“I’m sorry, Mom,” I apologize because obviously I forgot to say something important which is... who the fuck knows?

What are you doing, Claire Bear?

Mom says it is big.

My chest tightens, because what if Claire is pregnant? Now wouldn’t that be some shitshow?

And how did she find out? Please don’t be back in town, married and pregnant.

“Why didn’t you pick her up from the airport?”

When were you at the airport, Mom?

Is that her new hobby?

Cooking for me and filling my refrigerator with containers isn’t enough, now she’s stalking my fake girlfriend.

“Why are you assuming that?”

“Well, if you had, she wouldn’t have been rolling her luggage by herself, would she?”

“Umm…”

Where the fuck did she see Claire?

I rub my throat, trying not to panic. Maybe I should’ve told her the truth after Claire left but I couldn’t do it. What now?

“Fine, I had a meeting and I couldn’t reschedule,” I lie because what else can I say.

‘Sorry, Mom, I have no idea where Claire is at the moment,’ isn’t something I’ll say any time soon. That might hint to her I’ve been lying for the past few years.

So, I put her on speaker and mute the phone as I play the game of: What in the World Is Claire Solis Doing and Where Is She Now? 

Or as others like to call it, stalk her Instagram account. I promised last month I’d stop doing it, but today seems like a good day to break the promise.

“I almost broke the record,” I mumble. “Three weeks without stalking her.”

Home sweet home, let the new chapter begin.

“Fuck!” I mutter when I see her selfie. It was taken at the airport.

Then there’s another one, right in front of my building. The new place.

I look around and what do you know, right on the next balcony I find a beautiful pair of dark eyes staring at me. She has a white carton in one hand and a spoon in the other, her mouth opened agape.

“Mom,” I say unmuting the phone. “I’m going to have to call you back.”

“You have to bring her to dinner.”

“Who?” I ask confused.

“Claire, of course. You have to bring Claire home. You never told us she was moving in with you,” she pauses. “I noticed her top was a little loose. Is she pregnant?”

“Mom, please don’t start,” I warn her.

“Well, you two are already taking a big step, but we’re so happy for you,” she says. “I knew you two would be together for the long run.”

I swallow because pregnancy would’ve been so much easier to explain. Something like, “She was sleeping with another dude.” The bitch.

“Mom, I’ll call you tomorrow.” I hang up and let out a loud exhale.