“Just passing by? It’s not like I live right around
the corner.”
Okay, she got me.
“I wanted to see if everything’s going better.”
“You don’t have to worry about us, we’re
making it.”
“I can’t help it. Every time that bastard—”
“Patrick!” she admonishes me.
“Every time he shows his face, we all end up in
a mess.”
Mom sighs and sits down on the couch next to
me.
“We’re all fine, dear. Relax. We have Carl with
us.”
I nod and squeeze her hand.
“How are things going at the pub?”
“The usual,” I say vaguely.
“And Erin? How is she?”
Hearing her name makes me break out in a
smile.
“What’s this now?”
“What?”
“What are you smiling about?”
“Me? You’re wrong.”
“I’ll have none of that malarkey, Patrick.”
“Erin is well.”
“And?” she leans closer into me. “What aren’t
you telling me now?”
My cell phone goes off in my pocket. I cut the
conversation short and look at the display. It’s
