His Other Wife (8 page)

“We’ll talk this through,” Hilary said, finding her composure. “It’s fair for you to give him a good vehicle, something practical
he can use while he’s away. It was also fair for us to discuss this first.”

Pam joined her husband. She kneaded the muscles in his shoulders as if preparing him for a knockout in the twenty-first round.
“I’ll tell you what isn’t fair, Hilary. It isn’t fair for you to turn your son against his own father.”

“If you had talked to me first it would have been different,” Hilary stated, her voice steady in spite of Pam’s charge. What
an absurd accusation! “Seth wouldn’t have seen my shock. I wouldn’t have stolen his joy at your gift.” Then, “I’m doing the
best that I can, Pam. You have to realize that.”

But Eric’s wife wouldn’t be convinced. Pam shook her head with her chin raised in censure, disapproval oozing from every pore.

A
s she prepared for the family meal, Hilary aligned plates along the table with military precision,
plink, plink, plink
. She set silverware alongside each napkin with the same attention as she would have laid out sterile surgical instruments.
The growl of the ice maker spitting ice into glasses suited her mood. She balanced a head of lettuce on the board beside the
sink and severed it in one slice. Anything to keep her mind off Pam’s finger-pointing. Anything to keep from taking offense
at the woman who had come into Hilary’s life and seemed intent on disgracing her.

The sun, still bright in the kitchen, was giving Hilary a headache. George and Ruth came through the door, George carrying
a Tupperware carrier with a three-layer chocolate cake. “Oh, that cake looks
wonderful
,” Alva said. “Ruth. You’ve outdone yourself. That’ll go great with my homemade ice cream.”

Alva had been working on the ice cream ever since they’d left the school grounds after graduation. To Ruth, she listed the
entire roster of ingredients she’d used, starting with the eggs and not stopping until she reached the vanilla. Hilary knew
that was how her mother dealt with stress. When Alva felt people were tense around her, she talked a mile a minute to fill
in the spaces. And as Hilary loaded food on the table, there were plenty of spaces. The air in the room felt as explosive
as lightning.

“Mom. Come sit down.” Hilary set a pitcher of ice water beside Alva’s chair. She stood on tiptoe as if that would make her
voice louder. “Seth? Where’s Seth? Are the boys outside? We’re ready to eat.”

Looking grim, Eric escorted Pam to the table, his hand touching the small of Pam’s back. Lily came out of the bathroom with
wet hands. “Honey. Use the towel,” Pam said.

George spoke a brief prayer and they unfolded their napkins, smoothed them in their laps. Serving dishes passed, chicken and
wait-a-day salad and bean casserole, as the silence swelled. Alva babbled on about a neighbor who had thought she’d let her
dog inside only to turn around and find that she’d opened her door and let in a stray goat. At the end, realizing that no
one was going to pick up the conversational slack, Alva let the story fizzle.

After that there was nothing but the sound of silverware against the plates. Hilary glanced around the table and just happened
to catch the look passing between Pam and Eric. Eric began by clearing his throat. “Son,” he said. “We’d hoped you could clear
your schedule for us. We’d like to spend a little more time with you tonight.”

Hilary’s breath caught in her throat. She almost blurted it out:
Oh, he’s not doing that. He’s got big plans.
But she bit back the words. That was the worst thing she could do right now, make it sound like she was trying to interfere.

Seth looked her way for help. Hilary shook her head.
You’re on your own with this one.
There wasn’t anything she could do.

“Dad. I’ve got —”

“We were thinking we might ride the L downtown. Show the kids where you and I used to fly kites by the lakeshore. Have a walk
and see the sights.” Then, after a slight hesitation, “Hilary, Alva, we want you to come with us, too.” Although it was obvious
they didn’t really.

“We’re eating,” Hilary said, trying to warn Eric off. “Can we discuss this after?”

“Well,” he said. “Pam and I thought we might talk about it now. While we’re all together.”

Pam said, “He’s a part of our family, too, Hilary.”

