Prologue
"You know the storm’s going to pass in a few hours. Just wait until it's over," I tease as he sets the last bag by the front door.
“Gotta get a head start so we can get there early,” Adam laughs as he looks around the house one last time. "Tell me again why you won't come with us?"
I huff and roll my eyes again. I swear the only person this man fully listens to is his wife.
"I told you I have a meeting tomorrow with a lawyer to discuss the next steps for Octavia. Something you should really be here for."
"Can't it be pushed to next week? I promise as soon as we're back, all my focus will be on Octavia. Angie has wanted to go to this for the last two years but it's impossible to get a babysitter for a week so we had to wait until she was older."
"You think a three-year-old will sit still and look at stars?" I laugh. Angie's been talking about the Grand Canyon Star Party for threemonths.
"We're going to try."
"The party lasts eight days. Can't you leave tomorrow after the meeting or even the morning after? You'll still have a few days to look at stars."
"When you finally settle down, you'll learn that a happy wife means a happy life," he laughs, and I can't help but roll my eyes again.
This man found his true love when we were seventeen and married her by eighteen. Their daughter was born shortly after that, and they've been the perfect family ever since. He wants the same for me, but I'm not ready to settle down. We're barely over twenty one. We have the rest of our lives for him to set me up on horrible blind dates with women that he and Angie pick for me because they think she's perfect for double dates. Needless to say, it hasn't gone well.
"What are you boys laughing at?" Angie asks as she steps into the living room holding their daughter.
"I was just trying to convince Myles to come with us."
"And I was trying to convince Adam to stay one more day because we have a very important meeting with a lawyer tomorrow about Octavia," I counter.
"Hunny, we can wait and leave tomorrow night."
"That'll set us back two days. No. Myles can handle it on his own. Can't you Myles?" Adam's eyes widen begging me to drop it.
"Of course. I'll handle it all on my own but when you get back…"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. All work and no play. Got it," he laughs. "I'll go get her in her car seat."
Angie and I watch as Adam throws the last duffle bag over his shoulder and walks out in the rain to the car.
"I tried to get him to at least wait until the storm passes. You know how dangerous the roads can be during this shit."
"We'll be all right. You know how he is. Always on a time schedule." She grabs her purse and looks around the house one last time. I walk out to the car with her. The rain has slowed to a light drizzle right now, but according to the forecast, the whole state is under a flash flood warning.
"You guys have fun. I'll be here…Alone…All by myself," I tease as I nudge his shoulder.
"We'll call you when we get to the hotel tonight." He gives me a side hug before getting into the car.
"Love you. Try not to work yourself to death," Angie says as she hugs and kisses me on the cheek.
"I won’t.”
"Say bye bye to Uncle Milo, sweetheart," Angie says as she climbs into the back seat.
"Bye bye!" She screeches as her hand wildly waves out the window.
"Goodbye, Sunshine."
CHAPTER 1
Myles
