CHAPTER 28: JACK

“No, Mom. She's not a 'weekend buddy', as you put it,” I groaned into the phone.

“Well Maggie told Grace you were dating, and when Grace told me this morning over breakfast, I told her that was silly, that my boy isn't a dating kind of boy. She was adamant though, Jack, that you were dating this Sandra girl.”

“That's because I am.”

My mom has never been speechless before now. She had an answer for everything, and I guess that was where I got it from.

“You are?” she shrieked, delighted. “Oh, Jack! Tom, Tom! Grace was right! Jack has a girlfriend!”

I cringed at how high she was squealing to my father. I heard his baritone voice declaring, “That's lovely, darling, I'm so happy for him, but could you possibly turn down the strangled cat a notch or two?”

I snorted into my fist.

“Oh, what's she like, Jack? I must meet her. Oh, I'm so happy for you,” Mom babbled.

“Honestly, Mom, I'm dating her, not marrying her.”

“I know, I know, but she's your first girlfriend!”

“No she isn't.”

“Yes, darlin