If the atmosphere had been unsettled at the table before, now it became downright stony. Seth said, “I’ve got plans tonight,
Dad. I can’t come with you.”

“Can’t we just all eat?” Alva pleaded. “We have this lovely meal. We ought to enjoy it. And for the dessert there’s the ice
cream, the chocolate cake. You should see the chocolate cake your mother baked, Eric, three layers. I’ll bet she made those
cakes for your birthday parties.”

Ruth jumped in: “He asked for one every year.”

“Eric,” Hilary said. “You mustn’t take this personally. Pam, it’s not that he doesn’t want to spend
time
with you.”

Eric went straight for his son: “You’re leaving tonight, Seth?”

Pam narrowed her eyes as if this were unthinkable. “I’ve never seen anyone so possessive of a child.” She skewered Hilary
with her gaze.

The words drove like a fist into Hilary’s throat. “I haven’t done —” But she made herself stop. Oh, how she ached to argue!
But what good would it do?
I’d only make it worse, Lord.
Hilary refused to add fuel to the fire. She refused to let Pam bring her down to this level!

“I’d planned to be home for this family meal,” Seth said. “But after that I’ll head out.”

Eric frowned. “You’ll
head out
?”

“You know what they say,” Seth joked, something Hilary knew he’d always done when he was trying to lighten the mood between
everybody. “You know. Make like a baby.”

“What?”

“Make like a baby and
head out
. You know. Make like a tree and
leave
.” Eric was still glaring at Seth, so he clarified. “I’m not spending the night at home, Dad. It’s graduation night. A bunch
of us are going camping.”

On the road trip they’d taken to Yellowstone once, they’d piled out of the car at McDonald’s and not until they’d consumed
their share of Big Macs and given themselves brain freeze passing around one enormous chocolate shake did they realize they’d
locked the keys in the car. Eric had gotten a clothes hanger from the restaurant and had whittled away at the door’s rubber
stripping while Hilary had blamed him for their delay and Seth had danced around the car bumper telling every knock-knock
joke he could muster.
Knock knock. Who’s there? Dwayne. Dwayne who? Dwayne the bathtub; I’m dwowning.

Hilary had gotten so frustrated at all those jokes that she’d almost given Seth a time-out because he wouldn’t be quiet. Only
later did she figure out that he’d been working as hard as any stage comedian to make them laugh. He’d been trying to make
them feel better.

Eric set his water glass on the table. “Your mother gave you permission to go on an overnight camping trip the night after
graduation? You have no idea what could happen at a teen party like that.”

“Things won’t get out of hand, Dad. I already promised Mom.”

Ben had been stirring his beans in figure eights. It amazed Hilary that Pamela hadn’t corrected him. The little boy stopped
now, gazed at Seth like he had just been told Christmas had been canceled. Ben said, “You won’t come with us?”

Seth spoke slowly, trying to make everyone understand. Maybe he could say no to his father, but Hilary knew that Seth’s heart
must feel knotted, refusing that little boy. “This is my class. The friends I’ve had since I was Ben’s age. We may never see
each other again after tonight. This is our graduation day.”

Ben stared at his plate. Lily, such a girl, climbed down from her chair and went to pat her brother on the shoulder.

Hilary’s heart suddenly felt as protective of her child as it had when he’d been six and dancing around saying things like:
Why does the teddy bear cracker wear long trousers? Because he’s got crummy legs
. She rose to his defense by outlining plans for the night the same way those boys had casually divulged plans to her. She
used only the words with a positive connotation. Words like “a tradition,” “the seniors do it every year,” “they’re old enough
to be responsible.”

“But it’s camping?” Eric asked Seth. “Without any chaperones? Your mother really gave you permission to do this?” And Hilary
was thinking, after the truck incident, that she shouldn’t be surprised that suddenly Eric and Pam were blaming her.

“I don’t mean to be disrespectful, Dad,” Seth said, squaring his shoulders. And Hilary knew he could have said more, too:
If you’d wanted to spend time with me, you could have done it when I was thirteen
.

