But after dinner, when he reveals The Ghost in the Shell with a flourish, I can’t keep my mouth shut. I’m snagged instantly because it’s anime, and Mom is intrigued because it’s Japanese. Laurie lights up with a smug grin when we both titter our approval. But there’s no way he picked that movie solo.
“I guess this proves your new honey has good taste,” I say.
Mom perks up. “What’s this?”
“Shut up, Elizabeth,” he says. “Or I’ll take back the Runaways your boyfriend had me bring you.”
My brother and I are mirror images of each other, facing off at the kitchen table. Arms folded, smiles tight, acid glares.
“I don’t think we need a movie,” Mom says. “Watching you two battle over secret love interests is entertainment enough.”
Her gentle mocking transforms our thin-lipped anger into embarrassed blushes. She’s a master of diffusing tension, which is probably why she’s never had trouble snapping up the best administration jobs at renowned hospitals.
“Who’s going to tell me first?” she asks.
Laurie’s cheeks are like roses, and guilt from baiting him tips me into confession.
“I met this boy,” I say, thinking I couldn’t have put it in a more infantile way.
“He’s real,” Laurie says. “I talked to him on the phone.”
“For the last time.” I glare at Laurie again. “Why would I make up a boyfriend?”
“I dunno,” Laurie says. “You’re a writer . . . kind of. Maybe like method acting for character creation.”
I make a sound that’s somewhere between choking and a snarl.
Mom pats my hand. “What’s his name?”
“Stephen.” When I say it, I hear how my voice changes. I barely recognize it. Mom’s smile, surprised but tender, tells me she understands exactly how I’m feeling. I don’t need to say anything else.
She turns to my brother. “Well?”
“That’s it?” He shoots an accusatory glance at me. “You’re only giving her a name.”
I ignore him.
“I’m waiting, Laurie,” Mom says, cutting off any further discussion of my young romance.
Forsaking the chance to tease me for the bliss of spilling his own heart capades, Laurie smiles goofily.
“He lives in the building,” he says. “Two floors up. His name is Sean. He’s six feet tall. Wiry but not too skinny. He has the best hair and it falls over his eyebrows in the most adorable way. And he’s sooooooo smart. Way smarter than Elizabeth even.”
“Thanks,” I say.
Mom grins at me. “Serious. Clearly.”
I give her a solemn nod.
“You guys,” Laurie whines. “Don’t make fun of me. I really like him.”
“We only tease from love, sweetheart.” Mom laughs. “I’m happy you have a new friend.”
Laurie’s so full of crush-ridden ecstasy I think he might bounce out of his chair.
“Don’t forget to breathe, Tigger,” I say.
“Since we’ve heard about Sean,” Mom says, “it’s only fair you tell us a little more about Stephen, Elizabeth.”
Unlike Laurie, for whom romance equals gushing, I get awkward. My fingers wrap around the seat of my chair.
“Ummm. He’s nice.”
“And?”
“He lives two doors down.”
“Really?” Mom’s eyebrows go up. She looks from me to Laurie. “Lots of building romance. This could become a French farce if you two aren’t careful.”
Mom laughs at her joke, which only gets blank stares from us. Realizing her joke failed, Mom gets serious.
“What about parents?” she asks.
“Sean doesn’t get along with his parents,” Laurie says. “They sound like jerks.”
“You don’t know them yet,” Mom chides.
“I know what he’s told me,” Laurie says. “They’re definitely jerks. We don’t hang out at his place unless they’re gone.”
“I see,” Mom says, sliding a glance at me. “Elizabeth?”
“Stephen’s mom is in London right now, and I met his dad last night.”
My brow furrows when I say it. I’d been so excited that Stephen wanted me to meet his dad, but it was kind of awkward, adding to my inexplicable uneasiness about where things stood with us.
“Oh dear,” Mom says, lacing her fingers together. “Well, I guess I can’t count on anyone else to chaperone, just like they can’t count on me.”
“Chaperones?!” Laurie puts his fingers up in the sign of the cross. “Gah!”
“I’m not here a lot,” she says, shaking her head at him. “And I know you’re responsible enough to be unsupervised. But falling for someone can lead to impulsive decisions.”
Laurie and I both groan in anticipation of where this is going, but Mom stampedes right over our protest.
“I expect that if it becomes necessary, you’ll discuss with me what you need to be safe. And you know I prefer it if you abstain from sexual activity until you’re eighteen . . . at least. You both still have a lot of developing to do, physically and emotionally.”
I think I’m going to spontaneously combust, while Laurie only looks bemused. Mom may be the queen of conflict resolution, but when it comes to anything health related, she can’t get her tone past clinical.
Mom places her napkin on her empty dinner plate and smooths her skirt. “Since that’s taken care of, let’s clean this up and watch the movie.”
* * *
Dishes scrubbed, dried, and put away, I settle onto the couch. Laurie sets up the movie, while Mom salts the popcorn, which is already glistening with melted butter, just the way we all like it—devoid of any redeeming nutritional value. Laurie is still chattering at Mom about the merits of Sean’s eyebrow-veiling hair and I smile, knowing that while he jumped on me for telling her about him, Laurie has been dying to talk about his new crush. Sean’s the first potential boyfriend Laurie’s had, and while I’m not sure exactly what’s transpiring between them, it’s making Laurie happy. That knowledge makes something inside me, something that had been sharp and brittle, start to soften. A scabby old wound healing.
Laurie and I snuggle in on either side of Mom, and I am suddenly so content tears prick the corners of my eyes. The only thing I could wish for is that Stephen were here too. Having Mom know about him, listening to him talking to Laurie on the phone—and the sweetness of the gift he’d had Laurie pick up for me—I want him to meet my family.