“No, but they’re behind so…they’re cutting corners, now.” Her voice is tense.
“If this is a bad time to talk I can call you later.”
As if sensing something, Mar says, “It’s fine, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m okay,” I say, looking out into the scrubby canyon below, catching the movement of some small animal between the bushes.
Her silence prods me to be truthful. “Kind of. How long are you going to be at the restaurant?”
“All night,” she says with a sigh. “We found something majorly wrong with the plumbing.”
“Do you mind if I come by then?”
“Right now? Isn’t it past your bedtime already?”
I think about all the times she’s driven straight to my house the past couple months to deal with my bullshit. “Yeah, I can bring a midnight snack?”
Less than an hour later, I arrive in Abbot Kinney with tacos from a nearby taco truck. Marcella and I sit in the room that will soon be the main dining area of her new restaurant. The beautiful casement steel windows facing Abbot Kinney are covered in butcher paper, and the space is lit by the overhead lamps. The tables have finally been set up and we’re sitting down in the very middle of the room. Most of the workers have left for the night.
While Mar starts opening up the foil packets I blurt out, “I met my dad.”
The color completely leaves her face. I have never seen Mar look like this before. “What?” she whispers. “When? And are you okay?”
“Yes.” I nod firmly. Then my eyes fill up with tears. “No. Not really. I found out…Oh my god. Can I have some wine, too?”
Mar rushes over to the kitchen and comes back with an openbottle of red and two glasses. After taking a sip, I say, “Sunny came over to tell me that my mom’s fatedwasmy dad.”
“Wait…” Mar is processing. “But that can’t be?”
“I know. Apparently, despite him being Mom’s fated, my dad still left and the romance didn’t work out. Which means what the fuck even are fateds? What does any of this mean? Oh, and my dad has been in touch with Sunny over the years to ask about me and she never told me? And because of all that—she gave me my dad’s info and I went to go meet him.”
It’s a lot to take in, I should know, and Mar needs a second, running her hands through her hair. “Okay, so…your dad, then. Did he confirm all of this?”
“Yeah, I literally showed up to his house in Michigan—”
“What!”
“I know, I know. I flew to Michigan and came back home within twenty-four hours.”
“Christ, Cass!” Mar is looking at me, again, with concern and wonder. “You’ve never ever done anything like that in your entire life.”
“Yeah. Did you know same-day flights costso muchmoney? Anyway. I showed up to his really nice, normal house in Michigan that he shares with his wife. Rachel. She’s an artist, too, like Mom was. And really cool despite me showing up totally unannounced.”
“I want to know so much about Rachel, but I understand we need to get to the point.”
“Yes, we do.” And I give her the rundown—the confirmation of my family lying to me all these years.
When I’m done, she’s staring off into the distance. “Oka-a-a-y,” she says slowly. “Well, this must happen, right? There’s no way that all fated matches end in happily ever after.”
I stare at her, my mouth falling open. “Mar?THAT IS THE ENTIRE POINT.” How many times must I say this to people?
“Huh.” She falls back in her seat. “I honestly always thought that was just, like, rounding out the averages.”
“What!” I feel literally insane. Nothing in my life is making sense anymore—everything, every truth I held dear is crumbling around me. “Knowing my fated was out there, that everything would go right when I found him—that’s beeneverything.”
Mar seems to sober up immediately. “Oh, babe. I know but I was always hoping you would see the light.”
I scoff. “That’s not condescending at all.”
