“Damn,” she said to herself, rounding the corner into the kitchen. “Yeah?”
Her mom was sitting at the table in a silk robe and house slippers stirring a cup of coffee. This wasn’t going to be pleasant, Lisa knew, but she had to do it. She couldn’t just leave her mom alone like this, not after the fight she’d just heard.
“Are you okay?” she asked, sitting down across from her.
“Been better.”
“I don’t really know what to say, Mom.”
“I know, sweetie. Me neither.”
“Did he leave?” Lisa asked, reaching for her mom’s cup of coffee and taking a sip.
“Yep.”
She started crying, holding her chin to her chest, but not moving a muscle. Just quiet little whimpers that made Lisa so angry. Why did she do this to herself? Why keep marrying the same man over and over again? Lisa didn’t know how she could still be so surprised. Ron was a carbon copy of the one before him. And Lisa was pretty sure they were both just less charming versions of her dad. Sometimes she wondered if maybe she was crying over him, after all these years—if every new guy was just a poor replacement for the first one who left her.
Lisa reached a hand over and placed it on top of her mom’s. She held it there, her thumb gripping her mother’s fingers tightly, and then let go.
“Let me tell you about Solomon,” she said, standing up to pour herself some coffee.
“Who?”
Lisa explained the whole situation to her mother, trying to distract her the only way she knew how—with something that closely resembled gossip. Her mom had wondered why she’d insisted on switching dentists, so this cleared some things up. Lisa, of course, left out the part about the scholarship essay. She couldn’t risk being talked out of it, not after everything had been falling into place so well. And now with Clark on her team, she felt like getting Solomon out of that house was inevitable.
“Wait, wait,” her mom interrupted. “You and Clark are hanging out with this kid?”
“Yes. He needs us, believe me.”
“What kind of parents let their child act that way? Never leaving the house? Not going to school? Sounds like he needs a beating to me.”
“Wow, Mom.”
“No one wants to go to school, Lisa. Most kids would stay home all day if you let them. That’s why you don’t let them.”
“I told you, he has a legitimate mental illness, Mom. Be more sensitive, please.”
“They say that about alcoholics, too. They have a disease. Yeah right. The rest of us are supposed to feel sorry for all the drunks? Gimme a break.”
“You should write for Psychology Today or something. Very inspiring stuff.”
“Sorry. Well, good for you. And Clark. Just don’t get into any trouble.”
“Trouble? I don’t even think that’s possible with Solomon.”
“I didn’t think it was possible with three different husbands, but look where I am now.”
“With an intelligent, beautiful daughter and a stable job?”
“Funny,” she said. “You know what I mean.”
“Mom,” Lisa began, wanting so badly to just be honest, to tell her she had to stop looking for her happiness with these deadbeats. But she couldn’t do it. “I love you.”
“I love you, sweetie. Want me to make you some lunch?”
“No thanks. I’ve got to go talk to Janis. I’ve been neglecting her for weeks and I’m pretty sure she’s pissed at me.”
? ? ?
Janis Plutko worked in the Montclair Plaza Mall at a kiosk that sold perfume and Fossil watches. Before Solomon, Lisa would stop by several times a week and they’d eat cookies from the Great American Cookie Company in the food court and watch YouTube videos on their phones. On the rare occasion that Janis had a customer, Lisa would inundate them with free samples and usually end up talking them into at least buying something from the clearance rack. Janis always had her best sales days when Lisa showed up.
“Hey, you,” Lisa said when she walked up to the kiosk. Janis turned her way and gave a sort of half smile.
“Look, I know you’re pissed. Just let me take you to lunch so we can talk it out.”
“What’s to talk out?” she asked. “Some people just grow apart.”
“Oh my God, really?”
“Lisa, I’ve barely seen you for a month. Do not treat me like I’m being irrational.”
“Sorry. Just come to lunch with me. Can you take a break?”
She grabbed her keys off the counter by the register. “I’ve only got fifteen minutes.”
They sat in the fairly crowded food court and shared some fries and a milk shake. Lisa couldn’t get much out of Janis, but she tried her best. They’d been fighting on and off about stupid things since the fifth grade but she seemed really upset about this one, and Lisa knew she’d have to come clean about Solomon to be forgiven.
“Can you keep a secret?”
“Maybe,” she whispered, leaning forward over the table.
“I’ve been working on a project. For college.”
“What kind of project? Your cousin? Did you talk to him?”
“No. Do you remember the fountain kid?”