We were in love.
Zeus was three years old; his head was as hard and square as a concrete block. His coat was silky and short, and I was fairly sure I could ride him, since he came up to my hip. That tail could leave welts, I thought as I let him into my car, but hey. Death by tail wags was not a bad way to go.
I stopped at Petco and bought an invisible fence system, a red leash and collar, dog food, dog treats, dog shampoo, a dog bed and a brush, which I tested on him, since they allowed doggies in the store. He crooned when I ran the brush down his back, and I couldn’t help smiling.
“Sit, Zeus,” I said, and he did! Brilliant dog! I took a picture, texted it to Dylan with the words You have a new brother. Meet Zeus. I got him today from the shelter and he’s the new love of my life.
A second later, his answer came. Wow! He’s awesome, Mom! Can’t wait to meet him at Christmas!
Four long months away. But you know what? My son sounded delighted, and the dog was so cute, smiling away at everyone who passed, wagging and wagging. Today was my lucky (if expensive) day. But I knew Zeus would be worth it.
“Right, boy?” I asked, bending over.
He agreed, licking my face, and we went to the front of the store to pay for all his stuff.
* * *
Three days later, Zeus lay sprawled on the couch, taking up most of it, his head in Beth’s lap as she stroked his ears while I took a tray of stuffed clams out of the oven. She might have a five-star rating on Yelp, but she loved my food. Wanda was here as well—my two closest friends.
“Who’s a beautiful boy?” Wanda crooned. “You are, Zeus. Yes, you are!” His tail thumped in agreement.
“God, it’s so nice not to cook,” Beth called. “Thanks for having us over. Do you mind passing me some clams? I’d do it myself, but I can’t disturb this handsome guy.”
“I understand,” I said. “Plus, he just got a bath, so he’s extra silky.” I served the clams out with little plates and forks, refilled Beth’s wineglass—Wanda was on call tonight—and topped off my own.
“How’s Dylan?” Wanda asked.
“Struggling. Brad is insisting—” At that moment, the phone rang. I looked at it, my mood falling. “Speak of the devil, and the devil appears.”
“Ooh, answer it,” Beth said. “Put him on speaker. We want to hear his New Age language.”
I obeyed. “What?” I demanded. He still had belongings here, and the divorce agreement said he had six months to come get them before I could set them on fire, or sell them, or give his precious leather jacket, bought after the “launch” of his book, to a homeless person.
“Lillie, hello. How are you?” he asked.
Wanda’s face scrunched in horror at his sappy tone, and Beth mimicked throwing up.
“None of your business,” I said. “What do you want?”
“Can you say something to Dylan? He’s really shut down about Melissa.”
“Yeah. Because she ruined our family. You and she killed our son’s family. Of course he’s shut down.”
“You’re not helping, Lillie,” Brad said. “She’s a kind woman.”
Wanda raised her hands in incredulity while Beth silently gave him the finger.
“Brad, tell me, how does a kind woman justify stealing someone else’s husband and causing a boy to lose respect for his father? She’s a mother, isn’t she? Wouldn’t it bother her if someone ruined her daughter’s family?”
“Ophelia is her niece,” Brad said, unperturbed. “She took her in because Ophelia’s mother has narcotics abuse disorder. Melissa is incredibly generous, and so good-hearted. Really, Lillie. You’ll love her once you get to know her better.”
Beth mimicked cocking a shotgun.
“No, Brad! I won’t! I hate her.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” my ex-husband said. “Hatred is so corrosive, and the only true victim is you. You could look at this a different way, Lillie. We could all be friends.”
I muted myself. “See what I have to put up with? I think he has a brain tumor.” I tapped the phone so he could hear me. “We’re not gonna hang out and drink wine, Brad. She is an adulterous slut who ruined our marriage.”
“Can any outsider really do that?” Brad speculated.
“Let me rephrase. You are an adulterous slut who ruined our marriage.”
“Lillie. This anger won’t serve you. It is what it is. I hope you can come to see that for yourself, and that we can all be friends someday. I want us to stay a family. It just looks different now.”
“Save me, Jesus,” Wanda muttered.
“I will never be your friend, and you are out of my family,” I said. “I wish nothing but the worst for you. You hurt my son. You broke his heart. For the rest of your life, the mother of your only child will hate and resent you.”
“I’m so sorry you feel that way,” he said. “Maybe someday—”
I hung up.
“Unbelievable,” Beth said.
“The worst part,” I said, “is that somehow I’m the damaged goods here. The aging wife who couldn’t keep her husband.”
“It’s true,” Beth said. “You’re pathetic, am I right, Wanda?”
“Well . . .” Wanda was my sweeter friend, obviously. She took another clam and ate it delicately. “These are amazing.”
“The thing is,” Beth said, “this happens all the time. The Temples? Kate just told me she’s moving to Arizona and hasn’t spoken to Robbie in years. And the Carsons. They’ve been married for forty-five years, and he left her for a Russian college student who works at Ben and Jerry’s. You can’t make this shit up. It’s a pandemic. Zeus, my leg is numb, honey. Your head must weigh thirty pounds. Off you go.” He obeyed sadly, gazed longingly at Wanda, who shook her head firmly, and reluctantly collapsed into his new doggy bed.
“Fill me in on what people are saying, you two,” I said. “Between the two of you, you know everything.”
“This is true,” Wanda murmured. “I’m hearing a lot of sympathy for you, Lillie, a lot of shock. No one suspected your marriage was—”
“Fragile? Built on sand? A lie?” I suggested.
“Yeah,” she said.
“They’re getting around, Lils,” Beth said. “Eating out at least a couple times a week. She’s donating buckets of money and just employed, like, eight people to clean, cut the lawn, service the car, do handyman stuff, all that. Get this. Reverend White just asked her to serve on the vestry after she paid to have the bell tower repaired.”
“Who looks after that poor kid when they’re out buying friends?” I asked.
“Right now, Sophie Lynch, but rumor has it they’re getting an au pair from France.”
“I hope Brad sleeps with the au pair,” I said. “No. I hope Melissa sleeps with the au pair.”
Beth snorted and Wanda clinked her glass against mine.
“Seriously,” I went on. “Why can’t they move? Do they have to live in my hometown? Do they have to live, period? Can’t there be, I don’t know, a tidal wave that hits their house, and their house only, when Ophelia’s in school? Or a shark attack when they’re frisking in the water?”
“So this is your last glass of wine,” Wanda said, “and you know shark attacks are extremely rare on the Cape.”
“Brad hasn’t turned off Find My Phone, so I can track him. I may slash their tires the next time they eat out.”
Beth nodded. “Just make sure it’s really dark, and wear a baseball cap. Security cameras are everywhere these days, you know?”
“Well, I have to get going,” Wanda said, snagging one last clam. “Leila has a shoot tomorrow in Boston at the ass-crack of dawn, and Addo told me it’s my turn. The good news is, the child will be able to pay for college. This modeling thing is crazy.”
“Give her a kiss from me,” I said. “Remind her that I loved her when she was a squishy-faced little baby, long before Gucci was calling.”