He shakes his head. “My brother’s the dick in this scenario, not you.” He pauses. “Well, I suppose you’re kind of a dick, as well. But not to me.”
“I don’t understand,” I tell him.
He smirks. “Why did you sleep with him, Christine?” he says, asking the question I’ve been dreading.
I look down at the table. “I don’t know.”
Matthew laughs at that. I don’t know what I was expecting him to do but it certainly wasn’t that.
“What did I say that was so funny?” I ask, looking up at him.
He shrugs. “Don’t worry about it,” he replies vaguely before turning serious. “So, what? You got knocked up and decided to keep the baby away from his father for six years? That’s pretty cruel, Christine.”
“I realize that,” I tell him. “And I’m trying to fix it. With Michael, with you, with everyone.”
He shakes his head. “Don’t bother. I’m just going to let bygones be bygones. I’ve started a new chapter in my life. I got married. I can’t keep living in the past.”
“I’m sorry, Matt. Really, I truly am. But you can’t blame Michael for this. I fucked up just as much as he did, maybe even more so,” I state.
“Trust me, Christine, that’s not true,’ he says, and I glimpse a little anger in his eyes before it clears. I’m not sure why he refuses to forgive Michael, but I really want to find out.
“So, how’s married life treating you?” I ask in a bid to change the subject.
He smiles. “Great, actually. It’s been amazing to have someone to call mine. Cora’s my wife and it makes me happy anytime I think about it. She’s perfect for me,” he says lovingly.
It hits me that I want someone to look like Matt does right now when they talk about me. His eyes practically light up at the mention of his wife. I’ve never had that, and I probably never will.
“I’m happy for you, Matt. Really,” I tell him honestly.
“Thanks, Christine.”
We talk some more, and after making me promise to introduce him to Noah, Matt leaves. The meeting is a little anticlimactic, if I’m being honest. Less yelling and cursing, more mellow. I guess I should have expected it from someone like Matt. He doesn’t have a single malicious bone in his body. Except when it comes to his brother, it seems.
There’s a text waiting for me when I check my phone twenty minutes later. It’s from my baby daddy.
Michael: How did it go?
Me: It was fine. He doesn’t seem angry with me.
Michael: So, I’m the problem? Great.
I smile.
Me:It would appear so.Maybe you should try to talk to him?
Michael: No. He’s avoiding me like the plague. I’m trying not to push him.
Me: I’m sure he’ll come around.
Michael says nothing after that and I decide to focus on work. I feel lighter, in a way. All my worries have been eased. I’ve taken the right step to becoming a good person. The best mother for my son.
* * *
The long-awaited Crane yearly charity gala has arrived, and I am beyond nervous. Not only will my son have to be introduced into society as a Crane, but by default, people are going to find out everything about me. Michael has tried to convince me that everything will be alright but, in the end, I’ll be the woman who kept a Crane away from his family. There’s no excusing that.
Noah’s already at the party. His grandmother came to pick him up earlier, insisting on getting him dressed up. I get scared whenever I leave him alone with Sam because by the time I see him, he’s dressed in some designer brand and loaded with new gadgets and more toys than he can play with. Naturally, my son runs around, hyper-energetic, trying to play with all of them at once. I know she’s trying her best to be a good grandmother, but I would really hate to see Noah spoiled.
Michael interrupts my thoughts by clearing his throat.