Many Chance Summer

Secrets and Confessions

Caressa and I are heading over to Paige's parent's beach house. We're meeting Carolyn and Anya there, too. Kendra claims she's sick and Six claims he stayed up way too late and would rather stay at the motel. Okay, whatever. I know they want some alone time. I just wonder when they'll make their relationship public. Erick went to some person's house. He's always meeting new people and flirting.

"Hello, Mrs. Pinatore!" I smile and greet Paige's mom when she opens the side door. She's a petite woman with beautiful, short blonde hair that seems to have been curled. She has thin, pink lips, and round blue eyes. She looks like the perfect, white American Mother.

She gasps.

"You must be Janaeya." Her face lights up and her whole demeanor becomes lighter, less heavy. When I nod, she hurries us into the house and quickly closes it behind us. "Oh, my goodness. You're the girl Paige has been talking so much about!"

    Paige comes up behind her and gives her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Come on, mom." Paige says through clenched teeth. "I thought we agreed not to say things like that!"

     "Are you kidding me, Paige?" Mrs. Pingatore gaps at her daughter. "It took a girl you met at the store for you to tell me that Taylor was assaulting you. Your father and I knew for some time, well, we suspected, but you never really confided in us until her." She looks at me, beaming from ear to ear. "If it weren't for you, my daughter could have died. I don't know what she sees in you!"

     Paige, Anya, Carolyn, Caressa, and I gape at her.

     "Oh, no, ladies! I didn't mean it like that!" We walk further into the house, laughing and having a good time.

     "I want all of y'all to feel at home. Please, there's some junk in the fridge. We just bought, like, gallons of Chick-fil-a sauce the other day. They sell those, you know?" She smiles at us, opening her arms while scanning the fridge. "There are chips-all kinds-and drinks that are bad for you." She rolls her eyes. "What kind of parent am I?"

     "The best, mommy. But, uh...you're talking too much again." Paige chuckles lightly while shooing her mom away. They seem so comfortable with each other.

    I wonder what mom is doing right now...

"Alright, alright." She surrenders, closing the fridge. "Help yourselves. If you're going anywhere, let me know. And don't make too much noise up there. My old ears can't take as much as they used to be able to."

She begins to leave, giving us her blessings to a fun share, but she stops and turns around.

"You know what? I'll make you all tuna fish sandwiches-"

"Mom, it's 10 in the morning!" Paige slaps a hand over her forehead.

"Alright, okay." She giggles. "But you'll regret it!" She sings.

On her way out of the kitchen, she squeezes my shoulder and looks at me with really grateful eyes.

"I thank God for you every day," she whispers to me.

I smile back, so humbled.

"I thank God every day that she's okay."