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Her silver highlighted hair is shoulder-length and wavy, styled but not overdone like my mom used to wear. The woman is beautiful, with her high cheekbones and Corm’s eyes. She’s wearing a pant suit that is chic but casual.

“Livia will make us tea,” I say when she doesn’t speak.

“That’s lovely. Thank you. I know we don’t know each other, but could I ask you to keep my visit between us?”

And the plot thickens. Can I trust this woman?

Livia appears with a tray and sets it between us. Along with a teapot and two cups, there is a selection of mini-cakes, scones, and clotted cream. What the fuck? How did she…? When?

Livia pours us both a cup. “If you need anything else, you know where to find me.”

“Oh, Livia, you’re wonderful. All my favorites.” Dorothy smiles and Livia shuffles away, beaming.

“I wanted to meet you. I’m so glad Corm has you in his life. I was hoping to meet you before the wedding.” She takes her cup. “But I guess the two of you couldn’t wait anymore.”

“Well…” I don’t know what to do here. But I guess this is one of those moments where Corm wants me to deliver on my side of the bargain.

“I was a bit hurt hearing about the elopement,” she continues. “But Corm has been very impulsive lately, so I shouldn’t be surprised. I’ve been so worried about him.” She takes a small plate and sloshes a scone with a thick layer of cream.

My mother would rather die than be caught eating with such abandon.

“Worried?” I avoid her eyes, busying myself with my plate. If she’s assuming I know about her quarrel with Corm, I need to tread carefully.

“He always looked up to his father.” She sighs and takes a huge bite.

Such a hungry move from such an elegant creature is shocking, and kind of human. In fact, very human. Something tells me this woman lives unapologetically.

“He took his death hard,” I parrot the narrative, not that Corm confided in me.

She sighs. “Yes, we all did. And Corm is grappling with the letter his father left him. I was worried when he went off on a bender, but now he has you.”

She talks and eats. Is it her way to deal with stress? She looks so composed.

And what letter?

“Perhaps focusing on his future family, becoming a father himself—sorry I don’t mean to assume... just the elopement. Anyway, I’m sure you, this, will give him better focus.”

“I’m not pregnant.”

She pauses and looks at me, wiping crumbs from the corner of her mouth. “Oh.”

I can’t help but feel bad about disappointing her, which makes no sense. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, silly me,Iam sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed. It’s just, I miss him so much. And he says he’s not angry with me, but I know he is. He’s been avoiding me since he read that stupid letter. I don’t know what Connor was thinking.”

What is she telling me? I sip my tea, hoping she’ll continue.

“You know, Corm grew up not knowing, and what good did it do for him to find out now? It feels like Connor forgave me but needed to punish me again after all those years. And the way Corm deals with it is not healthy. He hates Connor and me now. Oh, Saar, I’m so glad he has you. When I read your engagement announcement where he openly admitted he’s been struggling with Connor’s death… I was so relieved.”

I smile at her, trying to understand what the hell she is saying. And also feeling like shit for deceiving her. I didn’t draft the engagement announcement, or the post about the elopement, but I’m playing a role in Corm’s PR story, and she believes the lie.

She is even happy about the lie. Many times in my life have I felt like a fake. But this moment right here feels real. I might have been selling a pretense in front of the cameras, but this up-close and personal?

My stomach drops, and I put the plate down.

“He’s a complicated man,” I say, in the absence of anything real or substantial to say.

“Men just seem that way because most of them don’t know what they want. Corm has been hiding it well, but he’s been lonely, and I guess that gap in his heart grew bigger after Connor passed. Is he looking for his real father?”