The Hanging Hill

82

Zack borrowed Meghan’s cell phone so he could talk with his father.

“That’s right,” his dad said. “Before we met, your mother was an actress.”

Zack, Zipper, and Meghan were sitting on a park bench in the small town square in front of the library.

“Did you know that she used to do shows at the Hanging Hill Playhouse?”

“No. She never talked about her acting career. Your mother’s parents thought acting was a waste of her time and her expensive college education. They encouraged her to give it up, which she did, long before I met her.”

“Well, she did like half a dozen shows with the Pandemonium Players. I’m surprised she never talked to you about it.”

“Yeah,” said his dad, sounding sad. “Me too.”

Neither Zack nor his father said anything.

“Guess I’d better go,” mumbled Meghan. “Schoolwork.”

“Dad, I gotta run.”

“Yeah,” said his father. “So, hey, how are you and Judy making out over there?”

“Okay,” said Zack.

“The plumbers came today. Put in new toilets at the house.”

“I’ll tell Judy.”

“Is she there with you?”

“No. She’s still in rehearsal.”

“Tell her to call me before she goes to bed tonight, okay?”

“Sure.”

“Hey, Zack?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too, Dad.” He closed up the cell phone, handed it back to Meghan.

“Are you going to be okay?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“Kind of freaky, hunh? Finding out your mother had this whole secret life nobody knew about.”

“Yeah. But you know what’s even freakier?”

“What?”

“In that photograph, she was actually smiling.”

“What’s so freaky about that?”

Zack turned to face Meghan and raised his right hand to let her know that what he was about to tell her was the absolute truth: “I have never, ever seen my real mother smile in a photograph.”

“Okay. But have you ever seen any pictures of your mom from before you were born?”

“Yeah. Just now.”

“I mean besides the one in the program. Just her and your dad, maybe, before you came along?”

“Sure. Their wedding pictures. A couple snapshots in the photo album. Vacations and stuff.”

“Was she smiling in those?”

Zack thought about it.

“No.” Even in her wedding pictures, his real mom looked super-serious. “That’s why it took me a while to recognize her in the playbill.”

“See?” said Meghan.

“See what?”

“You didn’t make her stop smiling, Zack. That was something she’d decided to do long before you came along. If your real mom wasn’t happy, I don’t think it was your fault.”

Zack smiled. “Thanks, Meghan.”

“I gotta go. Catch you later!”

Meghan took off running, headed for the theater.

A theater where Zack’s real mother had once performed.

Zack’s heart started pounding harder.

That meant she could come back!

“Anyone who ever traipsed across the boards or worked here behind the scenes” was welcome to return, according to Justus Willowmeier III.

Anyone.

Including Susan Potter.