Gossip isn't really the right word, but I'm not sure what else to call it.

There are 2 of us in this office. The other guy has been here 6 years. I've been here 6 months.

There are two other people who work in the main office who live in town here. One I wrote off ever telling anything very early on, because she and my officemate are bosom buddies and I can't go to the bathroom without Alyssa finding out.

The other girl I thought was a little safer, but we went out to lunch this afternoon and she asked about my son.

You'll be reading more about this this week, because his birthday is Saturday and it's always hard for me, but I relinquished him for adoption as an infant and right now we only have email contact. which is more than I ever expected or hoped, and fine by me. It does, however, make answering people's innocent questions very difficult if I don't want to get into the whole story, which I usually don't.

The only way this girl could have known I *have* a son is through my officemate. I have never mentioned it to her, or to anyone else at work, actually. It made for an incredibly awkward moment, as I was caught completely off-guard and had to stumble for the vaguest answer I could off the top of my head.

My officemate has previously established himself as a grade A-1 jerk, and I try to avoid talking to him if I can help it So I don't know whether to bring this up, or let it slide, like I let everything else slide. What do you guys think?

Candy