Marvin wants me to be there when he and Trina break the news to Jason. I don't want to go, but I keep quiet and I agree. It all seems like it's going so fast— I only met Trina and Jason (formally, at least) a week ago. But Marvin says that they would rather be honest with Jason sooner than later.

And I'm a part of that.

I know it's going to be incredibly awkward seeing Trina again. I can't get the image out of my head, of her walking in on us, and I don't know how I'll be able to look her in the eye again. I don't say this to Marvin, but I definitely feel like he's rushing this. Maybe he just wants to get the worst parts over with. But I don't think any of us are really ready for this afternoon.

We go over, once again, before Jason gets home. Trina is a little more dressed up today, but I notice that her blouse is wrinkled and her makeup is smudged. She greets me and Marvin at the door and I don't meet her gaze.

"Marvin, can I talk to you in the kitchen?" she asks. Marvin nods, and they head off. I take my place on the living room couch, trying not to listen in, but it's difficult. "How are we going to do this?" Trina is saying. "He's just a kid. He's not going to be able to understand whatever is going on here."

"It's time we told him, all right?" Marvin sighs. "You can't— protect him from all this stuff forever, Trina."

"It's not fair," she says. "It's not fair for you to put me in this position! How am I supposed to explain to him that Daddy's been having an affair?"

I can hear the exasperation in Marvin's voice. "It's not rocket science, Trina. Parents get divorced all the time. And we can ease him into it—"

"Why don't I get to be eased into it?" Trina demands. "I had to find out when I walked in—"

Marvin clears his throat. "Whizzer!" he calls, and I straighten up, remembering I'm not supposed to be listening. "Can you come in here, please?"

I don't want to come in, I want to bolt out the door, but I take a deep breath before standing up and heading into the kitchen. Trina is leaning back against the counter, Marvin is by the doorway, and both of their eyes are on me.

"How's it going?" I ask weakly.

Trina just shakes her head and leaves. I stare at Marvin helplessly.

"Jason's going to be home soon," is all he says.

"How are we going to do this?" My mouth is dry. What if Jason hates me too?

And right then, we hear the front door open, and Marvin walks out of the kitchen. I don't know if I should follow him or come out later, but in the end I follow. I see Trina greeting her son at the door, straightening out her blouse and tucking her hair behind her ear. Jason looks at Marvin, and then he sees me.

I feel like I should say something. "Hey, bud."

He doesn't reply. Trina wrings her hands and steps out of the front hall, into the living room. "Jason, why don't you sit down? Your father and I want to have a talk with you."

"I have homework," Jason replies, his voice almost a whisper. "Can it wait until after?"

Trina shakes her head, and so they sit down. Marvin joins them, on Jason's other side. I hesitate before settling myself on the coffee table. Jason looks at his mother, his father, then at me. "What's going on?"

"Your mother and I..." Marvin glances at Trina, and then down at Jason. "We're getting a divorce."

The kid's face goes pale. "A divorce? That means you're breaking up, right?"

"Well... yes."

"Why?"

Marvin pauses, just for a beat. "Because... we wanted different things out of life."

"More like the same thing," I remark under my breath, but Marvin hears me and gives me a death stare.

Jason still looks confused. His eyes dart between Marvin and Trina, and I can tell he's probably waiting for one of them to explain, but neither of them do, so I step in.

"Jason, your dad and I have been seeing each other."

And now everybody is looking at me. God. I thought just meeting Marvin's family would be the hardest part. But now I'm starting to regret coming, regret everything.

"What does that mean?" asks Jason, staring at me.

Trina looks like she's holding her breath. I can feel my face getting warm. Marvin finally says, "it means that... I really like Whizzer. And we're together. The way your mom and I were together."

"Oh," answers Jason. He looks down at the floor, and the tension in the room is almost unbearable, between me, Marvin, Trina, the divorce, and Jason's reaction, I feel like I'm going to explode.

"Do you want to be alone for a bit?" Trina asks the kid, and he nods. Marvin stands up from the couch, watching as Jason hurries up to his room, just like the last time. He seems so confused about all this. I wish it didn't have to be this way for him.

"We should probably go," Marvin says quietly. "I'm going to start the car." So he does, and Trina and I are alone, for the first time ever. She doesn't say anything; she doesn't look at me. She's sitting there, holding her hands together, staring off into space.

I want to say something, anything, to reassure her, but how can I give her reassurance as the man who stole her husband away from her? I remember the time Marvin told me about, when she walked in on us, and suddenly I am very uncomfortable.

"I should go help him," I say, getting up quickly. "Help Marvin, I mean. Start the car."

Trina nods, still not looking at me. I take the opportunity to leave.