My fists ball at my sides. “Mychild.”
“Right, yes. Your child.” Jenna’s face screws up as if the words taste bad. “Isaac, I heard about your offer and I want you to think more about it. Saying no to Dr. Redmond is a bad idea. You could go so far with his help. A research position, Isaac.Research.That’shuge.”
Her words bounce around in my mind. To Jenna, this is the ultimate step in a flourishing career. I can see where she’s comingfrom.
“Jenna.” I pause to take in her face. She looks like she always has. I wonder what she’ll do when, inevitably, smile lines appear around her lips. “Sometimes, there are more important things than moving up in your career. And I hope you get to experience them.” I step through the open door and pause in the doorway. “I’ll see youaround.”
There’s no point in sticking around to here any other arguments she has prepared. She lifts her hand for a short wave, her face concerned, and I walkaway.
I’m not worried about my choice. I know mypriorities.
* * *
“Hi, sorry I’m late.”Lauren slides into the seat across from me. “Did youorder?”
I nod, checking the time on my watch. “I have a three o’clocksurgery.”
“Sorry, sorry,” she mutters, hooking her purse strap on the back of her chair. She brushes her bangs from her eyes and blinks atme.
“Stop,” I instruct as her eyes fill. “Nothing’schanged.”
“It feels different.” She bites her lip, but she can’t completely stop it fromtrembling.
“Did we go to see the Redwoods when you were eight? I tripped you, and you fell headfirst into a tree. Is thatright?”
Shenods.
“Did I chase your first date out of the house because he was adouchebag?”
A small smile moves her lips. “He was not adouchebag.”
“He was and you’re welcome.” I bow dramatically until she’s done laughing. Straightening, I grow serious. “My point is, everything’s the same. You knowing doesn’t change anything. Family islove.”
She makes a grunting noise in the back of her throat and rolls her eyes. “Don’t. I already heard those words from Mom. And now I understand why she’s been saying them our wholelives.”
The server drops off a basket of bread, and I thank him before he walks away. Lauren lays her napkin on her lap and tears a piece of bread in half. She pops it in her mouth and chews like the bite offendedher.
“Give Mom a break.” I take the other half of the bread and drop it on my plate. “I know it’s new to you, but I dealt with it a long timeago.”
“By going to a bar and making ababy.”
“Best decision I ever made,” I say around a bite ofbread.
She smiles. “It was, wasn’tit?”
Inod.
“How’s it going living with Aubrey and Claire? It’s been what, two weeks?” She sips herwater.
She’s changing the direction of our conversation, and I’m grateful. It’s not a pleasant subject for me, despite the fact that I’m as over it as I canbe.
I sit back in my seat, the tension melting from my shoulders. “It’s going well, I think. Claire’s adjusting. Honestly, she didn’t need much adjusting.” Claire’s an easy kid. I’ve yet to see her throw a fit, though Aubrey assures me she’s still on her best behavior, and it’s just a matter oftime.
“And Aubrey?” Lauren’s gaze pins me. This question is more difficult toanswer.
“Aubrey is…” I shift in my chair. “She’s adjustingtoo.”
“Why thehesitation?”
