Must force out a laugh for her sake. “All over the internetis extremely dramatic, even for you.”
“When did you and Jocelyn get engaged?” she shrieks. “You never tell me anything.”
“Mom, do you really think I’d get engaged and forget to tell you?”
Something that sounds a lot like a pot banging onto astove crashes through the speaker. “Sure looks like it. You seem pretty in love to me.”
Ouch. That hurt more than I thought it might. “How did you even find them?”
“Mary Ann’s girl is getting married in Galveston. She was looking at photographers in the area. You can imagine my surprise when I open the link she sent to findyou.”
I sigh. “We were just acting.”
The faucet runs on her end. “What are these pictures, Asher Ray? And don’t tell me they’re nothing.”
I dig my thumb and forefinger into my closed eyes. Sparks burst behind my lids. Doesn’t help the gnawing in my diaphragm, though. “A friend of mine needed a couple to pose for engagement pictures so she could advertise her photography business. It isn’t a big deal.”
I can practically hear her deflate. “Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“Well, they look very convincing.”
I know.
Her tone softens. “Tell Jocelyn she looks beautiful.”
“Tell her yourself. You talk to her more than you talk to me.”
“She hasn’t answered my texts. Why do you think I came to you?” Something else bangs on her end.
“Jeez, Mom. What are you doing?”
“Making Sunday dinner. Your brothers want spaghetti.Again.”
Something cold and lonely pulses deep in my chest. God, I miss Sunday dinners. Miss my parents and my brothers. Why did I ever think it was a good idea to move so far from my family?
Maybe I should move home.
What do I have here that’s worth staying for?
“You okay, honey?” she asks, more quietly.
Hate that Mom thing. How do they always know when something’s wrong? “I’m fine. Just been a weird few weeks. Work’s been... work. And—”
“And what?”
I jerk to my feet. Need to do something with my hands.
Also need Tums.
“Asher?”
“Yeah?”
“What’s wrong?”
I wind up in the kitchen, wiping down counters that don’t need it. “It’s nothing, Mom. Really.”
