I shook my head. “No. I already stopped by earlier and I hung out with her as much as I could this week. She’s with Leigh tonight. I see her in the morning. It’s how she wants it.”
“So you move into the house tomorrow then.”
“I do.”
“How do you feel about it?” she asked.
“Like I’m in shock,” I said, talking to her but staring at the ugly baby. “Like it’s not really happening.”
“And how are the kids?”
“I think they’re in shock and feel like it’s not really happening too.” I glanced at her. “How did you handle so much change when you were a kid? I mean, that had to mess with you, right?”
She shrugged and looked back at the baby. “Yeah, it messed with me. I think you’re doing the best thing for them that anyone can do. Keep them where they are. Minimize the fallout.”
I looked ahead. “Yeah.”
“What?”
I paused. “What if I mess them up?” I asked quietly.
She smiled at me gently. “What if you save them?”
She looked at me so earnestly she made me believe that maybe I would.
I cleared my throat. “Maddy had less stabby energy today.”
“She’s a fan of yours,” she said.
I raised an eyebrow. “Is she…?”
“Yes. She appreciates that you’re willing to endure dinners with Neil and Amber for me. Gets her off the hook.”
“And you don’t appreciate this?” I grinned.
“Of course I do.” Then she reached up, wrapped her arms around my neck, and kissed my cheek. She did it casually. I don’t think she had any idea the effect it had on me.
She came down from her tiptoes. Her arms were still around my neck and the place where her lips were on my cheek tingled. I was contemplating if kissing her in an antique store in front of a maimed ugly baby doll was tacky when my phone rang. Mom.
“Sorry,” I said. “I should take this.” I stepped away from her and hit the answer button. “Mom, what’s up?”
“Justin! What are you doing right now?” Leigh. Drunk Leigh, by the sound of it.
“I’m just at a store, why—”
Shuffling. Then Mom came on the line. “Justin? Can you give us a ride?” Also drunk.
Mom never drank. This was rarer than a solar eclipse. I could hear Leigh roaring with laughter in the background and Mom covered the mouthpiece giggling and hushed her.
“I’m still on my date, Mom.”
“Oh! That’s right!” she said. “I forgot. I’m sorry I called you, never mind—”
“Justin!” Leigh said in the background. “Give me the phone. Give it to me. No, give it to me—” Shuffling. “Justin? It’s Aunt Leigh. You need to come pick us up. Your mother and I have been overserved.” She slurred on “served.”
“You can’t call an Uber?” I said.
“Can’t.” She hiccupped.
“Why not?”
“Banned. Lyft too.”
“What? Then use Mom’s account.”
“We’re both banned. We’re pariahs.”
“How did you both get banned from two separate rideshare apps?” I asked.
“It takes commitment and ingenuity.” Slurred on “ingenuity.”
Mom cracked up in the background.
I took in a deep breath and locked eyes with Emma. She looked amused.
“It was my ex-husband,” Leigh went on. “He works for Lyft. Did it just to stick it to me one last time and threw Christine in there just to piss me off—and it did. It did piss me off.”
“And your Uber accounts?” I asked.
