Her mom continued alongside Kylie, walking through the path in the woods. "I'm not very proud of doing that."
"You should be," Kylie said. "I think it was very fitting."
Her mom looked at her before speaking. "He's just going through something right now, Kylie. That's al ."
The fact that her mom would defend him pushed Kylie over the edge. "Yeah, he's going through his super-young assistant."
Her mom stopped and grabbed Kylie's arm. Tears fil ed her mom's eyes. "Oh, baby. I'm so sorry."
Kylie shook her head. "Why are you apologizing? Are you having an affair, too? I swear, if you're seeing someone my age, I'm divorcing both of you."
"No. I would never ... I didn't want ... you to find out. You were always so close." Her mom held a hand over her trembling lips for a second. "How did you find out?"
Kylie sensed it would hurt her mom to know that her dad brought the bimbo with him last weekend, so she lied. "I caught him in a lie."
She shook her head. "He never was good at lying."
Right then, Kylie wondered how good her mother was at lying. Did her dad even know the truth? She stopped moving and closed her eyes and considered the question she needed to ask.
"My, this is pretty," her mom said.
Kylie opened her eyes and found her mom looking over at the stream. "Yeah." Kylie moved closer to the stream and stretched out the blanket for them to sit.
Her mom sat down and stared at the water. "Is there real y a waterfal here?"
"I'm told there is," Kylie said, hoping to keep the frustration about never having seen the fal s from her voice. And right then, she decided even if she had to go alone, she was going to see that fal s-for some crazy reason, it seemed important that she went. "I've never seen it, though."
"Why not?"
Kylie shrugged. "Supposedly, there's a legend about there being ghosts there. Most everyone is afraid to go there." Me included, Kylie thought, but didn't say it-not that it would stop her next time.
"Real y?" Her mom looked intrigued. "I love ghost stories, don't you?"
"Sometimes," Kylie answered honestly, and glanced away so her mom couldn't read anything in her expression.
"Wel , it's peaceful here," her mom said. "I like it." She leaned over and patted Kylie's hand. "Thanks for bringing me here."
Cal Kylie a coward, but she shelved the question she didn't want to ask, and went for the less explosive topic. One her mom should be happy about. "What do you think about the camp turning into a boarding school?"
"Your camp leader sounded happy about it," her mom said, stil staring at the water.
"What do you think about me signing up?"
Her mom's head snapped around. "What? Hon, that's a boarding school. That means you live here."
"I know," Kylie said, honestly surprised at her mom's reaction. "Just think, you wouldn't have to put up with me." Kylie tried to go for a teasing tone. But if her mom's expression was any indication, Kylie missed by a long shot.
"No," her mom said. "Let me make this clear. Hel , no. You have a home and it's with me."
Two things, two huge emotional realizations hit Kylie at once. One, she real y wanted-no, make that needed-to stay at Shadow Fal s Camp. Somehow, some way, she had to convince her mom to let her do this. And the second realization was that her mom didn't want to get rid of her. Kylie had been so sure, so certain that given the choice her mom would have packed Kylie a little knapsack and had her out the door in no time. With her emotions playing bumper cars in her heart, Kylie didn't know what to say. "I ... I real y like it here, Mom."
"You like it at home, too," she said.
Not anymore, was her true answer, but that suddenly seemed cruel. "But..."
"If this is retaliation for the divorce-"
"It's not," Kylie said. "I promise. I just ... It feels right here. I'm getting to know who I real y am. Remember how you used to tel me that I had
'belonging issues' because I didn't want to join any of the clubs or teams at school? Wel , here, I belong ... I belong here, Mom."
"You have Sara. You two are as close as sisters."
"I love Sara. I always wil , but we're not ... as alike as we used to be. We don't even talk every day now. She's found some other girls to hang with and honestly, I don't fit in with them."
Her mom's eyes grew worried. "But-"
"Mom, please..." Kylie saw she'd made headway because her mom wasn't arguing nearly as adamantly as she normal y did. Then Kylie remembered another trump card. "You said your new job would require lots of travel. What do you think you're going to do with me when you're gone?"
"Wel , your dad wil take over."
Kylie cocked her head. "Do you think I want to go over to his place while his girlfriend, who is practical y my age, flaunts herself al over him?"
"Then I'l turn down the promotion," her mom said. "You are more important to me than ... than any job." Tears fil ed her mother's eyes. Tears fil ed Kylie's eyes at the same time. She couldn't help herself. Then because it just felt right, she reached over and wrapped her arms around her mother.
"I love you," Kylie said, and held on. She held on tighter than she had ever held on before. Her mom didn't pul away. She patted Kylie's shoulder. It wasn't the warmest embrace, but it had potential. Then, not wanting to push her luck, Kylie pul ed back.
"I'm sorry," Kylie said.
"For what?" her mom asked, and Kylie noticed her mom's face was a splotchy mess. Another thing they had in common that Kylie hadn't realized.
"I'm sorry," Kylie said. "I real y don't want to hurt you. And it's not as if you have to make a decision today. I'm here al summer, but I real y do like it here. And Holiday said the students could come home on the weekends. There would be al kinds of vacation days. And I'm only three hours away. Heck, you work out of your home so you could even move closer."
Her mom sighed. "But you're my daughter, baby." She ran her hand over Kylie's cheek. "I don't want other people raising you."
"Mom, would you get real? I'l be seventeen in a few months. You've already raised me." Kylie hesitated and then added, "Besides, you should be dating and stuff."
Her mom's eyes widened. "I don't think I'm that brave."
"Why not? You're beautiful and with a new wardrobe, you could be ... hot." Her mom was much prettier than the tramp her father was involved with right now.
Her mom sighed. "When did my little girl grow up?"
"I don't know." Kylie grinned and lay back on the blanket. Her mom fol owed her lead and lay back. They listened to the creek water flow and stared up at the blue sky peeking out through the white cotton-bal clouds. Maybe it was Kylie's imagination, but she could almost hear the fal s even from here.
Final y, Kylie sat up. Her mom did the same. "Mom, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, hon."
Kylie looked at her mom and just blurted out the question. "Who is my real dad?"