The Truth About Faking

witnessed these “friendly” interactions before. Mom told me once you can learn a lot about people by the motives they project onto others. But I can’t figure out what that means when it comes to Mrs. Perkins. Does she secretly want to be a voodoo priestess?
    “Is that how Dr. Andrews feels?” Mrs. Perkins asks.
    “Perhaps you should ask him.” Mom’s still smiling, but her eyes are sharp.
    “Well, I’ve seen a world of difference since I started taking your special blend,” Mrs. Bender jumps in trying to diffuse the situation. “And I thank the Lord for that.”
    I smile at Mrs. Bender. She can be a bit much, but she has her moments. Mrs. Perkins makes a little noise and turns to her car, her minions close behind.
    Jason leans over to me and whispers. “GCBs.”
    I shake my head at him not understanding.
    He whispers again, “Good Christian…” he sees mom turning to face us and finishes with a murmur, “witches with a B .”
    “Witch-bees?” I’m confused, but his eyes widen. Instantly I get it. “Oh!” I yelp at Mom, who’s looking at us and smiling.
    “What?” she says, and I can tell she’s feeling victorious.
    “Mom!” I motion at Jason. “Do you care if Jason comes over for lunch?”
    She seems confused by my weird behavior, but she’s immediately welcoming. “Of course not. There’s plenty,” she says, smiling at him. “You look very nice, Jason. Properly dressed.”
    He looks down, embarrassed. “That was just a joke.”
    Mom grins at him, and I feel a little better seeing her so light-hearted all of a sudden. “I’m only teasing,” she says. “You’re very welcome to join us. And I’d like to get to know you better if you and Harley are going out.”
    “Oh, we’re just…” I stop short as Jason’s eyes shoot to me. I’m not sure what to say to make it seem less serious. I guess we have been out on two dates for all Mom knows. And he has been picking me up for school all week.
    “What?” Mom looks at me.
    I breathe a laugh. “I don’t know,” I say, shrugging. “We’re just, you know, happy to have lunch together.”
    Mom squeezes my arm and smiles before turning to walk to the car. Jason gives me a look behind her back like I’m acting deranged, but I just shake my head and keep walking.
     
    It’s nice having him with us at lunch, actually. Jason’s a good buffer against what I’ve seen and heard between Mom and Ricky lately, and I’ve pretty much decided to forget trying to talk to her about it. After the way she acted in church, I’ve even started to think the whole thing might just be a big misunderstanding. Or me being paranoid because of what happened with Shelly’s parents. And honestly, I don’t want to imagine what else it could be. Just because my feelings get confused sometimes doesn’t mean hers do. Right?
    “Jason, is your family Presbyterian?” Mom asks, passing the mashed sweet potatoes to me. I take the bowl and ladle a blob onto my plate before passing it along to my guest.
    “No, ma’am,” he says. “Dad and I pretty much don’t go to church now.”
    “Now?” Dad asks.
    “Um… now that,” Jason hesitates, taking the bowl from me. Our eyes meet.
    “Jason’s mom died last year,” I finish for him.
    “Oh, I’m so sorry,” Mom’s voice is pure honey. “Was it an accident?”
    “She had cancer,” Jason says. “It was about a year-long deal, but… you know.”
    “We’re very sorry for your loss,” Dad says.
    It’s quiet for a few seconds, and I can feel Jason squirm. I try to think of a new topic that won’t seem too abrupt.
    “I liked what you said this morning about finding answers, Dad,” I say. That seems smooth enough.
    “What’s that?” Dad looks at me. I catch Jason’s grateful smile.
    “That part about how God’s given us the answers we need, we just have to learn where to look and how to see them,” I say. “That was pretty deep.”
    “Yes, well, I’ve been studying this book on seeking God, and it just came to me as I was meditating,” he says. “People always want answers, and I think God uses a variety of things in our lives and situations to give us the answers we seek.”
    Mom’s gazing at him across the table the way she did in church. Like he’s just said the most amazing thing. I see Jason pause, and I know he caught her expression, too.
    “It was exactly what I needed to hear this morning,” she says.
    They smile at each other, and now I feel squirmy. They sure can