“Like what?Dressingup like a dinosaur for your dream job?”
She snorted again, smiling as she shook her head at me. “You’resuch a jerk.”
She paused, as though reflecting.
“For your information,Idreamt more about having a family than anything else.Then, once that dream came true,Idreamt about my dream job.”
Annnnd nowIfelt like an ass.
“Well, now that you have both a family and your dream job, do you ever dream about a wedding?Orhaving your own family?”
She turned and stared at me for several moments. “Whyare you asking me these things,Archer?”
Better late than never. “BecauseIshould have asked you these things years ago.I’mtrying to make up for lost time.Plus,Igenuinely want to know.”
She turned her head away from me and stared at the drink in her hands for several seconds as though she was contemplating how to answer my questions. “Irisalways said she wanted to get married on the farm, surrounded by the animals,” she said, breaking through the silence. “It’sher idea, soIcan’t just take it.Plus,I’mnot sure the animals being that close would bring a pleasant smell to the wedding.ButIthought it was a nice idea.Justbeing on a beautiful piece of land with friends and family around.”
I agreed with her on the smell.
“I thinkI’dlike to have my own kids someday.Butthere’s also a part of me that wants to do whatMomandAuntiedid.Helpout kids like me who don’t have a family.”
That suited her, but my only response was a nod.
“What about you?” she asked. “Iknow your mom died before we met, butIdon’t know much about your family.”
As much asIhated talking about this,Iguessed turnabout was fair play.
“My mom met my dad in college inGeorgia, where they both grew up,”Itold her. “Mydad had big aspirations in politics but knewGeorgiawould be a tough sell since it was a much bigger state and more competition, so they moved toUtah.”
“Ahh, okay.Iknew you grew up inUtahso that makes sense,”Acechimed in.
“Yeah, he started off as mayor of some small town and then worked his way up for the next twenty years, peaking as aUtahsenator,”Iexplained.
“What are your parents’ names?” she asked andIwas taken aback thatIhadn’t told her that already.
“Aileen andAndreas.”
“And your mom isFrank’ssister, correct?” she asked, making the connection toVince’sdad.
“Yeah,”Iconfirmed. “Weused to visitGeorgiaat least two to three times a year.Atfirst, my dad went with my mom and me, but as the years went on, he started going less and less, claiming he had to stay and help his constituents or campaign.Iremember overhearing my aunt and uncle talking whenIwas younger about how they were pretty sure he stayed behind to hang out with his mistress.Ididn’t know what that meant at first but figured it out onceIgot older.”
“I’m sorry,”Acewhispered beside me.
“Eh, my dad is a dick, so it didn’t surprise me,”Iconfided. “Honestly, it was more fun with just my mom and me on the trip anyway.”
I paused, knowingIwas about to get to the deep stuff—stuffIhadn’t talked about in years.
“My mom was diagnosed with cancer whenIwas in college,”Itold her, butIcouldn’t look at her.Instead,Ijust stared off into the distance. “Theone and only perk of my dad being a high-up politician was that we had access to the best healthcare and doctors money could buy.Shegot better for a while, but the cancer came back whenIwent into the police academy.”
She reached over and put her hand on mine.Shesaid no words, but the comfort of her hand was there.
“She died three months later—right beforeIgraduated from the academy.”
“I’m sorry.Forboth your loss and your dad’s,”Acesaid softly, having no idea how much of a prick my dad really was.
“Oh,Idoubt my dad was upset,”Itold her. “Onthe surface, he played the distraught husband well, but he moved his mistress into his house as soon as my mom’s body was cold.Amonth afterIgraduated from the academy, he asked me to start helping him cover up bribes and anything else that might come up.”
I heard a gasp next to me, knowingAcewas getting to know the real side of my sperm donor.
