Trouble by Kate Christensen

three-year-old.”
    Anthony snorted gently.
    “Dad,” said Wendy patiently, “a cougar means a sexy older woman. She didn’t literally mean a large wildcat.”
    “I know what cougar means,” said Anthony. “I was just envisioning Raquel’s reaction to being called ‘a horny senior citizen.’”
    “Oh God,” I said. “That’ll mean five more Botox appointments and a week at a spa on a detox fast, with three colonics and five hours of yoga a day.”
    Anthony shook his head. “What did she do to deserve this treatment?” he asked.
    “She supposedly had an affair with Jimmy Black,” said Wendy.
    “Well,” said Anthony dryly. “Serves her right, then.”
    “The actor?” Wendy said with patient condescention. “From Endless Pool? That new show on HBO? That very popular and famous new show on HBO, which I’m not allowed to watch but all of my friends get to?”
    We did not have cable in our family, a sore topic for Wendy.
    “He’s a big TV star,” I said. “Indrani was telling me earlier.”
    “A big TV star with a pregnant girlfriend!” said Wendy. “The paparazzi caught Raquel coming out of the Four Seasons with him at four in the morning! He’s, like, twenty-three, and she’s …” She looked at me. “Your age,” she said.
    “A senior citizen,” I said.
    Wendy said sheepishly, “Okay, not that old. But a lot older than he is.”
    “Maybe they were just sitting in the hotel bar, having a meeting,” I said.
    “I don’t know,” said Wendy. “It said Raquel can’t be reached for comment. Anyway, his girlfriend is about to have a baby.”
    “I believe I’ll get back to work now,” said Anthony.
    He got up and left the room. We heard him in his little study off the kitchen, giving a little groan of relief as he sank into his armchair. Wendy giggled softly. I didn’t make a move to get up, and neither did she. We sat at either end of the couch, looking at each other.
    “I hope you’re going to be okay, Mom,” said Wendy.
    “This won’t be easy for any of us,” I said. “But just so you know, I’ll still be around. You might wish I would be around less, but that’s okay; that’s better than not enough.”
    She hesitated, seeming to be about to say something joking and deflecting, and then she said, “I’m glad. At least at first.”
    “It’s going to be okay. We’ll get through this. Daddy and I both love you so much.”
    She looked away, smiling slyly. “Daddy loves reading so much.”
    I laughed.
    “I heard that,” Anthony called from his study.
    “You’re not denying it, Daddy,” Wendy called back.
    “I deny it!” Anthony said.
    “Anyway,” said Wendy, “I think it’s lame for people to stay together just for the kids.”
    “You do?” I said.
    “Parents have needs. Kids shouldn’t run the universe.”
    I shook my head. “Where did you get this?”
    “My own independent thought.”
    I burst out laughing. She looked hurt. I stopped laughing and said, “Wendy, you’re allowed to be upset about this. You’re not required to be mature and accepting. You can get mad at me and tell me I’m a selfish bitch, if you want to. I can take it, I promise.”
    “Well, thanks,” she said. “I’ll keep that in mind, but I’m just saying, I think it’s probably for the best that you and Daddy are splitting up, Mom. I think it will benefit you both to be independent of each other if the marriage isn’t really working for you.”
    “She was a sage in her past life,” Anthony called.
    “Shut up, Daddy,” said Wendy, looking pleased.
    “With a Fu Manchu beard and yellow teeth,” he added.
    “Shut up, Daddy,” Wendy said again. “Anyway, Ariel’s parents got divorced three years ago, and she says they’re both much happier, and she and her little brother are, too. It means everyone is nicer to them and they get more stuff. Dad, can we get cable after Mom moves out? I’ll bother you so much less if we get it. Think about it.”
    I heard Anthony laughing.