Chapter 41

I’ve been avoiding my mother’s phone calls. But as I spend time with Derek and the girls a few days after seeing Melinda, I realize it won’t stick.

“Seems like someone has been attempting to reach you?” Derek questions as my phone lights up with the sixth call in the past twenty minutes.

“My lovely mother,” I tell him honestly, sending this call to voicemail, too.

“Any reason why you’ve been ignoring all her messages?”

“Just easier, I suppose.”

“She’s your mother, Evelyn.”

“And the sky is blue,” I retort.

He raises his left eyebrow. “And that means?”

“That we’re stating facts. Your turn,” I respond dryly.

He laughs quietly as the girls run through the kitchen area where we sit. “Come now, what if it’s important? You wouldn’t want to miss something like that.”

For some reason, I have a feeling this call isn’t going to be that vital of a call so much as painful.

Groaning, I roll my eyes. “You’re going to regret that,” I warn.

“Why do you say that?”

“A hunch,” I say back, just as my mother calls again.

I let one long sigh leave my body before putting on a fake smile and answering the phone. “Mom, hi.”

“What is this nonsense?!” She screeches, forcing me to pull the phone away from my ear. Not wanting to lose my hearing so young, I put her on speakerphone.

“Gonna need you to narrow that down just a tad,” I reply, looking back up at Derek.

“You’re getting a divorce?”

Holy shit, that’s what all of this has been about?

“Uh, yes?”

“No!”

“Why no?”

I know the answer to this. “Because it is a sin! Ending your marriage with Ryan will send you straight to hell!”

I roll my eyes again. Ah yes. Because a woman getting a divorce is like committing murder.

At least in Angie’s eyes.

“Mom, do you even know why we’re getting a divorce?” I feel impatient already.

“No. I don’t care what the reason is. You married your husband, you remain faithful to him, and you stay by his side for all the reasons you cite during your wedding!”

I put my thumb and middle finger against my forehead. “Even if he’s been a terrible, awful husband?”

She huffs into the receiver. “If something happened to you both, you work at forgiving one another.”

“Even if he gets another woman pregnant?”

“Esme! Don’t say such things!”

“Mom!” I grow louder, which Bea and Tris notice. “He already did that!”

She gasps. “I don’t believe you! Ryan would never!”

“Mom! He is divorcing me!”

I return my gaze to Derek as if to say, “So, ready to admit I was right?”

Instead, I groan in exasperation. “Ryan said we were over on our third anniversary. He got another woman pregnant—in fact, he got Melinda pregnant!”

“Your cousin?”

“Yes!”

“Well, you must have done something to warrant him committing such a sin.”

“What?!” Now it’s my turn to shout back.

“Honey, the Bible states you are to remain loyal to your husband! Why else would he seek out your cousin and commit the act of adultery?”

Is this really the conversation we’re having right now? She’s blaming me for this?

“Ryan quite literally blamed me for not giving him a child, not being a stay-at-home wife, making more money than he does, his unhappiness, his reason for cheating, the whole nine yards. You’re going to blame him and not even take my side?”

She tuts into the phone now. “I just can’t believe that. Not Ryan.”

I throw my arms in the air. “Yes! Ryan! He’s the one who is guilty of wrongdoing, mother!”

“Now don’t you raise your voice at me. I am your mother; you will show respect.”

“You don’t even believe that I tried to keep us together!” I can’t stop screaming now, though I feel bad for the girls to have to hear this.

I imagine this is what they may have grown used to with Derek and his ex—their mother.

“I can’t believe you right now!” I continue. “He got my cousin pregnant, and you’re telling me I’m the villain?”

“Esme! Watch your tone!”

“No! Why don’t you take my side?”

“Because the Bible—”

“I don’t give a shit what the Bible says!”

It's not good to use that word in front of Bea and Tris, but I don’t look at any of them to avoid judgment.

Derek must think I was raised in a looney bin at this rate. But I knew what I was getting myself into by ignoring Angie’s calls.

She’s delusional, and nothing I tell her will ever get these facts through her thick skull.

“You cannot divorce him!” She simply shouts again.

“You really believe—?”

Derek’s hand raises in front of me, and I stop talking instantly. Tilting my head to the side, I lower my brows trying to understand what he’s doing.

“What?” I mouth.

He shakes his head and holds out his hand. Is…is he asking for my phone?

He nods at the device, so I gesture for him to take it. That’s his funeral, not mine. She absolutely cannot be reasoned with.

“Hi there,” Derek starts gently.

“Who are you?” Angie demands.

“My name is Derek Anderson, I’m neighbors with your daughter.”

She snorts. “I don’t see why the neighbor of my daughter has anything to do with—”

“What is your name?”

She stops. “I’m sorry?”

“Your name?”

My mom is silent for a moment. Almost like she cannot believe anyone would challenge her authority. Guess she didn’t expect Derek.

“Angie.”

He smiles, confusing me. “Well, Angie. I’ve known your daughter for quite some time. In fact, I’ve watched Ryan treat her with disrespect and unpleasantness.”

No, he definitely has not.

“Suffice it to say, I believe that Esme is doing everything in her power to remain a good woman, even when her husband is no longer loyal to her.”

He’s so calm as he speaks to her. It’s his average tone but seemingly gentler almost like he’s been saving up his kind nature to speak with her.

“Now you see here young man—”

“I am sure that you are doing your best to be a good mother to Esme. The fact of the matter is, she tried to make her marriage work. I saw that. I also saw her be heartbroken over her own family stealing her husband.”

Have I said any of this to Derek in the past?

“I don’t—”

“You don’t have to believe me, Angie, but you should certainly believe your own daughter. She works tirelessly for a good life. You should want that for her, too.”

That’s when my jaw finally falls open at his words. Good lord, is this man trying to make me like him more than just a friend, or even as my boss?

“You should be lucky to have such a strong, talented and kind daughter, Angie.”

Never, and I mean never, have I heard my mom stay silent for this long. My mouth refuses to close, and I swear I see him subtly wink at me.

“Well, then.” She doesn’t sound like herself. It’s odd, but she clears her throat. “I must be going. But things will not be getting much better soon.”

“And I’m sure Esme will roll with each punch,” Derek concludes. “Have a lovely day, Angie.”

The call ends with a press of the button, and Derek sets my phone down on the table.

He makes eye contact with me again, and I stare at him, utterly bewildered.