Started With a Lie

Chapter Forty

        “So my mother is reacting to sounds now,” I say to create conversation but also because it’s been bubbling inside of me. I have to tell someone.

        Mark turns around fully, a grin on his face. “Really?”

        I grin right back. He seems as happy as me. “Yes!” I tell him. “She was holding my hand—well, I was holding her hand—but she squeezed my hand back!”

        “That’s great! It’s only a matter of time before she wakes up then, right?”

        “I hope so!” I bite my lip, trying to reign in my smile that’s covered my entire face. “I’m so happy. This is just what I need to start a fresh year at college. If she’s there with me for that, I won’t ever ask for anything else.”

        “You know something?” Mark looks down at his feet and a soft expression spreads across his face. “I’ll finally get to meet your mother.” He looks up at me, smiling.

        “What?” My eyebrows wrinkle. “No, what about that time you...uh….”

        He laughs and his Adam’s apple vibrates with his laugh. “Yeah, I haven’t met her.” His lips meet together. “I wish and hope I do someday. See the person that raised you.”

        I look at him. “I hope you meet her too. Scratch that, you definitely will.”

        Mark’s smile fades. “I bet Lee’s met your mom, huh?”

        I freeze, my eyes darting to the floor. “Oh, erm….”

        “No, no, it’s cool,” he says, putting his hands up. “I’m not going to be that person anymore. You and I are friends now. We’re cool.” He adds in a toothy grin to show me that he’s still the immature and goofy guy I liked (as a friend).  

        A smile escapes me but slips off my face after remembering the topic of this question. “Actually, he hasn’t ever formally met my mother either. I haven’t introduced Lee as my...you know...my person,” I say and he arches his eyebrows. I laugh but that loses its fuel too. “But...I don’t think that’ll ever happen either. We’re not really together anymore.”

        Mark’s mouth falls open and his eyebrows stretch upwards to his forehead. He blinks and then he shifts his head looking from wall to wall, as if someone’s stabbed him and he never saw it coming. “You...you...he...what?” he says, looking more affected than I should’ve been.

        “Yeah, things didn’t work out.” I give him a what-can-you-do shrug.

        He presses his lips together. “I refuse to believe that. You and Lee? Things just couldn’t have ‘not worked’ between you two.” His eyebrows pinch together. “No way in hell.”

        I look down, my chest slumping with heaviness. “Well…yeah.”

        “Hey!” he says, patting my shoulder. “Don’t be so down. I’ll take you out for lunch. Where’d you like to go? A cute diner? Ice cream? Name it.”  

        “Oh, god,” I groan. “Not ice cream, please, no ice cream! I’ve literally been surrounded by ice cream day and night all summer and now it’s lost its taste.”

        Mark chuckles, his hand slipping from my shoulder. “I didn’t know you were such an ice cream enthusiast.”

        “I’m not.” I reach into my back pocket and bring out a little pin with my name in cursive on it. I secure it onto my shirt. “Hi! Welcome to Igloo Ice Cream! What would you like today? Brr.”