.
My hands shook so much, it took me several tries to dig my keys out of my pocket, and then I dropped them. “Goddamn it,” I swore and bent to pick them up.
“I’ve got them.” Ezra swiped them from the floor and jingled them.
I wanted to groan out loud. “Thanks. Can I have them please?” I held out my hand, my gut clenching tight when he frowned.
“Only if you promise I can come in and we can discuss what this means for us.”
“Is there an us after what you just heard?”
“I’m standing here, aren’t I?” He folded his arms with the keys dangling. “Come on, Roe.”
A few apartments down, a door opened, and Mrs. Yasavich shuffled out with her bag of garbage.
“Don’t mind me.” She smiled, showing off her new dentures. “I don’t hear anything.”
