“Later. Right now, I’m way too close. I have to get to meet my mom.”
I took Emerson’s hand, and we walked quietly to the elevator. Once we were downstairs, I pulled her close. “When I get back from visiting my family, we need to have dinner, and you can tell me how you figured this all out. You sure you’re not a spy?”
This got me a laugh.
“I’m sure.”
I handed her a crisp Benjamin, waved over a cab, and waited for her to get in. “I hate this. You could stay, or I could take you.”
“It’s fine,” she said, sliding into the seat.
“Text me when you’re home. And think about next weekend with your dad,” I told her before shutting the door. I’d rather go with her, but Emerson needed to think she was independent. I could tell that was half the issue with her dad—asserting her independence.
It was the same with mine.
I walked Tuck around the block, watching his tiny bum shake and him tugging against the leash, taking my mind off my impending trip.
Emerson
The bar was crushed on Thursday night. I barely had a moment to look up from mixing drinks.
When I finally did, there was Bev dancing with the bunny. She stood behind him, shaking her hips, leaning out to the side so everyone could see her face.
She’d been here for a few hours, downing cosmos, letting loose. Her mom had told her she was coming back to work, and there was nothing Bev could do about it. Bev told me this over her first drink, sucking it back faster than I thought possible. Mostly, she was worried this would cause her mom to fall sick again. Even though she knew it wasn’t connected.
“Woo-hoo, I want to take the bunny home with me,” she said, bellying up to the bar.
I set a water in front of her, and she gulped it back without arguing.
“Maybe another night,” I told her, eyeing the bunny moving on to a guy, who I was pretty sure was more his flavor.
“Are you done yet?” she asked.
Her hair flopped to the side, revealing her long neck and delicate hoop earrings. Even in a dark bar, surrounded by drunks, halfway to trashed herself, Bev was a flower, meant to be a dancer.
“Another hour. Do you want to crash at my place?”
“Yesss. And then we can have bagels in the morning?”
“Of course. And maybe I’ll come to the bakery and help?”
“Sure. My mom’ll be there, so that’ll be good. I’ll have anotherrr,” she said, her words starting to slow and slur.
“Stick with the water, babe.”
Bev frowned but didn’t argue.
“Go dance some more, sweat it out.”
“On my way,” she said, already half off her stool.
I worked another hour, cleaned up with Randy, collected my tips, and decided on a cab, considering Bev’s condition.
Back at my place, we both crawled under the covers, Bev’s soft snores filling the room. Sleep escaped me, so I slipped out from the sheets, not that anything would wake Bev. With a cup of tea in hand, I sat on the windowsill and thought about what Price had said.
I had to tell Sheila and Bev. Tomorrow.
Endless scenarios ran through my mind, sleep evading me until the sun began to peek over the horizon. Lucky for me, Bev was fast asleep, and didn’t even flinch when I crawled back into bed.
