My Mother Got Married Read Online Free Page A

kept fidgeting with his napkin and drinking a lot of water.
    Finally, when I was just about to leave the table, he cleared his throat like he had something to say. It surprised me. Normally Ben isn’t much of a talker. Ben’s more a listener and a nodder.
    He stood up. His face was slightly red. He seemed embarrassed and excited and nervous all at the same time. “Er … Janet? Could you come over here a second?”
    Mom had started clearing the dishes. She put down the plates and joined him at the head of the table.
    Ben smiled sheepishly. Then he reached into his shirt pocket and pulled something out.
    “It’s just that … well, I thought it would be nice if we were all here when I put this on your finger, that’s all,” he said softly. “All right?”
    He held it up for us to see. It was a ring. A gold ring with a small sparkly diamond.
    Gently Ben took my mother’s left hand and slipped the ring onto her fourth finger. Her engagement one.
    Mom sort of gasped. You could tell she hadn’t been expecting it. I guess most people don’t get engaged while they’re scraping food into the sink. Then her face lit up and she looked at me and at Lydia and at Thomas. And then she hugged Ben so hard I thought I heard a little whoosh of air go out of him.
    “Oh wow!” screeched Lydia, making this tiny high-pitched squeal that only girls and dolphins can make. “Oh, Janet, let me see! Let me see!”
    Thomas wasn’t as excited as his sister. When my mother and Ben hugged, he wrinkled up his nose and said, “Mushy.” Then he looked back at his plate and tried to score a goal with his meatball.
    It rolled onto the floor and landed near my foot. I picked it up, put it in the sink, and quietly left the room.
    I went upstairs and called my father.
    “Come get me” was all I said.
    I walked outside and waited on the porch. First I sat, then I stood, then I started pacing up and down. I didn’t cry, though. It surprised me, but I didn’t.
    By the time my mother spotted me, I was shivering like crazy. She brought me my jacket. As she helped me with the sleeves she stopped and gave me a long, warm hug.
    “I’m really sorry, honey. Ben’s sorry, too,” she said gently. “He didn’t know about the promise.”
    I shrugged. It seemed shrugging was becoming my major method of communication lately.
    “Dad coming?”
    I nodded.
    She held me a minute longer. “We’ll talk when you get home.”
    Just then my father pulled into the driveway. He and Mom waved. They didn’t end up as best friends, but at least they’ve been able to maintain a waving relationship.
    We drove to the apartment in silence. I know it was hard for Dad not to bombard me with a million questions. Unlike Ben, my father is not a nodder and a listener. My father is an insurance salesman.
    As soon as we got there he pulled out the sleeper sofa and got some pillows. It was only seven thirty, but if you’re acting weird, parents like to put you to bed anyway. I gave him a funny look.
    “You don’t have to go to sleep. Just thought you might want to get comfortable while you’re watching TV,” he explained.
    I plopped down and covered my head with a pillow. Then Dad brought out some popcorn and turned on the television. I stared blankly at the screen. I still don’t know what was on that night.
    Finally he just couldn’t stand it anymore. He turned down the volume on the set.
    “Is this about Ben? Did something happen over there tonight?”
    I took a deep breath and nodded. There was no sense keeping it inside. It didn’t feel good in there.
    “They’re going to get married,” I managed. “They told us tonight at dinner. Ben pulled out a ring and put it on Mom’s finger and—”
    I stopped for a second. The lump in my throat made it hurt to talk. My eyes started filling up with tears.
    “Geez, Dad. Why couldn’t they just stay friends? What’s so great about Ben Russo anyway?”
    I looked up. My father had an odd expression on his face.