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We were at Cold Stone Creamery

"Isn’t it nice to know that you don’t have to keep faking it all the time, Mom," said Tammy as we all sat in a booth in the far corner

Although the weather ar My kids couldn’t keep their voices down even if I paid them to Especially not now Not with this o, it had been Anthony who suggested we all go get ice crea ly, just in the past two hours, the kids were getting along better And not just getting along but being - and get this - friendly toward each other At one point, Anthony suggested to Tammy that she try the Snickers on her ice cream, and she actually did She didn’t tell hinore him She didn’t tell him he was stupid and looked funny She said, "Sure"

I stood there in aed Anthony and pointed to a big stain on the worker’s apron and they both giggled

Together

Granted, they were laughing at so

Baby steps

I considered Tammy’s question as I sat with the two of theuave me the sredients in the flavor - but it was nice to chew and drink and look like a real mom I said to Tammy, "Yes It is a relief, actually"

"You don’t have to keep pretending to eat or to have stomach aches," said Anthony

"At least, not around you two," I said

"Or Daddy," said Anthony

"I don’t eat with Daddy any her ice creahtfully "But e are around other people"

"Yes, I will still have to pretend to eat, or pretend that I’m full, or pretend that I have a tuhtfully Sorown up Having access to others’to do with that Orthat her mother was the mother of all freaks, too

"Reain, "is a secret"

"We knoooooow," said Anthony, laying his head on the table "You told us like a Brazilian times"

"Bazillion," Tammy corrected "Brazil is a state"

"Country," I said

"Whatever," she said "The point is, we all have secrets now We should make a pact"

"What’s a pact?" asked Anthony

I waited for his sister to ridicule his question, or, at least, to roll her eyes at his siain by turning to hi forever"

"Forever?" said Anthony, blinking "But mom’s a htly losing her patience

"That’s what I said Mi time to keep a secret"

I nearly fell out ofso casually that I had tried so hard to keep secret from them was just too surreal I didn’t know if I should smile, weep, or fear for the mental health of all of us

"Okay," I said "We’ll make a pact to keep our secrets forever Deal?"