Free Love and Other Natural Disasters by Holly Shumas

note. 'Gone fishing,' it said.
'With Meredith.' And I knew."
    "How?"
    "Because he'd never been
fishing in his life."
    Thankfully, I didn't have to come
up with a reply because traffic started up again. I shifted into drive and
lurched several feet.
    "Jonathon called me," my
mother said.
    It wasn't surprising. He had to get
his side of the story out. Couldn't have all those people thinking he was like
Tony.
    "I told him I'm staying out of
it," she added.
    "I appreciate that."
    "But did you know he didn't
sleep with her?"
    "Yes, Mom." So much for
Switzerland.
    "I just wanted to make sure
you knew."
    "I knew."
    We had almost reached the
pedestrian walkway. Some people dashed across, their rolling suitcases
clattering behind them, while others sauntered with duffel bags thrown over
their shoulders. Fully half of them were talking on cell phones, with varying
degrees of excitement and animation. We were trapped, unmoving, while their
lives were rushing on. My legs felt itchy. I'd barely walked all weekend.
Except for my time at Costco, I'd either been home in a state of torment or
driving somewhere in a state of aggravation.
    "This is the last thing I'm
going to say," my mother said, "but I believe Jon loves you very much
and would never do anything like this again."
    As if my mother were any judge of
trustworthy men.
    "Sometimes men do stupid
things. It doesn't mean they don't love us," she continued.
    I realized I was in the same boat
my mother had been In time and time again. That was one boat I'd never wanted
to board.
    I didn't say anything, and she
didn't know where to go in the face of my silence. Finally I pulled up in front
of the terminal.
    "They only let ticketed
passengers go to the gates," I said. "Security. Otherwise, I'd come
in with you."
    She nodded. "Just because I
never seem to say the right thing, it doesn't mean I don't love you. I'd do
anything to make you hurt less."
    Unhooking my seat belt, I reached
across the divide and hugged her. "I know that. I love you, too."
    She gave me a hard, quick squeeze,
then released. I was surprised to find myself wishing that she'd held on
longer, and tighter.

CHAPTER EIGHT
    When I got home from the airport, I
put my pajamas back on and crawled into bed. Not long after, there was
persistent knocking on my door. No one I wanted to see would come by without
calling. I don't mean just because of the current state of my life; I've never
had one of those houses where friends can drop by anytime. I like to know when
things are going to happen.
    There was a pause; then the
knocking started again. Since it was Sunday, it wouldn't be the UPS guy (not
that he'd have enough invested in my signature to knock that long anyway). The
religion peddlers would have already left what they euphemistically called
"literature" and gone on their way. Jon wasn't due back with Jacob
for hours. If that was Jon, changing the plan without calling, he'd better be
wearing body armor.
    I stormed down the hall and yanked
the door open to find Lil and her son, Luke, waiting there. Shit. I'd forgotten
to cancel Jacob's play date.
    Lil was the unflappable type, so
her smile never wavered despite seeing me in my pajamas at one in the
afternoon, my puffy face transforming rapidly from fury to embarrassment. She
was, as always, dressed in form-fitting designer clothes, long blond hair in
gleaming waves down her back. She never looked thirty-eight.
    "Where's Jacob?" Luke
asked impatiently, through his slight lisp. "We've got things to do."
He's a ballsy kid, like his mom.
    "He's not here," I said.
I looked at Lil apologetically. "I'm so sorry I didn't call. I got mixed
up on the day. He's out with his father."
    I don't know if it was my
appearance, that I said "his father" instead of "Jon," or
the fact that I never mixed up days, but Lil gave a brisk nod and said to Luke
(who was loudly broadcasting his disappointment), "I don't think Jacob's
mom needs that right now, Luke. I think she needs you to take this like