Over the past week, I’d seen her get closer with my family and had felt she had fit well, but hearing him say that settled that into place.
“Thanks, Sam,” I said.
He shrugged. “Hey, we’re all in this trauma bond together now.”
I laughed. He was right, and while I felt better, my head was still a mess about Juniper.
Juniper
After breakfasta few days later we decided to split off. The girls had planned a spa day while the rest of us played billiards in the lounge downstairs. It was a tradition we’d had since we were in high school. Each time one of us was old enough, we’d be allowed to go. When I was young, I thought it was fun and exciting—especially since it was one of the only times we were able to see our father for more than five seconds.
However, I quickly learned it was about giving him time to corner us and give one or all of us some lecture about life. I did like the hard cider they kept in the cellar here, however, so that was always nice.
Separating Samuel and Rachel was like pulling teeth, neither wanting to leave the other, and while it didn’t feel like that with Juniper, it wasn’t exactly easy. We’d spent every day together for the past week and a half, and thinking about spending this one without her felt strange.
But she would have a good time with my mother and Rachel, at least. I still reserved opinions on Tiffany, though Juniper seemed to see a different side to her than I did.
When we got there, the table was set up just as it always was. I ran my finger over the deep wood on the outside. There was a slight run in the wool from my first time here, when I tried knocking the ball too quickly and hit the cloth, causing it to ripple. It reminded me of all the times I’d gotten the “you’re a fuck up, get better” talk in here.
It started that first year. I was in ninth grade and not quite as much of a shit as I was now. I was still looking to impress my father. But we came here and he went after Arthur about his grades, went after Samuel for not being serious enough, then me for what felt like… everything.
The next few years I spent trying to do better, hoping each year he would change his mind and offer me a compliment.
That day was still yet to come. I realized it was better to try to be all the things he said I was. Incompetent, head in the clouds, only focused on what I wanted. I figured I would at least make all those things true, so when he said it, I really couldn’t fight him about it.
Though I was prepared for this year’s reaming, I wasn’t looking forward to it.
“Who’s ready to play?” my father asked as he came down the stairs.
“I call Ellery,” Samuel said before anyone got settled.
“That’s because you want me to carry you,” I said.
Though I’d been terrible that first year, and the year after that, almost every bar had a pool table so I got pretty good.
“We’re just a winning pair,” he said with a toothy grin.
“Fine, I can play with dad,” Arthur said, not truly caring either way.
Arthur queued up the balls and Samuel chalked his stick, waiting for them to be set. Once ready, Sam lined up for way longer than necessary and hit the balls on the right, not fully breaking the triangle but spreading some out a bit.
Then the game began, Arthur going next, then me, then Dad. We played a few rounds like that, and balls started sinking until we were down to three and they had four.
“How are you and Tiffany?” Dad asked Arthur.
Now it starts,I thought to myself.
“Fine,” he said, not elaborating further.
“That’s good,” Dad said. “Her father is a fine man. Just make sure your eye is on the ball. We all know the company needs to be your focus for your future.”
“I agree,” he said, missing his shot.
Arthur had always been better at doing this. Maybe it was because he’d been getting these talks for so long, he became numb to it. Or maybe they have similar talks all the time. Arthur and Dad worked so close together every day it must have come up at least some times.
We played another round, almost nothing changing. Dad managed a lucky shot that tied us up.
“And Samuel, how are you and Rachel?”
