Queen Move

“Yup.” Aiko shoots me a grateful look. “Sure did. I wanted this to be the best birthday ever even though I’m not there.”

“And four of the guys from school are sleeping over,” Noah rolls on. “Dad says he’ll make stuffed French toast for breakfast.” He looks at me like I may have forgotten.

“Sure.” I nod. “Tomorrow’s breakfast will be lit.”

“Dad,” Noah groans, obviously embarrassed by my hipness. “Don’t say lit, okay?”

“Got it.”

My phone buzzes on the kitchen counter by the laptop. It’s my mother calling through FaceTime.

“Bubbe!” Noah squeaks. He glances at Aiko uncertainly.

“Oh, baby, answer,” Aiko tells him. “I’ve kept you long enough. Go talk to your grandmother. I love you.”

“Love you, Mom. See you when you get back.” He grabs my phone. “Dad, can I take it outside to show her my trampoline?”

“Sure, but bring it back to me before you hang up,” I tell him. “I need to talk to her about you flying up there for camp.”

He runs off and out the door to the backyard.

“I should be there,” Aiko says despairingly. “I’m missing his birthday, and he’s going off to camp for weeks. What if he—”

“You’re exactly where you should be,” I interrupt before she can spiral. “And you’re an incredible mom. You’ve sacrificed a lot for him, for me, for this family. Delayed things in your career, put off some of your dreams. This trip is just for you, and you deserve it. He’ll have a great birthday today and see you when you get back.”

“You sure?”

“Am I sure that he won’t be emotionally scarred because you missed this one birthday party? Yes. Besides, the trampoline and the sleepover cover many transgressions.”

“You always know what I need to hear.”

“You have nothing to feel guilty about.”

“Oh, God, but I do.” Affection and torment and tears flood her eyes. “I slept with Chaz.”

I allow her words to sink in, waiting to see if I’m angry or hurt or jealous, but I’m not. “You didn’t do anything wrong,” I tell her, glancing out to the backyard to make sure Noah is still there. “We’re not together anymore.”

“I know.” Fresh tears fall over her cheeks. “He wasn’t you, Ezra, and I haven’t been with anyone else for ten years. I felt like I was cheating on you.”

“You’re not, and if you’re worried about my feelings, I’m fine.”

She hesitates and then releases her next words in a rush. “I know you said before there wasn’t any one in particular you were attracted to,” she says, barreling ahead before I can amend that statement. “But I want you to promise me something.”

“What?” I ask warily.

“When you…” She swallows and closes her eyes. “If you sleep with someone else, I want you to tell me.”

I’m already shaking my head. “Ko, you know how you get. You’ve got a jealous streak a mile wide. How would that even be helpful or healthy?”

“I’m not that bad.”

“Jill Schaffer.”

“That bitch,” Aiko spits. “She was after you from the moment we met her at parent-teacher conference.”

“No, she was just being friendly. You thought she was after me, and made that poor woman’s school year a nightmare.”

“She should not be teaching children if she’s going to lust after their fathers.”