If I lost my cool and the committee tossed me, it would find a reason to toss her too.
The whole community would balk at it and we'd be the talk of town for months.
I would live through it because I didn't care what people thought, but Ember didn't deserve that.
"My personal life is not up for debate," I said through gritted teeth.
"It is when you make it public." He gestured toward Ember. "When you parade around town with a girl young enough to be your daughter and expect the community to celebrate it."
Ember had gone very pale.
I saw her hands trembling at her sides, saw the way she'd withdrawn into herself.
The pain in her expression twisted in my chest, and I felt helpless to shield her from it.
"Be reasonable, Nathan," my father said gruffly.
I ignored him and guided Ember toward a quiet corner near the coat check.
She was breathing too fast, her eyes bright with unshed tears.
"I'm sorry," I said. "I'm so sorry you had to hear that."
Her cheeks were streaked with tears as she looked into my eyes. "Do you regret this? Regret the choice to make me Hearthkeeper?"
The pain in her voice hurt me.
I cupped her face in my hands, forcing her to meet my gaze.
"Of course, I don't regret you," I said firmly. "Not for a single moment. I hate that people are cruel and that they're making a bigger deal out of this than what needs to be. I don't see you like they do."
"And what do you see?"
"I see a beautiful, strong, smart woman. And I see a chance for us to leave this mess and get some fresh air." I smiled at her and let her go.
Then I grabbed her sweater and we stepped outside to see a swarm of reporters.
They'd gathered, as was typical, to snap some pictures of the luncheon for the news, but I'd hoped to avoid them.
A cluster of them waited on the sidewalk, cameras at the ready and microphones extended.
They surged forward as soon as they spotted us, forming a semicircle that blocked our path to the parking lot.
"Dr. Bradley! A moment of your time!"
"Ember, how does it feel to be at the center of so much controversy?"
"Dr. Bradley, is it true the committee is considering removing you as Lightkeeper?"
I tried to guide Ember around them, but they moved with us, keeping pace and shouting questions.
Then one voice rose above the others, loud enough that everyone on the sidewalk turned to listen.
"Dr. Bradley, you just gave a speech about family values. How do you reconcile that with appearing in public with a woman young enough to be your child?"
The question angered me so much, I almost grabbed his mic and threw it, but with this many cameras around, it was a bad idea.
I didn’t even stop to justify the question at all.
