Page 101 of Something Like Forever

“Mom!” Ben said. “You saidyou wanted my help!”

“Youarehelping me,” June saidinnocently. “Do you think we should reboot?”

Ben looked around theoffice in exasperation. Why didn’t they stash booze up here? Orchloroform, so he could dab some on a cloth and use it to stop hismother before she did any more damage. “Can I take over? Please?It’s my machine.”

“There’s no need to besnippy,” his mother said, rolling away from the desk.

Ben hunched over thelaptop, closing everything before making sure his mother’s phonewas connected. That was the irony. She did just fine on her phone,surfing the web, posting on social media, and contacting him viatexts and video conferencing. But place her in front of a computerand the madness began.

“I just need you to getthe photos off my phone,” she said for the fourth or fifth time. “Ican’t believe I didn’t think of it sooner. If I can’t take photosduring the wedding—”

“They’redownloading now,” Ben said, turning around and shielding his laptopprotectively by standing in front of it. “Fiveminutes.”

“Thankyou, darling!” His mother beamed at him. “I bet you’re just dyingof excitement!”

“Becauseof the wedding?” Ben grinned. “Yeah. It’s silly, because they’realready together. Technically this isn’t going to change theirlives. They’ll still live at the same place and work the same jobs.I know their routines aren’t going to change, but them beingmarried… I’ll worry less.”

“I knowexactly what you mean,” June said pointedly.

Ben covered his face. “Notthis again!”

“When are you finallygoing to get married?”

Ben dropped his hands.“Wearemarried.”

His mother pursed herlips. “Yes, but not really.”

“Youwere at the wedding!”

The facts were ignored.“Does Tim not want to?”

“He does,” Ben said inexasperation. “There’s just no point. We’re married. Today issupposed to be Jason’s big day. Can we focus on that?”

June nodded and was quiet.He was just starting to relax when she decided to changetopics.

“When are you going togive me grandbabies?”

“If you even suggest thatJason isn’t—”

“He’s mygrandson!” June said, head held high. “I love Jason. But there’snothing like a newborn baby. Jason might enjoy having a littlebrother or sister. Have you asked him?”

“Hasanyone asked me what I want?” Ben grumbled, turning around to checkthe status bar.

“I’vejust about given up on you and your sister,” his mother complained.“Neither one of you is married—”

“Karenwas. And I am!”

“—andI’m always the only one in my book club without baby photos to showoff. Your old ones just aren’t getting the attention they usedto.”

Ben shook his head andlaughed. “I’ll have Allison give you a bunch of photos of Davis.You can tell your friends that he’s your grandchild.”

“CanAllison have more babies? If so, you and shecould—”

Ben spun around.“Mom!”

June shrugged. “It wasjust an idea. I have a better one. What if Karen had Tim’sbaby?”

Ben stared, aghast. “Iwant that image wiped from my mind. Forever.”