One Last Lie by Rob Kaufman Page B

hand. “And don’t even mention Tommy’s name. The last person in the world I’d marry is him .” She pushed the hair from her eyes. “So anyway, I’ve been thinking back to all the boyfriends I had, trying to figure out who might have the best genes. You know, someone I’d want to use as a sperm donor. And really, only one guy stands out.”
    June let the label fall into one of the openings of her blanket and gave Angela a “Well… who is it?” look.
    “I had this boyfriend in college, Philip. Handsome, smart, sweet, and just an all-around good guy. I did some digging and found out he lives in Connecticut, an hour from here by train.”
    “That’s great!” June feigned excitement, Klonopin still at the forefront of her thoughts. “So, do you think he’d do it?”
    “Well, that’s only one part of the problem,” Angela gazed out the window behind June. “The other problem is, he’s gay.”
    June pulled her head back, confused and waiting for Angela to continue. But she didn’t and June was panicked that she’d say the wrong thing or ask the wrong question. They sat in silence until Angela sighed.
    “No, I didn’t turn him gay, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
    June pulled the blanket closer. “Of course I wasn’t thinking that! What’s wrong with you?”
    “He must have been gay all along and just came out later in life. Cause I have to tell you, the sex we used to have was unfreakin’ believable. He was so…” She stopped herself and patted June’s hand, as though acknowledging June’s obvious lack of sexual experience. “Anyway, he’s living with some guy, like I said, in Connecticut. Westport, I think.”
    June smiled, hoping what she was about to say would make Angela happy.
    “That’s not such a bad thing, if you think about it, Angie. Two gay guys who can’t have their own kid probably want one, but can’t find the right woman. What could be a better scenario than having a beauty like you come along and ask for a donation? You’d have a child and they’d be daddies. Everyone would be a winner!”
    “My thoughts exactly,” said Angela, fingering the remote buttons. “But they’ll have to understand I’m the mother and the baby stays with me. I want to bring her up and take care of her. You know, have her full time. They can visit whenever they want to and take her to the park and stuff, but I want her to be mine.”
    This time June patted Angela’s hand. “Wow, you have this all figured out, huh? That’s a good thing. At least they’ll know where you stand before you all agree to something.” June grabbed a handful of popcorn and ate one kernel at a time. “So, let me ask again, how can I help?”
    “Really, just for support,” Angela said. “I might need you around when I’m getting the sperm ready for injecting, but I also think it’s good idea for me to have a witness around — someone who sees what we did and how we did it. You know, just in case.”
    The last “you know” made June uneasy. Something wasn’t sitting right in the air between them and she wanted to find out what it was before she agreed to anything that could get her into more trouble. It took her awhile to get the words out, trying carefully not to fumble. “What’s going on here, Angie? What do you mean, ‘just in case?’ What aren’t you telling me?” She attempted to keep a smile on her face, though her insides were tighter than harp strings. She awaited Angela’s verbal explosion.
    Angela wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Nothing,” she said casually. “There’s absolutely nothing I’m not telling you. I’m just saying there are endless ways this could end up. And I can see possible legal issues, too. So we… I mean, I…need to be a little careful.” She finally looked directly at June. “And of course, being my child’s godmother, you should be involved from the very beginning.”
    A deep throb pushed through June’s chest and into her throat. She couldn’t believe