“I know; I do too. I still called him even after your mother and I split.” My father clears his throat, and then again. “I’m sorry we didn’t find out sooner about the house.”
“Me too,” I say as I look around again, but I’m not sad. I’mhappy,my smile wide and bright. “But you know what?”
“What?”
“I don’t regret it, Dad. I hate the way it happened, but I wouldn’t trade my time with you. I went to the college I wanted to and got my degree, met my best friend, and convinced her to move here and take a chance on starting a business. I mean, really, all I need now is for you to finally move back here and enjoy your retirement.”
He chuckles. “You know what? I’ll think about it.”
“Really?”
“Really. Now go give Talon a real shot. I’m not as spry as I used to be, and I’m not so confident I could take him anymore.” He pauses. “And Cora?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m so proud of you. It’s an honor to be your father and watch you work for your dreams, to succeed, and to do it on your terms. There’s no greater joy than watching you become the woman I always knew you’d be.”
“I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you too. Now, go see about your boyfriend, and I’ll go see about retirement.”
“Deal.”
TALON
“Hey, what are you doing?”Bristol asks as she comes and stands behind me. Multiple web pages sit open but I don’t close any of it—I have nothing to hide. “Why are you looking up information on breast reductions?” she asks, moving toward the fridge and pulling out a bottle of water.
“I just wanted to know why someone would elect to have it done—what would make it be necessary,” I say as diplomatically as I can. I’d been woefully unprepared for some of the heartbreaking stories women had shared in the testimonials I’d found citing chronic pain, skin irritation, and in some cases nerve pain.
I don’t know what Cora’s specifics were, but when she is ready to share, I want to be able to respond accordingly and not like one of the absolute douchebags she’s dated.
The thought of it still makes me want to break shit with my bare hands, but I am trying to be an adult about this.
“Makes sense. I think I remember Cora having really huge boobs, but I’m not totally in the habit of checking out the tits on every woman who walks by,” my sister says casually and then smirks when she see my expression.
I clear my throat. “She shared a little about it, but I want to make sure I don’t fuck things up with her by being insensitive or whatever.” I leave out the part that I’ve been on this deep dive for almost a full week because I just don’t want to miss something.
“I think that’s really sweet.” Bristol cocks her head to the side. “You really like her, don’t you? Even after everything that’s happened between you two?”
“Yeah.” The admission is freeing and scary as hell. We’ve been at odds for so long, the quick transition from not being able to stand in the same room together to wanting to tear each other’s clothes off is something of an adjustment.
But I like it.
And I sure as fuck like her.
“It’s nice that y’all are talkin’ and not just ripping each other’s clothes off.”
“It doesn’t make it any less weird when you say it like that.”
“I know, but I’m just proud of you and I like seein’ you happy. Besides, what fun is it being the big sister if I also can’t embarrass you?”
She grins and I chuckle. “It would be a travesty for sure. Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you, how good are your computer skills?”
“Above average,” she says with a devious glint in her eyes that I want to know nothing about. “Why? Need something?”
“I don’t, but Cora does.”
22
