Page 114 of Bonfire and Bliss Bookstore

“My parents?”

“Yup, right there. If you want, you can go sit with them and I’ll bring your to-go bag over when it’s ready?”

I nod my head down in acknowledgment and walk toward the table where I see my parents in deep conversation. My father is talking rapidly, and my mother is nodding along in response, her body tilted forward, their hands almost touching. When he gets to what I guess is the punch line of his story, she throws her head back and laughs. I hate that it feels like a punch to the stomach. That seeing them like this physically hurts.

It’s a memory, a snapshot in time, of two people who I thought would always be like this. A reminder that I didn’t make it up. They were like that. Until they weren’t.

I watch them for a few moments, lost in thought, when my mom turns her head and spots me.

“Jake!” she squeals, jumping up and pulling me in for a hug. “Oh, it’s been too long, my boy. You feel solid, though.” She leans back and her hands go to my cheeks. “And you look good.”

Pushing up on her tiptoes, my mom presses a kiss to each cheek, but when she pulls back and sees my dumbfounded expression, she frowns.

“What’s wrong? Is everyone okay? Vovo, Penny?”

“Yeah, everyone’s fine,” I say. “But what are you doing here?”

My mother looks toward my father and then glances at me again. “I told you I was having dinner. I got an extra day off work and wanted to surprise you.”

“No,” I deadpan. “I mean, what are you doing here with him?”

My father looks as though I’ve struck him. “I realized we were out of those pumpkin ciders you and Penny love, so I came by the brewery to grab a few. And then I saw your mother sitting by herself—”

“So I invited him to join me,” she finishes with a grin.

I run my hands through my hair, still struggling to process what they’re saying. “So you’re having dinner? Together?”

She glances back at my dad and shrugs. “We do share a son.”

“And we’ve known each other most of our lives,” my father adds defensively.

I want to snap back at him, Yeah, that didn’t stop you from leaving her.

But instead, I say, “It just feels weird, is all.”

“Well, make it un-weird,” my mother says with another grin as she nods toward the table. “Want to join us?”

Fuck no. I need to get out of here, and away from this situation, before I say something I’ll regret. I need time to process whatever is happening here away from the two of them.

“I can’t. I’m picking up food for Penny.”

“Okay, honey,” my mom says. “Why don’t we do breakfast in the morning?”

“Yup, sounds good. Just text me a time and I’ll pick you up from the farm.”

My mother wraps her arms around me again and squeezes tight.

“Will you be home tonight?” my father asks as I’m about to turn and leave. I can’t look at him right now.

“I’ll probably stay at Penny’s. She’s not feeling great,” I lie.

My mom squeezes my shoulder. “Well, tell her we send her our love. And that I hope to see her this weekend.”

Our love. We. What the fuck is happening right now?

Somehow I manage to get away, grab the food, and drive back to Penny’s without screaming at anyone. I should just run upstairs, give Penny her food, and then go check into a hotel for the night. I can’t go back to my house right now—I am not in the right headspace to face my family. But I also don’t want to risk taking these feelings out on Penny.

I head inside the store, two containers of Rosie’s pumpkin stew in hand, and take the stairs quickly.