I turned and grabbed the metal handle.
It didn’t move.
For a terrible second, my mind went completely blank.
Then I looked at my stepfather again.
I was still standing by the pool.
Alone.
Where is my mother?
He seemed more tired than angry, but that didn’t make me feel better.
“Come sit down.
“No.
My voice came out sharper than I expected.
“Where is she?”
He sighed and ran a hand in his face.
“He’s not coming.
I stared at it.
“Why won’t he come?” You told me I was already here.
I know.
I felt a knot in my stomach.
“Then you lied to me.
He looked away.
“Yes.
I immediately took out my phone.
“I’m leaving.
The door automatically locks.
“Then open it.
“I will. But please listen to me first.
I felt my heart beating my chest.
All that was wrong.
You could have called me.
You wouldn’t have come.
“That should have said something to you.
He didn’t answer.
I walked away from him, holding several chairs between us.
Why did you bring me here?
He sat slowly.
“Because your mother and I are parting.
For a moment I thought I heard wrong.
What?
“We’re going to get divorced.
Actually, I laughed.
Not because it was funny.
But because that phrase sounded absurd coming from him.
My mother and stepfather had been together for almost twelve years.
Sometimes they argued, of course.
But I never imagined they would divorce.
“Mom would have told me.
“I wanted to do it.
“Then why didn’t he?
“Because I was still waiting for us to fix things.
I stared at it.
“Where is he right now?”
“At your aunt’s house.
I immediately called Mom.
He didn’t answer.
My distrust came back.
“He doesn’t answer.
“You probably don’t want to talk right now.
Why?
He hesitated.
And that hesitation told me there was something else.
“What happened?”
He looked at the water.
We had a fight this morning.
Why?
He remained silent.
Suddenly I remembered Mom’s strange message.
Everything’s fine. See you tomorrow.
You sent that message from his phone, right?
He looked at me.
“Yes.
I felt a chill running through my body.
Did you use his phone?
He left it at home.
“And you thought pretending to be her was normal?”
