“He won’t care. He’ll be ecstatic, actually, and make a bunch of really inappropriate jokes.”
“I like him already. Can I meet him?”
“I don’t think…” Xander stopped. “Actually, yes. You should meet him. Because I shouldn’t be embarrassed.”
“No,” I said with a smile. “You shouldn’t.”
My dress and coat were still a sodden mess, so I had to stay in Xander’s Langdon sweatshirt and pajama pants. He found me a plastic bag for my wet clothes and heels, and then we went down.
In the Fords’ small kitchen, Xander’s father was humming as he pulled bacon and eggs from the fridge. He had Tim Burton hair—dark but graying and sticking out all over—and wore a maroon bathrobe over his blue pajamas.
“Hey, Dad,” Xander said from the entry, his hand clasped with mine. “I’d like you to meet someone.”
“Hm?” Dr. Ford turned and stared at me a moment, his eyes—blue like one of Xander’s—going between the two of us. Then a sly look came over his angular features. “Well, who is this lovely young lady?”
“Emery, this is my dad, Dr. Russell Ford. Dad, this is Emery Wallace.” Xander’s face turned red. “She’s, uh…she’s…”
“I’m his girlfriend,” I blurted and then flinched. The words hung in the air, and it was too late to snatch them back, so I started stammering like a madwoman. “I mean…we’re not dating anyone else, right? I don’t want to be with anyone else…but, maybe it’s too soon—?”
Xander glanced down at me; his smile was like the one from earlier—so touched and happy, I wanted to cry. Understanding passed between us. It may have only been one kiss, one night, but that kiss was seven years in the making, and neither of us wanted to waste one more second.
“Yes,” he said. “She’s my girlfriend.”
I’m his girlfriend.It felt so much different than what I’d been with Tucker.Because this is what it’s supposed to feel like.
“Very pleased to meet you, Emery.” Dr. Ford held out his handfor me to shake, and it trembled as if he were cold. I felt Xander tense beside me, while his father stared fearfully. He started to withdraw it, but I was quicker.
“I’m very happy to meet you, Dr. Ford,” I said, taking his hand in both of mine. “Xander’s told me so much about you.”
“Has he?” He beamed as the tension in the room eased. “Only good things, I hope. And please. Call me Russell.”
“He tells me you’re working on a unified theory, and that you’re close to solving it,” I said awkwardly, like trying out a foreign language with a native speaker for the first time.
“Could be, could be,” Russell said, resuming his breakfast prep. “Are you interested in physics, young lady?”
I’m interested in the physical perfection of your son,I thought and suppressed a giggle. “I think it’s fascinating, but I can’t hope to understand it.”
“Ah, spoken like a true physicist already! It was the great Richard Feynman who declared that nobody understands quantum mechanics.” A mischievous glint came to his eye. “I believe it was also Feynman who said, ‘Physics is like sex: Sure, it may give some practical results, but that’s not why we do it.’ Isn’t that right, son?”
“Jesus, Dad,” Xander said, mortified, while I shook with laughter.
Russell grinned. “You may have discovered better than I, Miss Emery, that it’s very easy to make my boy blush.” He reached his trembling hand and fondly patted Xander’s cheek, but then his smile fell. “What’s this bruise?”
“Rowing accident,” Xander said quickly. “Dad, I have to get Emery home. We have school.”
“Very well. Lovely to meet you, Miss Emery.”
“You too, Dr. Ford—Russell.”
We went to the garage, and in the car, Xander’s expression was pained. “The tremor is new. It’s a symptom of Lewy body dementia, which is like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s all rolled into one.”
“I’m so sorry, Xander,” I said, taking his hand and entwining myfingers with his. “Your dad is wonderful. It only took a minute to fall in love with him.” I smiled gently. “Must run in the family.”
Xander kissed the back of my hand. “Thank you. I needed to hear that.”
“Butmydad on the other hand…” I gave myself a shake. “I’m about to go into battle. Before we get to my house, I need to call for reinforcements.”
I pulled out my phone—my stomach clenching at all the texts and missed calls from my parents—and called Harper.
