“What do you mean, it slipped?”

“I mean I… of course I didn’t know that he didn’t know”

Ari dropped her hands in desperation. Did Joe really just think she’d tell her 12-year-old that yes, he was her son but no, her husband was not his biological dad?

“How much did you tell him?”

“I basically… we were just joking around…”

This is why I should’ve stopped talking to Joe years ago, Ari thought. He was one of those effortlessly careless, happy people: which was obviously a bad thing when you let things like this slip.

“Joe just tell me,” Ari said, softening up.

“I told him he should angle his throws more to the right. That the angle of his throws is just like mine because, well because he’s mine,” Joe looked down at his feet as he said it, probably one of the only times Ari every him embarrassed.

“Richie doesn’t know,” Ari’s expression was stone cold.

“What? I thought you told him”

“Yes of course I told him he isn’t his, but I didn’t tel him he’s yours.”

“Shit Ari I’m…”

“Sorry, yes well I’m screwed so…”