36. The Parents
Vikram Banerjee arrives at Tiffin the morning of graduation in a rented Cadillac Escalade, the largest SUV they make in America, only to learn that Davi has signed herself up for a service that will pack all her belongings, store them for the summer, then transport them to her dorm at the University of Miami.
How much is that costing me? Vik wonders as he mentally adds the mystery number to the seven hundred dollars it cost him to pointlessly rent the Escalade. The divorce has turned Vik’s finances into something like an ingrown toenail or an impacted tooth, impossible to ignore.
“Well, since I have the car, I might as well take you and your friends to breakfast,” Vik says. But Davi and her friends want to eat Chef’s blueberry pancakes one last time, so Vik drives in search of breakfast alone.
He returns to campus just as the other parents are arriving. He sends a text to his soon-to-be-ex-wife, who’s coming from Cincinnati: What’s your ETA? The “your” unfortunately includes Saylem, once their third, now the person who has stolen Ruby away from him.
Pulling in now, Ruby texts back, and Vik steels himself.
He can’t believe Ruby had the gall to invite Saylem to Davi’s graduation, and he can’t believe Davi signed off without the Battle of Waterloo ensuing.
But then Davi explained, in a brief FaceTime with Vik, that her boyfriend, Liam, had only his father attending because his mother lived all the way out in North Dakota, and Liam’s brother was dead.
Because of this, Davi wouldn’t protest Saylem’s presence.
She was just grateful that she had two parents who loved her; Saylem could be ignored.
Ignored by Davi, Vik thinks. But not as easily by him. He engaged in unspeakable acts with the woman when Ruby first brought her home like a stray kitten.
Vik hears his name, and when he turns around, he sees Ruby striding toward him (gorgeous in a dark-green silk wrap dress that Vik designed especially for her, years ago).
He looks beyond her for Saylem but doesn’t spy her among the other parents, all of whom are dressed without imagination—for the men, khakis and navy blazers like they’re the ones in school, and for the women, infantilizing floral dresses with smocking and ruffles.
Ruby kisses Vik, not on both cheeks, but fully on the lips, which surprises him.
“Where’s Saylem?” he asks.
“She didn’t come,” Ruby says, frowning. “Her favorite podcaster is doing a live show in Cincinnati tonight, and she and her tiresome little friend, Jailyn, wanted to go. I explained that my daughter will only graduate from high school once in her life, but Saylem didn’t want to disappoint Jailyn.
I swear, sometimes it feels like there are three of us in the relationship. ”
Imagine that, Vik thinks.
“I’m just as glad she’s not here. Davi positively loathes her, it was bound to be unpleasant.” Ruby sniffs. “I think the shine might be off the apple with Saylem, if you must know, darling. She acts like an absolute child, and I miss London.”
“Is that so?” Vik has learned that with Ruby, it’s best to appear disinterested.
Ruby touches Vik’s collar. “You look wonderful, darling. Sharp jawline.”
Well, yes, one benefit of the divorce is that Vik has lost nearly two stone. He hasn’t weighed this little since he was a sixth-former himself.
Vik nods. “We’d better get along, or we’ll be sitting in the back.”
“Can’t have that,” Ruby says, and she takes Vik’s hand.
As a proud, card-carrying member of Gen X, Fran Hicks dislikes the whole concept of “triggered”—though this is precisely how she feels when she pulls onto Tiffin’s campus.
She can’t help but recall Family Weekend of Charley’s junior year.
Joey insisted on coming, and although Charley had begged Fran to come alone, Fran agreed to let Joey tag along, thinking, How bad could it be?
Very bad. And not for the reasons one might have expected.
Joey got a glow-up for the weekend. He cut off his man bun and borrowed an effortlessly preppy wardrobe from his friend Ant (although a loser, Ant was raised in Roland Park and attended Gilman).
Charley was, of course, furious that Fran brought Joey and nonplussed by Joey’s new look, though the rest of Tiffin’s female population took notice.
From the second Joey stepped onto campus, he was the object of all kinds of admiring gazes.
Fran figured the appeal was Joey’s age—he was old enough for the mothers to lust after but young enough to snag the attention of Charley’s classmates.
On Saturday evening, Joey went out for dinner with the Benbow family—Jim, Sloane, and their daughter, Tilly. Fran hadn’t protested or even questioned this. Charley refused to see Fran if Joey was around, so at the time, the invitation from the Benbows seemed fortuitous, a godsend.
How was Fran to know that Joey would start an affair with sixteen-year-old Tilly Benbow?
Arrrghhh! Fran gargles out a sound of disgust and sorrow (she can’t believe how sad she still is even now, five months after learning the disgusting truth) as she parks in the Back Lot.
She applies lipstick using the sunshade’s mirror, attempting a mind reset. Charley is graduating as valedictorian and going to Harvard; Fran is the luckiest parent here! This should be her focus. But as she ascends the steps from the Back Lot, she prays that nobody asks her about Joey.
Jesse Eastman is overcome by a wave of emotion as he surveys the sea of faces before him.
From his position on the stage, he has a clear view of East in the front row.
East could stand to tighten his tie, and he’s worn Sambas instead of loafers, but the only thing that really matters is that he’s present.
East is graduating. It took six years, multiple schools, and tens of millions of dollars, but it is finally happening.
Next, Jesse seeks out O’Malley, who is five months pregnant.
O’Malley is sitting between her cousin, Bobby Donovan, and Jesse’s ex-wife, Lori Litavec.
Jesse originally had no intention of introducing the two women, he was content to pretend Lori didn’t exist, but O’Malley is a middle child and therefore conflict averse.
The second Lori appeared among the throng of parents, O’Malley marched over and introduced herself.
Now the two of them look like best friends, like sisters.
It’s a bit unsettling.
Instead of worrying about O’Malley and Lori (Why are they whispering?
Are they talking about him?), Jesse focuses on the positive.
He will remain at the helm of Tiffin’s board.
Audre is staying, Professor Coopersmith is staying, Chef Haz is staying, and Mr. James has agreed to stay at least one more year.
The only person leaving is John Maverick—back to the Colbert School, poor guy—so Tiffin will, once again, need a new college counselor.
Jesse spied Honey Vandermeid somewhere in the crowd.
He’ll make a point to find her at the reception afterward and see if he can persuade her to return.
(Jesse isn’t quite sure why she resigned in the first place.)
Today is a celebration of change: Tiffin’s sixth-form is moving on. But Jesse takes comfort in the things that are remaining the same.
They’ve almost reached the end of the ceremony. The graduates have been called to the stage and handed a diploma by either Audre Robinson or Jesse Eastman.
Karen Austin is a wreck.
She arrived thirty minutes before the ceremony began and was able to see Dub for only a second.
She hugged him, told him how proud she was, apologized again that his dad wasn’t able to come (Derrick didn’t even have an excuse, he just tossed out an I can’t make it).
Then Karen searched Dub’s face for the answer to the question he must have known she’d be asking, but his expression revealed nothing.
Karen yanked him toward her by his tie. “Did you open it?”
One quick nod. Was that all Karen was going to get? She needed to know what was in Cinnamon’s email attachment. It had kept her up nights.
“And…?” she said.
“And you’ll find out,” Dub said. He gave Karen another hug. “I have to go line up.”
I’ll find out? Karen thinks. When? Now? Today? On our way back to Durango? How long is she expected to wait?
She almost wishes he’d never told her.