“Ah.Well, we support you, and if things don’t go well, you always have a room with us.You are keeping your house, right?”Her mother gave her a one-armed hug.
“Yes, Mom.It has just been a few weeks.Thomas dated for a year and a half before they announced it was going further.”
“Yes, but...Thomas is older, and you are our little girl.”
She looked down at her mother.“Really?”
“Well, you were.Then you grew.”
They laughed.
“So, Hannah, what are you doing tonight?”
“Going to a few more of the houses on the list.How is the scheduling going?”
“Good.We are at capacity, but we have quite the lineup.It’s going to be a good year.”
“So, the family doesn’t have a problem if I toss some of these renos to extranaturals in the area?They have a vested interest in getting things working again.”
“It’s great.You are quite the bigshot now.”
Hannah snorted.“Yeah.I know.Especially when I wear my face without a glamour, it gets attention.”
“You are beautiful no matter what your skin looks like.”
Her dad walked in with a dessert bowl.“Still glad she found a black guy, but she always was an overachiever.She overshot the mark.”
Hannah grinned.“You know me.I like to work on theory and make it ideal in practice.”
Her dad said, “I have been thinking about that restoration specialist you met.Do you think she would work with us on fire damage?”
“Probably.I will talk to her about it.She’s dark fae, so she doesn’t do well with daylight hours for consults.Or...I don’t think she does.I know nothing about her.”
“Ah, well, ask her.I have been kicking around the idea of a restoration branch, and she could work constantly.”
“Right.So, is the family coming to the party?”
Her mother nodded.“Yes, but are things going to be safe for the kids?”
“Nothing weird until nine or so, so they can come for the games and BBQ.There will be a lot of off-duty XIA there, so it will be a very safe place to be.”
Her dad scowled.“What about the dark elves?”
“On their best behaviour with all of the ladies invited.They can shop on their own time.”Hanna grinned and finished the last dish.“And now, I have a date with a poltergeist.”
She took her leave with several hugs and headed to her evening appointment.Getting the houses back into circulation was why she was there.
Hannah hummed as she drove, moving aside to let a lit-up ambulance pass.She prayed that it wasn’t anyone she knew.
* * * *
Jennor pulled the carsapart.“Where’s the bus?”
Day-ek checked on the passenger.“You can hear it if you stop grunting.Reymark, can you find her ID?”
The driver was talking to the other team.A concrete truck had missed the light but not the car that had the green.The driver was shaken up but not too bad.The passenger had benefited from the airbags but was still not awake.
Day-ek watched the medic move across the shattered and stretched metal.
