I heard Maggie gasp. I bit my lips together at that one. Jenna couldn’t shake her embarrassment. There was something off about her; I could feel vibes that were not clear at that time.
The waiter came over to take our order. Before I could ask Jordan what he preferred, Stenton had already begun calling out his order of mac and cheese with a side of broccoli. I smiled because Jordan kept his promise of having a vegetable tonight when I agreed to let him go without it during lunch. With that concession, I cautioned that I didn’t want to have to remind him tonight. Apparently, I didn’t have to. When the waiter left, all eyes went to Stenton and Jordan as they played across the table from me. Stenton sat in the center of the bench with Jenna to the right of him and Jordan to the left. Maggie sat at the head of the table to the left of me and I was across from Stenton.
“So, I see you’re enjoying this, dear,” Maggie drawled, and although her face produced a smile, her undertone could’ve gone either way.
“Enjoying?”
With a smile that didn’t reach her eyes still plastered, she elaborated, “Being a single mother. I’m sure it’s one of the most difficult things on earth. I raised my last two alone.”
I scoffed, “I’m no single mother, Mrs. Brown. I’m a single woman who co-parents with an extraordinary man. But I do agree; mothers who parent alone have the most daunting task.”
That was a lesson quickly learned from Stenton the day of Jordan’s christening. I never forgot and always appreciated the simple fact of my parenthood. To his credit, for three years, it had been undisputed.
I felt Stenton’s and Jenna’s eyes on me, but I didn’t give any attention to them to see what it meant. I may not have been able to figure out Jenna yet, but her momma was an easy read. She was distrusting and snobbish.
“Mother, that was quite presumptuous of you,” Jenna chided.
“No,” I interjected as I tapped the table to open Jordan’s straw when the waiter dropped off our drinks. “Times, lifestyles and titles are changing in society. I’m sure some time ago, mothers who weren’t married were thought to be either widowed or…harlots, I guess.” I shrugged and caught Stenton chuckling in my periphery. “But in today’s society, I’m simply a fortunate woman to have an incredible kid with a Dad who adores him.”
“Mmmmhmmm,” Maggie grunted.
Hopefully, that headed her off the path of attempting to ‘intimidate Stenton’s little baby momma to make my daughter look good.’
Our food was eventually delivered and we dug in. I was starved from not having a big enough lunch while we were touring earlier. Stenton was busy entertaining Jordan. Maggie quieted much after our exchange outside of mentioning her upcoming plastic surgery. She looked to be eighty years old, though I was confident the woman was younger. Whatever age she was, she’d come to get breast implants. I had to stifle my laughter when that fact surfaced.
I’d guessed it had gotten too quiet when Jenna piped out, “So, Zoey, I’m glad you decided to come out. This trip almost didn’t happen,” she informed as she gestured over to Jordan.
I cocked my head. “Oh, yeah? How so?”
Stenton was busy coloring the activity placemat with Jordan in between finishing his food.
Jenna softly cleared her throat. “I know this is his only scheduled week with Jordan this summer. Stenton explained how you’re not…well, quite comfortable with Jordan vacationing without you, and especially at this great of a distance.”
My eyes shot straight over to Stenton like daggers. Taking his time, he eventually peered up at me with preoccupied eyes. He’d lied to his girlfriend! But why?
“I’m glad you all were able to keep with your plans,” I murmured, mostly to my plate, because I couldn’t face the woman while lying to her.