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Putting my exchange with Echo on hold, I called my mom.

“Hey, how’s my girl?” she said. “I was hoping you were going to call me this week so I could get all the details of the competition. Your father and I even paid for some app so we could watch it. Took forever to figure out, but then there you were!” I loved that she and Dad had done that.

“Some of those teams were amazing, I couldn’t believe those were high school kids. We ended up watching the whole thing for days. Your father was exhausted afterward,” she said.

“How are his fruit trees?”

“Somehow not dead? Don’t tell him I said that.”

I laughed and changed topic. “Listen, I have something to tell you.”

“I’m guessing from the tone of your voice this is a good something?”

“I hope so,” I said. “You remember Echo Rosenthal? The girl I was friends with at camp?” My mom didn’t know the extent of our “friendship” and she never would.

“You mean the girl you were completely infatuated with? Sure.”

“I wasn’t infatuated with her, Mom.” I put my feet up on my desk, leaning back in my chair.

“Oh yes you were, don’t lie to me. What about her? Do you have something to tell me, Kiri? I had the feeling you had something cooking. A mother always knows.” Well, at least mine did. She basically knew all my news before I told her.

“We’re seeing each other, officially. She’s my girlfriend and it’s new and I don’t need any input, thanks,” I said. My mom was going to give me her opinion anyway, but at least I could try.

“Fine, fine,” she said, acting all huffy. “But I would like to know about her. You know your father wants to come up for a visit while you’re off this summer.” This was news to me, but very welcome news.

“That would be great, when were you planning? I have that trip with the girls, but other than that I’m pretty wide open.” My house had a guest room, so they wouldn’t even need to get a hotel.

“Probably early August, but I’ll get you a firm date when I can check flights. Now I have even more reason to come and see you. I want to meet your girl.” I didn’t think of Echo as my girl, but hearing my mom refer to her that way put a smile on my face.

I’d have to tell her and Dad about Echo’s parents, and reassure her that they were completely supportive.

“I’ll have to check with her if she’s okay with that. If we’re still together.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that. I can hear it in your voice.”

“Mom, stop it.”

She teased me some more and then Dad came on to talk about his trees and I had to do the whole thing over again and tell him all about Echo.

“Do you want to know her blood type, because I’m not actually sure what it is. I’d have to check on that,” I said.

He chuckled. “I’m just your curious dad. I like to know about the important people in your life, especially the most important. She sounds great, Kiri.”

“She is great.”

I didn’t hear any other gossip about me and Echo, but I heard whispers when my cheerleaders and their parents arrived at the gym and saw me setting up for the final banquet. I’d been here for hours, and I was ready to eat one of the tables.

It was another potluck, and I had given specific instructions that I hoped would be followed this time. We didn’t need forty sad trays of lukewarm, unseasoned macaroni and cheese.

I’d made a chopped salad for some variety, and as people started arriving, I could sense they wanted to ask me about the rumors, but were too polite. Well, not everyone was too polite. Denise came in and plopped her tray right down, peeling off the tinfoil and revealing . . . a lukewarm, unseasoned macaroni and cheese. I didn’t need to taste it to know. This time she’d covered the top with Goldfish crackers in the shape of a heart, for some reason. I tried not to visibly shudder. I would be avoiding that shit.

“Hey, Coach, how’s it going?” Denise asked, her beady eyes gleaming. I’d never seen someone with so much repressed glee before. Seriously, this woman needed to find a new hobby. Weren’t kids supposed to be exhausting? When did she have the time?

“It’s going great, thank you so much for bringing . . . that.” I gestured to the pan.

“Oh, it’s everyone’s favorite. If I didn’t bring it, there would be riots.” She laughed and I laughed and I wondered if she was full of shit or completely delusional, or both.

Denise leaned closer and spoke in a loud whisper that anyone who was nearby could pick out. “I saw you and the Heartwood coach at Miguel’s the other night. Was that a business dinner or . . .” she trailed off and let out a little laugh.