Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 103620 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103620 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
“What happened to the diamond?”
And here it is. The one question I have made myself well prepared for.
I reach into my backpack and withdraw the box with the triangle etched on the top, place it on the ground in front of her. She stares at it. Then, gently, she opens it and looks at the glistening geometry sitting inside. She reaches out to touch it, but then pulls her hand back as if it might harm her.
“It’s yours,” I tell her. “It’s yours to do with as you wish. You may keep it, sell it, chop it into a thousand smaller pieces, toss it into the ocean right now, do with it whatever you like. We want you to have it. It belongs to you.”
She stares at it as the sun drops deeper into the horizon. She looks up at me, then back at the diamond. It must be strange to have heard the tale this day, the story of how we came to be here and she came to be at all, and then to see this mythic stone of creation looking back at her. Something like finding a real-life unicorn.
After many freighted moments (or, at least, moments which feel freighted to me), she reaches out her delicate hand and closes the box, pushing it toward me.
“It’s not mine,” Andra says. I say nothing, allowing her the chance to offer more if she wishes. “It’s not mine,” she repeats. “It’s yours. And Christine’s. And Danny’s. It’s not mine.”
I take her in, golden-blonde hair rivaled only by the golden-yellow dress she wears, and in the encroaching darkness, I let her see me grin. Not smile exactly, because that’s not the truest reflection of what her wisdom calls up in me, but there is a satisfaction that we have done our jobs so far in raising her that gives me pride. Both in her and in what we have achieved.
“All right,” I say, putting the box away in my bag. “Is there anything else then? Before we head back?”
She mulls it over, then says, “So, Christine and Uncle Charlie had an affair too?”
“... Honestly, I have no idea. Maybe? Not quite, I don’t think? Eh... That’s all not really... Know what? Maybe don’t bring that part up to your other Dad. Just to be safe.”
… NOW.
Christine, Danny, and Lizzy come to meet us as we walk up.
But what I notice more is who is not there.
“Hey,” Christine says, carefully. “You wore it.”
“Of course I wore it. Thank you,” Andra says, flinging herself around Christine and giving her a hug. She whispers something in Christine’s ear and Christine kisses Andra on the head.
“I love it,” Lizzy says, touching the fabric. “Is it vintage?”
“Yeah, it’s vintage,” Christine tells our other daughter, rubbing her arm lovingly as Christine and Andra share a furtive, semi-private look.
“Where are…?” I whisper as I lean into Danny.
“Plane. Mechanical issue,” he whispers back.
Kak.
“What are you whispering about?” Andra asks.
“Well…” I sigh. “It seems that a special surprise we had for you isn’t going to work out as we had hoped.” She looks at me with curiosity. “Your uncles were going to be here…”
“Along with a band and, like, just… it was going to be a whole thing,” Danny chimes in.
“But, apparently, there has been a transportation issue and they won’t be able to make it tonight.”
“Oh,” Andra says. I can’t tell if she’s disappointed or not. “That’s okay,” she says after a moment.
“We just wanted today to be as special as possible,” Christine offers.
“I know.” Andra smiles. “It is.”
“Christine, hey!” a man calls out.
We all turn to look as one and see a trio heading our way. A group of “khakis,” as Christine and Danny call them. Dad, Mom, and a freckle-faced little girl who looks to be about Lizzy’s age.
“Oh, hi,” Christine responds as they get near.
“Laura told us that Liz invited her to stay over at your house tonight and we just wanted to make sure that was really okay,” the mom says.
“Oh, yeah, sure. That’s fine. We’re about to start the bonfire and once we’ve had cake and whatever, she’s welcome to head with us back to ours.”
“That’s so sweet,” the mom coos.
“Are you Christine’s husband?” the dad asks Danny, extending his hand.
“No,” Danny says, but still shakes the man’s outstretched palm.
“Oh,” the dad says, clearly taken aback. “But… you are Liz’s father?”
“Yeah,” Danny says, offering no more. I see the man squirm a bit as he tries to avoid looking Danny in his one eye.
“And this is my other dad, Alec. And my sister, Andra. It’s her birthday. She’s the one we’re having the party for,” Lizzy says.
She could have said anything after “my other dad, Alec” and it wouldn’t have mattered. The second those words left her mouth, I saw the couple stop listening and start staring in my direction.