Chapter Twenty-Four
Franklin
Asher unloaded the last of the boxes out of the truck as Rory carried them into the garage behind the shop. The fall was turning toward winter, and some of the trees were bare, their gray branches stretching across the sky.
“The costumes were always my favorite part,” Rory said. “One time, there was a whole squad of Care Bears.” He set the backdrop to the display against the wall, then brushed his hands off. “Do people still know what Care Bears are?”
“I’ve heard of ‘em,” Asher replied, dropping a box to the table. “The costumes were pretty dope. I was surprised how many people dressed up. Like, the guy working the front desk was a… what’s the word?”
“Skrull,” I answered with a nod.
“Green guy from the movies,” Asher explained to Rory.
He chuckled. “I think I’m familiar.”
The entire project had been a success, with more than one person complimenting the display we’d put together. The man who owned the gaming company promised to tell his friends, and we’d picked up a few business cards as well, including a large project helping set up a horror convention in the spring.
It wasn’t exactly a pairing of brains and brawn. Asher needed a second set of hands to help with the installation, and more than once, I’d gotten sidetracked networking with another business owner, leaving Asher to make last-minute decisions about the display and merchandising. It was more like we were a team, and stronger for it.
I leaned back, content to know that things were still humming along nicely in the store while I gave my attention to this new project. A new chapter seemed right. Not one that put an end to what mattered before—that was all still with me. But one that built on what was good, that allowed me to keep growing and changing.
I was damn lucky to have a husband like Rory to support me in that, and a boy like Asher to make it all possible.
“The enthusiasm is really what won me over, too,” Rory agreed, stroking his beard as he reflected on the cons I’d managed to drag him to. “Once, I even got recruited to play an orc in a life-sized game of fantasy chess.”
Asher crossed his arms over his chest. “Sexy orc,” he purred.
I wasn’t sure if Asher had it in him to be a proper geek. That ship might have sailed. But with enough cons and enough time with Rory and me, I figured we could at least make him an honorary member of the club.
I mean, come on, the guy just called Rory a sexy orc.
Asher jumped to sit on the table, swinging his legs beneath him. His black boots were dusty from a day of work and the cuffs of his jeans rolled up. “Since I’ve been all up in your comic shop,” he said. “I thought maybe it was time the two of you come chill in my world.”
I caught Rory’s eye. “Your world?” I asked.
“Most of my world,” he answered with a wave of his hand, “can fuck off. But Lilith’s been asking about you both for a while now. I thought maybe we could play a game of pool, introduce you?”
“Now you’re in trouble,” I said with a laugh.
“What?” Asher asked, looking back and forth between us. “What did I do?”
“Rory is an absolute pool shark. A real Jaws.”
Rory shrugged. “There was a pool table in the graduate lounge when I was getting my PhD.”
“A challenger,” Asher purred. “I like it.”
Rory chuckled. “I’m sure you do. And I look forward to seeing what trouble you get into when you lose.”
Asher stuck his tongue against the side of his mouth, seeming to consider the possibilities, then nodded. “So that’s a yes?”
“Just don’t bet your pants,” I teased. “It’s too cold outside to watch you run around in your underwear again.”
RORY
Marlene curled up at my feet, her paws folding on top of my slippers as she yawned. It was Sunday afternoon and time for our regular family meeting with Ava. Over the course of the semester, the talks between the three of us had gotten more and more casual. We always started with a story about Annabel and made sure to give Ava plenty of time to share her feelings, but she tended to save the hard stuff for our family therapy sessions.
Instead, the Sunday meetings had turned light, filled with more laughter than anything else. It was a welcome change, although I was a bit nervous we might catch her off guard with our announcement that day.
