“Max?”

I turn to look over my shoulder and see my mom striding toward us, her brown hair’s wrapped up in a clip and an apron’s tied around her waist.

“Jack, how are you doing? How’s Ethel?”

Mr. Janes shrugs and looks back to Zeus. “She’s feeling alright, I suppose. Our kids are over helping to cook dinner because she’s not supposed to be puttering around right now.”

My mom gives him a sympathetic look that he doesn’t see as he pats Zeus some more. “I baked a pie for you guys. I’ll send it over in a bit.”

Mr. Janes nods a few times and then backs away before looking up at us. “You take care,” he says, and then turns and shuffles back across the street to his house.

I watch the door close before I turn around and feel my mom’s arms encase me. “What happened to Ethel?” I ask as I wrap an arm around her shoulder.

“She fell and broke her hip a few weeks ago.”

I’d hardly known the Janes’ prior to last summer. He’d acknowledge my presence as I drove by with a brief nod, and that was about it. Once I started hanging around her, though, he suddenly took notice of me, talking to me if he saw me out in my driveway, telling me old stories about The Korean War, and of his brothers being in World War II, and how all five of his older brothers had returned alive, something that was a great feat at that time.

He spoke proudly of them and the rest of his family, but he held a special note when he spoke of his wife, Ethel. They’ve been married for over fifty years, and he makes it abundantly clear that she’s the love of his life. Jack offered me unsolicited advice on women and relationships every chance he got.

“Is she okay?”

My mom lets out a small sigh as she releases me, still grasping my hand within hers. “She will be. Jack wouldn’t allow it any other way.” She laughs and turns to face Erin.

“You must be Erin! I’m Sharon. It’s so nice to meet you!”

Erin’s face is covered with excitement as her arms fly open. She launches herself into my mom’s arms with an alarming force that causes her to take a step back. “I’m so excited to meet you!” Erin cries, holding my mom in a hug longer than normal acceptability usually allows.

I watch my mom’s hands pat her on the back a few times, the universal sign of the hug being over and it being time to release, but Erin remains clutched to her for another long moment.

“Why don’t we go inside?” Mom offers.

I don’t retrieve bags from the truck. We’re not staying the night. We’ll be here long enough to spend some time with my mom and family and then head back to San Diego. A few hours will be more than enough.

“I’m so sorry, what’s your name again? I keep wanting to call you something else, but I know you’re not her.”

I turn to glare at Sarah, who’s smiling sweetly at Erin. Thankfully, Erin’s oblivious to the insinuations she’s been dealt all night.

Sarah’s eyes dart to mine as I keep my glare focused on her, and she raises her eyebrows with a challenge. I don’t know if she’s daring me to get pissed or to object.

“Erin,” she answers as her eyes scan over the table filled with food, “with an E.”

I divert my attention, feeling Sarah staring at me, and hear Hank’s soft laughter.

“How’s school going?” Mom asks.

“Jack, don’t you throw that!” Sarah warns as Jack holds a roll in his hand, ready to launch it at his younger brother, Henniger.

He looks at her with a deflated smirk and drops the roll to his plate.

“Good, busy,” I reply.

“He goes to class a lot,” Erin adds. I don’t go to more than half of my classes, though I often use the excuse of class to get some time away from her.

“He wants to be a surgeon,” Molly says, grasping a spoon filled with mashed potatoes from her son, Joel.

“I know!” Erin’s hand runs across my thigh, snaking up toward my waist.

“And how’s Jameson and Landon?” My mom’s voice is sincere, her eyes warm. She was disappointed when she learned they had both made other plans for the holiday. I’m sure it was to avoid spending the day with me. They both love my mom and would likely have been willing to sit through this meal, even though she can’t cook worth shit.

I feel Erin’s hand clasp around me, making me involuntarily jerk forward and knock my plate into my water glass.

“Good. Landon’s still working with Homeland Security and really likes it,” I manage to choke out, while grabbing Erin’s hand to redirect it. I press my knees together, trying to not grit my teeth as I continue. “Jameson’s been working at an office with an apprenticeship and is already considering going back to school.” Her hand evades mine and grips onto me again like a vise.

Hank laughs and my eyes snap to him as I work to wrestle Erin’s hand away from me, fearing he knows what she’s doing.

“Tell him to give it some time. He’ll be fine.” Hank also studied economics at school and has shared his struggles with getting acquainted with the industry.

“So, Erin, what is it that you do?” my mom asks, scooping up a bite of turkey. Her eyes briefly dance to Erin, but never remain on her for long. It’s a reaction I’m not used to ever having seen from her.

“Nothing right now,” Erin answers, finally dropping her hand after I bat it away again. “I’m working to become a personal trainer. Fitness is really important to me.”

“Really, that’s great!” my mom remarks with too much enthusiasm as her eyes take another fleeting trip Erin’s direction. “Are you from San Diego?”

“No, I’m from the bay area. My parents still live up there.”

“What brought you to San Diego?” Sarah prompts.

“Well, I’d gone to LA to do modeling. I wanted to be an actor and things didn’t really work out.”

“An actor?” I hear the note of surprise in Sarah’s voice, and smirk. “What kind of acting?”

“Well, I did a couple of adult films, but they have these crazy contracts and I wasn’t willing to go through with some of the things they wanted me to do.”

I hear a couple of them choke on their drinks and food, and stare at my pile of green beans that I haven’t touched because they weren’t even lukewarm when they came out of the oven. I wish I could be anywhere but here at this moment. How in the fuck did I not know she’d been in adult films? I’m never going to live this moment down.

“What’s an adult film? Is that like The Avengers?” Hunter asks, and I hear Billy choke on his food from beside me.

“Yes,” Sarah and my mom reply instantly in unison.

After dinner, Sarah, Erin, and my mom sit in the living room while Molly goes out to smoke and my brothers and I clear the table and get things put away. I feel nervous to be so far from their conversation, fearing what other ammunition she’s going to provide Sarah with.

“Worried?” Billy teases as he cuts another piece of pie sitting at the end of the bar as I wash a platter. I watch as he scoops it onto his plate and then runs his finger through the whipped cream, popping it in his mouth with a satisfied smack.

I situate the platter in the cupboard above the plates and grab the pan the potatoes had been boiled in, so I can soak it. “Why would I be worried?”

“A porn star? How in the hell did you not know she was a porn star?” Hank interrupts, bringing in the last of the dishes from the table and making Billy cackle. “Sarah’s going to have my balls for that one!”

“The boys didn’t have any idea what she was talking about,” I retort.

“He didn’t know it either! Didn’t you see the shock on his face?” Billy sounds way too amused and it makes me want to throw the measuring cup I’m rinsing at his fat head.

“Yeah, I saw the shock. That’s why I asked how in the hell he didn’t know!”

“It’s not a big deal,” I reply nonchalantly, moving my gaze to be level with Hank’s to demonstrate that I don’t care.