Free Dust of Snow by Indra Vaughn Page B

way
down. “Pardon my French.”
    Mother’s eyes twinkled like she was laughing
on the inside. “What on earth did you think I was going to tell
you?”
    “That you’d be getting back together with
Dad. I don’t think I could stand the thought now that I know
he’s—”
    “Gregory!”
    “Sorry, Mother.” She was grinning though, and
after I’d washed the wine down with some water, I grinned too. “So,
who is he? Where did you meet? You sure he isn’t after your
fortune?”
    “I’m sorry to inform you there is no fortune,
Gregory. I know it’s a shock.” She waited until I stopped laughing.
“And it’s not… a he.” I dropped the napkin I’d been patting my
mouth with, but Mother barreled on. “I met her at the pool. We
started to talk, and we had a lot in common, so we went for a few
lunches. They became dates.”
    I gaped, and my brain attempted to process
this. Mother the lesbian ? “I didn’t—I didn’t know…” I
croaked. “That you, uh…” Licked the other side of the stamp,
Patricia’s voice echoed in my head. I suppressed a giggle that
would have sounded slightly manic.
    “Neither did I, and I don’t know if I am,
it’s just… We get on so well, and she makes me feel so good,
Gregory.”
    “That’s great.” I really did think so. “It’s
great she makes you happy.”
    She leaned forward. “Yes,” she said, voice
low. “But that’s not what I meant.” Oh God, no. “She’s so full of
life, so vibrant, so skilled .”
    “Can I have another bottle of wine, please?”
I accosted the waiter who passed our table. “Actually, make that
two.” He didn’t hear me, or ignored me, because I certainly sounded
like a desperate drunk.
    “She did this thing with her mouth the other
day… Gregory, I had no idea—”
    “CHECK PLEASE,” I bellowed and scrambled
desperately for my wallet. I practically ran from the restaurant,
dragging Mother behind me to the car.
    “Gregory,” she huffed. “That was uncalled
for.”
    “I’m sorry.” My voice was two octaves higher
than usual. “You took me by complete surprise.”
    “I understand,” Mother said demurely, hands
folded in her lap as I clicked my seatbelt on. “But all that aside,
she does make me happy, and I’d love for you two to meet.”
    “O-kay.”
    “And maybe you could bring a date too. You
really need to get back out there, Gregory. Forget David and meet
someone who’s worthy of you.”
    “Uh-huh.” A double date with Mother and her
new lesbian lady friend? I laughed, even though I felt so close to
crying my vision blurred. I thought of Ashley, but that was stupid.
He was probably straight after all anyway.
    “There’s something else.”
    “I don’t know if I can take it,” I admitted,
perfectly serious while Mother laughed.
    “Valerie has two grown-up daughters. They
live in Austin, Texas, and we’ve been invited to spend Christmas
over there. I said I’d have to talk to you first. Valerie said of
course I could bring you along, but…”
    Mother sent me sympathetic look as if she
knew my first thought would be, oh please dear God no . I
couldn’t think of anything worse, so I sucked up my hurt and
smiled. “Of course you should go. You’ll have a great time. But I
think I’ll pass.”
    “I thought you might. But darling, I hate the
thought of you all alone for Christmas.”
    “Actually, there are a couple of guys at work
who don’t have families to go to,” I lied. “They meet up for a
Christmas dinner, and I thought I’d go this year.”
    “That’s a lovely idea! I don’t want you to be
alone, darling.” Mother squeezed my hand and sat back. “That’s a
whole load off my heart.”
    I swallowed, grateful for the darkness in the
car as I switched the engine. “Then it’s settled. It’ll be a great
Christmas for both of us.”
    Bah humbug.
     
     
     

SEVEN

     
    ON SATURDAY MORNING—because of course my work ethic
was too solid to get drunk on Thursday—I had a hellish