“They’re good. Mrs. Montour sent us some snacks not too long ago.”
“That’s nice of her.” We continue walking. “And Alex. How’s he?”
I freeze at that. Her concern for Alex isn’t anything new. We’ve been friends our whole lives, so it makes sense that she’d check on him. Only the question hits different ever since I found out the truth. I haven’t shared that I know he’s my brother for fear of triggering her. She’s kept this from me all this time, and something tells me that’s because she can’t face it.
Having spent the last two years dealing with Richard, I get why she hid it. He didn’t want me, and she kept that from me to protect me.
“He’s good.”
She nods and stops to pluck a rose from the bush. We move again as she leisurely plucks petals and lets them float in the wind.
“And your grades?”
“Three-point eight GPA,” I say matter-of-factly.
“You’ve always been so smart.”
I don’t respond; instead I contemplate all the ways to bring up my questions.
“You get that from your grandmother.” She plucks another petal. “She was a genius.”
I smile. “She was.”
“So are there any girls that caught your eye?”
I sigh.
“I’ve just been focused on the game.”If only that were the truth.
“I know. But please tell me you’re having fun, too. College should be all about the experiences.”
Again, I say nothing.
“Ma?” I kick at a dandelion. “Do you remember Samantha?”
She frowns. “Samantha.” She repeats as if it’ll refresh her memory. “No.”
“Collins? Her mother was a patient here with you about eight to ten years ago.”
There’s a subtle shift in her shoulders, but she recovers instantly. I frown and decide not to push it.
“Oh. Yeah. What about her?”
“She’s a student at SKU now.”
My mother doesn’t look at me, her shoulders tensing just a bit.
“You don’t say.” She stares straight ahead. “How’s her mother?”
“I’m not sure.” Now’s my chance. I slide the folded page from my back pocket and hand it to her. “But I had always thought the first time you met was here.”
My mother opens it, and her face goes still, then it breaks. First, there’s a twitch of her lips; then her hands start to shake. “Where… where did you get this?”
“From Sam. She found it in the school archives. Says you were in a club together. You never told me you knew her mom from school.”
Her breathing turns shallow. I move to steady her, but shejerks away like my touch burns. Her eyes dart around the courtyard. She drops the page, and it floats to the ground.
“They said it was over,” she whispers, her voice cracking. “They promised…”
