Page 60 of The Crafting Con

“Ava, honey?” Mom’s voice pulls me from the dredges of self-pity. “You okay?”

I shrug, pretending to drink some OJ. “As fine as anyone can be knowing Archer Aimes is rolling into their town.” I make a show of gagging.

Mom shudders. “The stuff of nightmares.”

I manage a weak smile while I take my glass to the sink. “He’s a regular Freddy Krueger.” I press a kiss to the top of her head as I pass behind her. “Don’t let him ruin your day. I’m off.”

Mom’s goodbye follows me to the door, and I take heart at the fact that she already sounds better than she did before. Which is good, because I have enough to worry about as it is.

What am I going to do about the workshop? Someone has to be there with Declan. I drum my fingers along the straps of my backpack, feet scuffing the asphalt while I stand at the end of the driveway, waiting for Stasia. I could ask Stasia to cover for me, but she doesn’t know the first thing about prop-making. Maybe she could fake it, but if the convention committee discovered Declan brought an unqualified newb as his assistant, I doubt that’d go over too well. No, it needs to be someone with experience. That’s why Hiro enlisted me to replace him in the first place.

Actually, hold up. That’s not entirely true, is it?

It was part of a scheme to bring me and Declan back together. Hiro’s little party was a lie.

Which means…

I fling myself into Stasia’s car the moment she rolls up, breathing fast. “I need you to give me Hiro’s number.”

She raises a brow, looking properly confused. “Good morning to you too.” She pulls out her cell and rattles off the ten digits, which I type into my phone. “Any particular reason why?”

“Oh, nothing much, just found out my dad is going to be in town this weekend.” I glance at her and grimace. “I’ll give you one guess as to why.”

“No. I thought he stopped going to cons out here?”

“Apparently his wife’s pregnancy is making him nostalgic or something. He even asked my mom if he could come over for prom photos.”

“Seriously? Dude.”

I roll my eyes. “I know. The sad thing is he probably thought we’d be thrilled.” My fingers fly over the keypad, typing out a text to Hiro.

Me: This is Ava. Something came up, and I can’t help Declan on Saturday after all. I know the whole grandparent anniversary party thing was a scam, so if you can just ’fess up and help him out, that’d be amazing. I know how important it is to him that this workshop goes smoothly.

Regret curdles in my gut the moment I hit send. Do I really want to do this? Yes, the idea of seeing Dad at OA Con makes me want to projectile-vomit, and the added risk of betraying Mom doesn’t exactly feel good either. But I was looking forward to this. If anyone should back out of the convention, it’s Dad. Not me.

Am I really going to spend my entire life running from his memory?

My chest tightens, and I suck in a ragged breath. Mom’s drinking, Dad’s baby announcement and return to OA Con, the splashes of color Declan’s added to my life these past few weeks—they all swirl around me in a dizzying blur. Vying for priority.

My cell pings with Hiro’s response, the words floating off the screen as if in a dream.

Hiro: Declan told me about your dad’s surprise guest appearance. That sucks, and I totally get not wanting to be there. Will definitely step up and help Dec out. Don’t even worry about it.

He knew?

I blink, but the message remains the same. “Declan told me.”

He told Hiro, but not me? Don’t jump to conclusions. He may have just found out this morning.

I take a deep breath, willing my hands to stop shaking.

Me: Thanks for covering, Hiro. You’re a real HERO (> <). I didn’t realize Declan knew about my dad coming. I only just learned myself. When did he tell you?

I melt into the seat, staring at the screen while the little dots appear, then disappear. More air squeezes from my lungs with each passing moment.

Stasia slides out of the car. “You coming? I’ve gotta lock up.”

I manage to stumble outside, one eye still on the screen. Waiting. Then finally,