The lamp was on. A woman stood near my dresser, barefoot on the rug, her hair still damp. She was wearing my robe.
Jack sat on the edge of our bed.
All three of us stared at one another.
Then Jack stood. “Michelle. Oh, my God. What are you doing here?”
“Who is she?”
He glanced at the woman and gave a short laugh. “Okay, yeah, this looks weird, but it’s not what you think. This is Nina. My cousin. I’ve mentioned her.”
“No, you haven’t.”
He waved a hand. “Second cousin on my mom’s side. She’s passing through, and I told her she could stay here tonight. It’s not a big deal.”
Nina lifted a hand awkwardly. “Uh… hi.”
“It’s almost midnight. Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.
“Her flight got in late. I picked her up.” He shrugged. “I didn’t think it mattered since you’d be gone all night.”
I looked at Nina again. Late twenties, maybe. She avoided my eyes. I had never seen her at any family gathering.
“Okay… Where are the kids?”
He answered without hesitation. “At Mom’s. They’re more comfortable there. She’s better at babysitting.”
“It’s not babysitting when they’re your own kids, Jack.”
“You know what I mean.”
Nina shifted uncomfortably, like she wanted to disappear.
Standing there, watching my husband grin while “cousin” Nina squirmed, I realized I had the simplest way to test his story.
I pulled out my phone.
“Who are you calling?” Jack asked.
I didn’t answer. Brenda picked up on the third ring.
“Michelle? Sweetheart?”
“Hi, I’m just checking on the kids. Are they okay? Is Liam asleep?”
“Oh, he’s having trouble settling. You know how he gets. Ava’s fine.”
I kept my eyes on Jack. He wasn’t smiling anymore.
“I really appreciate you taking them tonight,” I said. “With Nina arriving so late and all. I can’t believe I’ve never met her.”
“Nina? Who’s that?”
“Jack’s cousin. Nina.”
Silence stretched.
“He doesn’t have a cousin named Nina.”
Then Liam’s voice echoed in the background. “Is that Mommy? Tell her she can’t go home.”
“Liam?” Brenda said. “What are you talking about, honey?”
“Daddy said his friend could only come over if nobody else was home. I heard him on the phone.”
The room froze.
