STERLING
I lean backin my armchair, one leg crossed over the other, arms draped over the sides as I watch my daughter’s ‘gift’ to me take a seat opposite and retrieve a notebook from her purse.
Halliday Burton.
I’ve heard of her company. My brother, Clay, said she found a match for a business associate of his. The guy is expecting his second kid now. I don’t buy into all the cosmic-universe-sends-you-gifts, though. If that were true, my son would still be alive, and Sinclair and Sullivan would still have their mother.
She tucks a strand of short ice-blonde hair behind her ear, her fingers catching a pink stone in her earring, which she rubs like it’s a lucky talisman. She opens the notebook in her lap and smooths her hand over the pages.
“I have these questions in a digital file. So any you can’t answer now, or want to take more time to think over, I can send you a copy, okay? At this stage though, I like to write your answers for my own reference. I get a stronger feel of the intention that way.”
“Okay.” I smile at her, watching the way her eyes fall closed for a moment and a peaceful expression overtakes her face as she takes a deep breath and picks up her pen.
“Right. Let’s begin.”
Sullivan crosses his arms from where he’s chosen to stand, leaning against the kitchen counter, Monty on the stool beside him. Sinclair sits on the sofa, close to Halliday.
Everyone’s eyes are on me.
“Do you see yourself with a woman, a man, both, or a multiple combination?”
Halliday blinks innocently as my brows shoot up. “That’s…” I tilt my head, pursing my lips as I think. “… something I’ve never considered before.”
“A woman,” Sullivan clips. “Onewoman.”
I chuckle and turn my palms upward. “One woman, like my son says.”
“Mm-hm.” Halliday writes something in her notebook. “And when was the last time you went on a date?”
“I don’t recall.”
“Two Saturdays ago, he took Lavinia to see a play,” Sinclair offers.
“She’s just a friend,” I interject.
“Lavinia Weston? She runs the charity that raised five million for Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, correct?” Halliday waits patiently for me to elaborate.
“You’ve done your research.” I shift in my seat.
“I saw photographs of you at a fundraiser. Hmm, good.” Halliday smiles. “I look forward to meeting her. Okay, next question.”
“Go ahead.”
“When was the last time you had sexual relations? That can include oral sex, manual stimulation from another… anything more than kissing.”
Sullivan scoffs. “Fuck, I don’t want to hear this.”
“Shut up,” Sinclair snaps at him, then looks at me expectantly. “It’s fine, Dad. We’re all adults here.” Her eyes track to her brother’s and narrow in warning. “Do you want Dad to be happy or not?”
“I am happy, Sweetheart. I’ve got Seasons, and you two and Molly keep me busy.”
“I’ll mark that one down as something you can let me know later,” Halliday says as she writes in her notebook again.
Sullivan grunts, and Sinclair widens her eyes, shaking her head at him.
“I know we’re getting straight to personal questions. But there’s a reason they are structured this way. It really helps me get a read on your energy doing it like this,” she explains patiently.
“Carry on.” I roll my wrist, encouraging her. The sooner we’re done, the sooner I can get something to drink that’s stronger than the iced lemon spritzers Sinclair fixed for us.
