“Only a few factors?” I asked, my pulse quickening. “Seriously?”
He chuckled. “Give or take a hundred. You know how it is.” He turned to face me. His narrow face was gaunt, and his eyes were shadowed, but his smile was as wide as ever. “One step forward, two steps backward…into infinity.”
I smiled faintly. Stepping backward into infinity was exactly what dementia was forcing him to do.
“But even this great work isn’t everything,” Dad said. “We must remember our Goethe: All theory is gray, but forever green is the tree of life.”
“Yeah, speaking of, the Math & Physics Club throws a Christmas party every year. I was thinking we could have it here.”
“Here?”
We glanced around the small, dimly lit living area with its shabby furniture and stacks of books on every available surface. It was December fifteenth and no sign of Christmas anywhere. No greentree to speak of.
He rubbed his chin. “Not very merry, is it?”
Shame burned my cheeks. “Fuck, I’m sorry. I’ve been so wrapped up with Emery and training for spring row season—”
“Not your fault, my boy. I’ve been no help, buried in theorems for weeks.” His smile fell. “Christmas was always your mother’s favorite. She made it so festive.”
“I’llmake it festive,” I declared. “I’ll ask Emery to help. This is exactly her skill set. She’ll make it beautiful, and we’ll have a suitable party.”
“Wonderful!” Dad said. “Won’t that be nice to have your friends over, with food and lights and a tree? You and I will play piano for them, and we’ll have music and lots of joy.”
“That’s exactly right,” I said gruffly. “Everyone from the club is eager to meet you.”
“Me?” He looked overcome for a moment. “Why that’s…unexpected. How lovely. Thank you, Xander.”
“Yep.” I cleared my throat. “Emery will be here soon. We’ll get right on it.”
“Wonderful.” He smiled and laid a shaking hand on my shoulder. “My eyes are tired. I think I’ll take a nap. Give you two some privacy.”
I let loose a shaky breath. “Thanks, but getting her through her calculus final is my number one priority.”
“Sure, it is,” he said. “Use protection!”
“Dad.”
“What?” he said innocently. “I’m merely reminding you to safeguard your axioms toprotectagainst inconsistencies.” He tsk-tsked me with a wink and a grin. “Get your mind out of the gutter, son.”
I chuckled and watched him retreat to his room, wondering how I could feel so happy and so sad at the same time.
Chapter 26
Emery
“Where is everyone?” I asked, glancing around the empty classroom.
Thursday afternoon was our prom committee meeting and the only other person in the room was Delilah Winslow.
“I think it’s just you and me now,” she said, tucking a few ringlets behind her ear. “Elowen and Sierra have, um…other commitments.”
That didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would. I was seeing less and less of my old friends and spending more time with Harper, and as many afternoons and weekends with Xander as I could get away with.
“Why are you still here?” I asked. I hadn’t forgotten that the Academy’s premiere gossip had been responsible for spilling Xander’s home situation to the whole school.
“Because I want to be,” Delilah said earnestly. “I know how talented you are, and I really want to help make this prom something amazing.” Her gaze dropped to her perfectly manicured fingers. “And also…I miss hanging out with you. Sierra’s been so busy lately, and Elowen has completely taken over the dance team since you left. She acts like she’s queen of the school, and I’m just…I’m tired.”
Delilah sounded like how I felt at the start of the year, but that didn’t mean I could trust her.
