“Hi, Tasha,” I say. “Rose Yates.” I don’t extend my hand. I don’t have Micah’s manners, at least not in this moment.

The wonder breaks and a wave of excitement washes over her face, as if she’s been told a terrible secret about one of her enemies. “Rose Yates. I heard you were back in town. Wow, it’s been so long.”

She moves in for a hug. For a half second, I consider stepping back but then realize I have no real reason to hate this person now. Sure, she called me Pancake Tits back in high school, but I don’t even know the Tasha Collins of today. People change.

We hug. It’s like embracing a lamppost, minus the warmth.

“I heard about your husband. I’m so, so sorry.”

I’ve heard this enough that I can rate someone’s empathy on a scale from one to ten. Alec was about an eight when he told me this. Tasha clocks in somewhere around a two. Maybe one and a half.

“Thank you,” I say.

“I mean, I can’t even imagine,” she adds. Then Tasha throws a quick glance at Alec and adds, “Well, I can’t say there weren’t times I didn’t fantasize about it.”

She seriously says this. Right in front of her son.

Tasha follows up with “You have a child here?”

“My son, Max. Sixth grade.” I nod over to the school. “He just walked in. Said he wanted to do it on his own.”

Tasha puts a hand on her chest. “Bless his heart, sweet thing.” Then the hand moves to the top of Micah’s head, and he looks annoyed by it. “We wanted to go in with him on the first day. Meet the teacher, establish a connection, you know, make it a little more…special and supportive. But how brave for your son just to trot right in there all alone.”

I glance at Alec and his eyes contain half apology, half amusement, as if he’s given up trying to figure out why Tasha is so evil and now just accepts the dark humor of it all. I feel sorry for him. He still has to share raising a child with this woman, which must be like constantly scooping water out of a sinking life raft.

Even more, my heart goes out to Micah.

“He’s brave all right,” I say.

“Tasha, weren’t we in a rush?” Alec says.

“Yes, yes. Only because you were late.” Back to me. “Well, Rose, great to see you. We’ll have to get together for some wine. I can introduce you to some other parents. I’m sure…social activity is important at a time like this for you.” Tasha doesn’t bother waiting for a response. She simply grabs Micah’s hand and leads him away.

“I guess we’re going in now,” Alec says, leaving me with a smile that nearly lifts the haze of unpleasantness left in Tasha’s wake. “See you around, Rose.”

“See you,” I say, watching him leave. My gaze moves from him to Tasha, from Tasha to the front door of the school, and finally to a lone window, behind which I imagine Max sitting all by himself in a classroom as other children cluster together in their pre-established friendship groups.