“Well, what do you call it?” Pam asked. “We’ve come all this way to see you.” Pam swept Lily into her arms and sat the little
girl in her chair. “Stay in your seat, you doodlebug.”

“Couldn’t we do something tomorrow?” Seth asked, glancing in his mother’s direction for help.

“A whole group of seventeen- and eighteen-year-olds unsupervised?” Pam made it sound awful, like Hilary was an absolute idiot,
like Pam was ticking off items on a list to prove Hilary an unfit mother. “I would never agree to a thing like that.”

But your oldest is in grade school
, Hilary wanted to say.
Give yourself time. You’ll see how things change.

Hilary reached for George’s plate, stacked it on top of her own. She reached for Ruth’s plate, her mother’s, and Eric’s. Others
began to stack forks and knives on top. As Hilary headed toward the sink with the wobbling stack of dishes and utensils, Alva
rose to help her. Ruth went to dig around to find a cake knife.

Thank goodness this was almost over! Hilary couldn’t survive much more. She felt suddenly afraid, as Pam made her second-guess
herself. Pam’s objections were all the same that Hilary had listed to the boys just days ago.
We’ve talked about it
, she told herself.
They’ve promised they’ll make good choices. They know they need to take care of everybody
. But at this point Pam made her feel like such an utter fool, she felt so
attacked. Was I wrong? Should I have agreed to it?

If ever Hilary had reasons for giving Seth permission to go to this party, she certainly didn’t remember them now. “Don’t
you know what happens at parties like this?” Pam asked as Hilary came back from the kitchen with dessert plates. “I’ve read
about them on the Internet.”

“They’re a great group of kids,” Hilary said flatly. “Seth has my permission and that’s all he needs.” But should he go? Had
she gone against her better judgment? Or did she feel this adamant about the party now because it was a reason Seth couldn’t
go with
them
? She reached toward her ex-husband. “Help me. It’s supposed to be a special day. Please don’t let this escalate.
Please.
For my sake.” Then, “I trust him, Eric. He isn’t going to get into trouble.”

Seth stuffed belongings into the duffel bag on the table. In went his headlamp and a pillow. In went his bug spray and a warm
jacket while, outside, the solo sound of Ben’s dribbling basketball sounded a reproach. In went a T-shirt and a swimsuit while
Lily laid her chin on the table and stared at Seth’s bag. From outside came the faint whir of someone mowing a lawn down the
street. Ice cubes dropped in the refrigerator with a dull clatter.

“You go on and have a good time, Seth.” Hilary handed him a pair of boxer briefs. “It isn’t your fault that it worked out
this way.”
They should have talked to you before they got the kids’ expectations up.
She hoped her eyes spoke volumes to her son.
Don’t let them lay this guilt trip on you.

Seth slung the duffel bag over his shoulder and stuffed the clean underwear where it wouldn’t be seen in a side pocket. “Thanks,
Mom, but I’m a boy.” He kissed her cheek. “I’m not going to need those.”

“And I’m a mom.” Her heart flooded with happiness. Maybe things hadn’t changed all that much. “So I have to make sure you
have them.”

“I meant what I said about doing something with them tomorrow.”

“Which means you better get some sleep tonight.”

“Not much chance of that.”

She caught Seth staring at the truck keys where Eric had dropped them on the counter. “You could drive it, you know. It would
be okay with me.”

“I meant what I said to Dad.” Seth shouldered the bag higher. “I don’t want the truck.”

“Are you sure? Really? Seth, I know what you’re doing. And there isn’t any need to punish yourself —”

He interrupted her, brushed off the subject. “Emily asked Laura to pick us up. We thought it would be better to go together.
We don’t want too many cars up there. It would make the police suspicious, you know?”

“Look,” she said, the small fear needling her again. “You’re a legal adult, responsible for yourself and, unfortunately, responsible
for others. When you mention that word ‘police,’ it makes me worry about underage drinking, drug use, disturbing the peace.”