The Perfect Lie

Chapter 25

March, 2008, NYU

Liam approached Chanty with careful steps.

She was staring blankly at her coffee and she did not even glance up when he sat down across from her.

“You know, it is not a pretty sight to be sitting in a coffee shop alone looking like a zombie,” he said with a grin.

“Go away, Liam. I am not in the mood to talk right now.”

“Are you having some kind of trouble? You’ve been partying hard lately.”

“No, I am fine. Now, can you go away?”

“I am sorry about what happened earlier in class--”

“Our professor thought I was cheating with you and Astor earlier. Of course, you should be sorry. How many times have I told you not to talk during a test?”

“He was asking me about something else entirely,” he defended.

“He was asking you the answer for the last item.”

“Well, that too. But we were actually talking about you.”

“You were what?”

“Well,” he said, gulping. “We were concerned. You are not acting like your normal self in class.”

“And of all time, you decided to talk about me during a test?”

“Yeah, well, we finished the test early.”

Chanty rolled her eyes and stood up.

“Where are you going?”

“Far away from you.”

 

2013

When Willie woke up, he bombarded his mother with questions.

“Liam and you are okay now?”

“Nearly,” Chanty lied.

Willie frowned. “Why nearly?”

“Because mommy still has to do more convincing,” she said with a wink.

“And it will be okay?”

“Yes,” she lied again.

How she wished it would be as easy as that.

Willie was looking contented and positive about it, like it was just the same as a broken toy that someone could easily fix or find a replacement to. He might talk like an adult at times, but he was still a child and he thought everything could be easily fixed.

*****

During dinner, Liam surprisingly joined them.

“What do you want to do tomorrow?” she asked her son as they ate his pasta. “It’s our last day.”

Willie looked at Liam and then his gaze went back to his mother. He appeared to be thinking for a few seconds before he shrugged and said, “Depends.”

Chanty sighed. There he went again.

He knew her son was up to something whenever he talked like that.

“You want to explore the woods?” Liam finally offered with his eyes on Willie.

Willie’s eyes suddenly lit up and he jumped on his chair with excitement. “Yes!”