Page 129 of Fly with Me

“You know, I would think after everything with Jacob you would have learned the lesson of being more wary of online coverage.”

“What?”

“Just surprised about all you’re doing with that new girlfriend.”

“What do you mean?” Olive’s gut twisted.

“You were in a magazine, Olive, I’m really not that out of touch.” Her mom wrinkled her nose. “Still, it can be hard for people like you.”

“Queer people?” Olive stepped too hard on the trash can pedal and the lid slammed into the wall behind it as she tossed the sandwich wrapper inside it.

“Your father and I have always supported your relationships. Jacob’s too.” The edge of defensiveness in her voice belied her point. “I’m not being homophobic.”

“Right.” Technically that was all correct, but it had never felt easy to talk to her mom about dating a woman.

“The people on social media were cruel to Jacob. It didn’t matter he saved a child’s life. They went into his past and ripped him apart. Watching it happen. Reading what all those evil people said…” Her mother stroked Jake’s thin arm. Her mother looked thinner too. Her fingers so much slimmer than they used to be.

“I know.”

“I’m still rather surprised you seem to be embracing your five minutes of fame as much as you are.”

“It’s complicat—”

“It always is.”

It was strange to have a conversation with someone who blatantly refused to look at you.

Olive shifted her weight, leaning back into the wall. “Why do you do this, Mom? Can’t we have a normal conversation? It doesn’t have to be like this. It didn’t used to be like this.”

“I think you know the answer to that.” She paused, chewing on her lower lip. “I am trying to forgive you.”

“Forgive me?”

“Yes.”

Olive looked up at the ceiling. “Well, I won’t hold my breath. Merry Christmas, Mom.”

Her mother didn’t deign to respond, and Olive walked out. The hallway was crowded. Nurses and orderlies and other random staff wheeling carts. She had to stop for a moment. Olive braced her fist on the wall, wishing she could punch through it if that would take away everything she was feeling. She gripped a railing that was obviously for the residents and not for family members having a quiet nervous breakdown.

Her own mother thought the worst of her.

It wasn’t new, but sitting in the same room with her made the sense of injustice blister worse.

After several deep breaths and waving off multiple staff members, she made it out of the building and into the December cold. The bitter wind felt almost refreshing on her burning cheeks as she trudged back to her car.

Her phone began vibrating. Now that she had service again, a barrage of missed messages were coming though. Service was always spotty at his facility. She wanted to call Stella.

Stella had been right there beside Olive as she fielded calls from her mother’s lawyer about payments to Jake’s facility and threats about making sure everything was done to keep him alive since that family meeting. Stella cheered her up. Stella made her feel less hopeless in general. Despite what she had said about never being attentive in a relationship, Stella was the best girlfriend Olive had ever had, except for the whole it-was-all-actually-fake thing.

STELLA

I hate to ask, but is there any way you can stop by to check on my dad?

Olive couldn’t help but be pleased that someone thought she was reliable and a good enough person to be trusted with a loved one.

OLIVE

Of course. What’s wrong?