As Cameron told them about his family, Allyson reminded herself, Stay in the moment.
With a broad smile, Ray said, “You’re telling me! You know I went to school with your father. He used to sell me Peyote.”
“Dad!” Allyson said, mortified.
“It’s true,” Ray said. “I learned a lot about myself from tripping with Lonnie.”
“Didn’t say you were lying,” Allyson continued, keeping her voice especially low compared to her father’s outburst. “Just—embarrassing.”
“Your father has no filter,” Karen said.
“What?” Ray said, feigning innocence.
“Come on, Ray,” Karen said, chuckling, “that’s like a massive over-share for our new friend.” She turned her attention to Allyson and Cameron sitting together on the opposite side of the table. “Do you two have any special Halloween plans?”
Allyson shot Cameron a look.
“I hear there’s a teen activity at school,” Karen said, teasing. “What is it, a costume party or something?”
Karen and Ray smiled knowingly.
Cameron deferred to Allyson, who rolled her eyes at their lack of subtlety. “Obviously, you guys know about the costume dance,” she said. “But how?”
Karen shrugged. “Moms talk too.”
“What are you dressing up as?” Ray asked them.
Cameron looked to Allyson. “Should I tell him?”
“Sure.”
“Bonnie and Clyde,” Cameron said.
Ray clapped his hands together, pleased. “Classic!”
“That’ll be cute,” Karen said. “That’s fun!”
Enzo, their server, swung by the table to top up water glasses, creating a lull in the conversation. Everyone smiled, faces aglow in candlelight, Ray and Karen sipping from wine glasses. It was a companionable silence. Finally, Allyson could hold it in no longer. She had to know. “Mom, have you heard from Grandmother?”
“No,” Karen said. “I haven’t—not recently.”
“She said she would join us,” Allyson said. “She came to my school. We had a nice talk.”
“I don’t know, Allyson,” Karen said. “Maybe something came up.”
The look that flashed across her mother’s face told Allyson that her mom knew she’d been caught in a lie earlier, but she projected sincerity this time, as if to make up for the earlier deception.
“So, you didn’t get into an argument or try to scare her off?”
With a definitive shake of her head, Karen said, “Nothing of the sort.”
“Hand to God?” Allyson asked, teasing.
“With a fist bump,” Karen replied.
“Cross your heart?”
“Hope to fry!”
“Pinky swear?”
“With a round of hand jive.”
“I have the old polygraph in the trunk of the car,” Ray said. “I could wheel it in—if Mrs Bellini doesn’t mind.”
“Dad!”
Cameron leaned toward Allyson, back of his hand covering his mouth. “Your dad keeps a lie det—?”
“He’s joking.”
“What?” Ray said with a shrug. “I can’t play?”
“Okay,” Allyson said to her mom.
“Okay?” Karen asked. “So, we’re good?”
“One question,” Allyson said with a nod. “Where is she then?”
Karen’s mouth opened—
And Allyson heard her grandmother’s voice as she approached their table: “Jesus,” she said, a little breathless and twitchy, sniffling. “There you guys are. Where were you?”
Karen swiveled around to look at her mother, concerned but also a bit exasperated. “Mom?”
Laurie ignored her for the moment and addressed Allyson. “I went to the high school. Couldn’t find you guys. But either way… I’m here.”
Glancing at Karen with what might have been a silent plea for forgiveness, she turned her attention to Cameron. “And you must be the new heartthrob. What’s your name?”
“Cam—” Caught off guard by the sudden attention, Cameron started over. “Cameron Elam. Nice to meet you.”
Laurie extended her hand.
Cameron rose a bit from his seat to accept and shake it.
“He’s got a firm handshake,” Laurie said, nodding her approval. “Not wet and clammy like Ray’s.”
Rolling his eyes, Ray said, “Wonderful to see you, Laurie. We’re getting to know Cameron here and we’re having a nice little celebration in honor of Ally—”
Allyson’s peaceful state of mind began to exhibit a few cracks. She hadn’t expected rainbows and unicorns when—if—her grandmother showed up, but she’d hoped everyone could remain civil for one night.
“We’ve all got something to celebrate tonight, don’t we?” Laurie said, circling the table to place her hand on Karen’s shoulder. “How was the ceremony?”
“It was very nice,” Karen replied. “Want to have a seat, Mom?”
“I’m good.”
Laurie dipped her finger into Karen’s wine and tasted it.
Taken aback, Karen whispered to her mother, softly enough she hoped Allyson and Cameron couldn’t hear, “What are you on? You promised you weren’t drinking anymore.”
The comment wasn’t soft enough to escape Allyson’s ears, but her senses were attuned to the prospect of tension between her mother and grandmother. For his part, Cameron acted as if he hadn’t heard, but she couldn’t be sure. Maybe he’s just being polite.
“I’m not,” Laurie said, with no attempt at discretion and seemingly unaware that her behavior indicated otherwise.
Allyson thought of the expression “liquid courage” and wondered if her grandmother had decided she needed a drink or two to get through a social situation with her own daughter.
“But I think I should,” Laurie continued defensively. She sat in the chair between the two women and faced Allyson. “This is a celebration, right?”
Karen turned to Ray, maintaining her low tone. “And she wonders why we don’t reach out.”
But you’re both making it worse, Allyson thought.
Laurie reached across the table and picked up Ray’s glass to sample his wine. After she moved the glass away from her mouth, Laurie noticed the disapproving stares from everyone at the table, including Allyson herself. Allyson wanted to scream at her grandmother, Why are you doing this to yourself—to us? You’re going to ruin everything!
“I’m used to it,” Laurie said, her voice rising. “I’m a bad mom when I don’t show up, and a bad mom when I do. You don’t know who I am.” She shook her head and her voice continued to rise. Abruptly, she stood again. “I don’t know who the fuck I am.”
Now the stares came from Bellini patrons at nearby tables.
“Stop it,” Karen said firmly, palms planted on the table. “Reset. Let’s start over.”
“Yes, I agree,” Laurie said. “I want a soda water with a lime. I mean, if I look the part… Right?” Turning away from the table, she called out to the server—any server—in a loud, commanding tone. “Hello? Waiter?” When no immediate response was forthcoming, she sighed to indicate her vast disappointment in Bellini’s staff. “Does anybody work here?”
“Stop it,” Karen said again, frustrated to the point of gritting her teeth to keep her own voice level. Her forced smile bordered on terrifying. “There’s water right here.”
“I said, ‘a lime’!” Laurie exclaimed, as if that slight misunderstanding demonstrated in microcosm the entirety of their troubled relationship.