The super-intelligent were weird.
But Deke didn’t need to know that. All he needed to know was that her life was fucking fabulous, and she had everything she’d ever dreamed of.
And he was still in the Army digging latrines or something. Whatever girlfriend he’d found might be pretty, but she wouldn’t be winning a Nobel anytime soon, and she definitely wouldn’t be able to afford her own condo.
She hated that she now considered money a way to rank the world, but he was the one who’d shoved her into it. He had to deal with the consequences.
But her mom didn’t. Her mom had merely wanted what was best for her.
“Did I say thank you for coming with me?” Her mom settled her purse over her shoulder. “I can’t get your father off the couch during football season. I tried to tell him that one of the men will have made sure there’s a TV with the game on, but he likes his comfort.”
Her father worked forty plus hours a week as a warehouse supervisor for one of the agricultural collectives in the area. He’d started at eighteen, working an entry-level position in the field, and made his way up the ladder.
He’d been so proud to send his daughter to an Ivy League school. Way happier that she had a full scholarship.
She often wondered what he would have said if she’d told him she wasn’t going because she was in love with a boy. She hadn’t gotten that far because once she’d told Deke what she wanted, he’d shut down all those plans.
“No problem. It’s been years since I’ve actually gone to one of these parties,” Maddie replied, butterflies starting to stir in her stomach. She didn’t want to think about why. She was merely excited that she got to show the boy who’d dumped her how okay she was without him.
The last party she’d gone to had been the one the town had for the graduating class. She’d been the valedictorian and the guest of honor. They’d served lemonade and lasagna roll-ups the women from the town had made.
Deke hadn’t even shown up.
Maybe he wouldn’t show up today either. Maybe he was at home watching the football game, too. The idea that he wasn’t in that building caused a spark of panic.
“Madeline Hill! It’s been an age.”
She turned and Angie Dennings was striding up the walk carrying a car seat in one hand and balancing a covered casserole dish in the other. She was dressed somewhat like Maddie’s mom in a skirt and breezy blouse, though there was no doubt she was younger. But it was also obvious both women were on the same road.
Husbands, babies, casseroles.
Her mom immediately went to the younger woman’s side. “Angela, you shouldn’t be carrying all that weight, honey. Let me help you.”
“Thank you so much, Mrs. Hill. Randy’s already in there. He helped with the setup, but this sucker needed another twenty minutes in the oven. Don’t burn your…” She’d started to hand her mom the casserole, but Mom picked the baby right out of her hands.
Then her mom only had eyes for the baby in the carrier who kicked fat little legs and made adorable sounds. “Come on, angel. Let’s get you inside. Your great grandma will be so happy to see you. Yes, she will. Yes, she will.”
Her mother started inside the rec center.
“Did your mother steal my baby?” Angie frowned at the closing doors.
“Oh, yes. I don’t know if the rumor has gone around, but Evelyn Hill wants to be a grandma, and her egghead daughter is married to her career, and by this time in her life she’d already had me and don’t I want that, too?” Her mom could be a handful, but she loved her. And she really liked Angie. After all, Angie’s last name had once been Murphy, and Maddie had forever been fascinated by the Murphy family. “You look amazing.”
Angie blushed. “For a woman who recently had a baby.”
“For a woman.” She would leave it at that. She walked over and hugged Deke’s sister. She’d been friendly with all the Murphy sisters, but Angie was particularly easy to like. She’d only been a year ahead of her and Deke in school. She and Deke had actually double dated a couple of times with Angie and the man who would eventually become her husband.
“She should have stolen these enchiladas because they are fabulous,” Angie said, stepping back and looking her over. “Speaking of fabulous. Holy crap. What happened to the cute little nerd girl? You look like you could be a Hollywood star.”
That was what she was going for. Sure it was mostly makeup and a whole lot of shapewear, but she was going for glam. “This old thing? Well, I’m actually here because I had a conference in San Francisco, and I thought I should drop in for a couple of days since it’s not too far out of the way. When Mom mentioned the party for your grandma, I realized this was all I had to wear. Besides boring business suits. How’s everything in your world?”