Chapter 28

My heart started thudding in my chest. Something had happened between Sara and Dad. Something serious.

“What happened?” I asked, glancing over to see my mom scowling at the windshield.

When Mom didn’t answer me right away, I started to get nervous that I might not want to know what happened. I thought about all sorts of possibilities. Each one more ridiculous than the last before I finally cut myself off and truly thought about what could have happened with the details and facts I already knew.

Whatever it was, no one was seriously hurt or anything like that. If that were the case, surely I would have been told about it by now. There was also no way Sara and our dad got into some kind of fight because she was still with him. If something like that had happened, Dad would have come to camp and not Mom.

“Your sister and your father went ... too far,” Mom growled, and my face scrunched up, confused.

“What do you mean, too far?”

“Are you sure you really want to know?” I saw Mom turn at the edge of my vision. I glanced over to see her looking at me with a worried look on her face.

With an answer like that, of course I wanted to know. I hadn’t really cared all that much as to why Mom had shown up early, but when she told me it was going to be a long story and with how she was acting about it now, I really, really wanted to know.

I held her eyes on mine for only a moment and nodded slowly before looking back to the road.

“You know that Sara and your father have their special moments, like we used to...” I turned to see Mom giving me a pained look, but she continued. “Well, to be honest, it was fun. I really enjoyed watching them together.” Mom took a deep breath and let it out in a rush, her shoulders slumping slightly as if she were trying to let some great weight go, but didn’t quite manage it.

“Sara was always happy to have her time with your dad. Usually in the mornings and sometimes before bed. At first, I gave them their privacy, not wanting to encroach on them. Then, as we all got more comfortable, it happened more and more. To the point where they didn’t want the privacy I was giving them any longer.”

“Okay, but that doesn’t explain what you meant by they went too far,” I said.

“I was getting to that,” Mom quickly answered. “Quit interrupting me.”

“Sorry,” I winced and gave Mom an apologetic look.

“Like I was saying, things were changing, and in a good, fun way.” I didn’t look at her, but I swear I could hear the smile on her face as she continued to tell me the story. “When it was the three of us together...” Mom turned and smiled at me. I saw her move out of the corner of my eye and I turned to see her blushing nervously. As if she was worried what I was going to think of her or all three of them. Or just how I was going to react considering what had happened before the first day at comp. Mom sat up a little straighter when she knew I was watching her, squaring her shoulders so her whole body shifted so she was facing me. “It was amazing, Sam.”

I couldn’t help the sour feeling in my stomach as Mom told me more and more about what was going on while I wasn’t around. It wasn’t fair! Why did Mom say we had to stop but then they were having threesomes with my sister? I was angry, but even more so, I felt hurt.

“I bet,” I replied. I tried to keep the disappointment out of my voice, but her eyes softened when she heard me.

There was an awkward silence in the truck that felt oppressive. It seemed Mom knew I was upset and was ready to just drop the whole conversation in a deep pit and then cover it, as if it had never happened. It had happened though, and I decided I needed the answers. Even if I might not want to hear them.

“What happened next?” I asked, keeping my tone even and hiding the anger and borderline resentment I felt.

“Sam, I don’t think it’s a good idea—”

“Mom, just tell me,” I snapped, cutting her off as quickly as I could. When she didn’t start talking, I glared over at her, and she immediately ducked her head, not able to or just unwilling to meet my eyes.

“Well...” Mom paused. “We all kind of took turns with each other and stuff. Then it started to be more Sara and me working together.” That was an incredibly erotic mental image that in any other situation would have had me hard as a rock in the blink of an eye. Now, however, not even a twitch.

“Then, one night we were all together in the bed and...” Mom paused again, and for some reason that really annoyed me. My grip on the steering wheel tightened and my knuckles went white. “If it’s going to bother you that much, we don’t have to talk about it. I think you know what I’m going to say.”

“No, please tell me,” I said.

I knew exactly what was coming. Sara and Dad had sex. That was the only logical reason as to why Mom had so suddenly run away. Running away might not be the best way to describe it, but however you do, it ultimately ended up with Mom coming to camp early. I took a deep breath, straightened my shoulders, and held my chin up ready for what was coming.

“I need to hear you say it, Mom.”

“Sara climbed on top of your father and had sex with him.”

“Why didn’t you stop her?” I demanded.

“I didn’t know she was going to do that, and I was kind of ... occupied at the time.” Mom’s face was flaming red, and I imagined she was blushing from the top of her head all the way down to her toes. “We just kind of got lost in the whole thing and stuff just ... happened.”

“Did you tell Sara the same thing you told me?” I asked, my voice flippant. “You had gone too far so now you have to stop?”