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“Right. I never heard you or anyone suggest anything to avoid paperwork or corporate rules.” A deep sigh escapes me. “I just don’t feel like saying anything right now makes sense. The gala is next weekend, though. I don’t want this to overshadow the event. I worked too hard to make this mine to have it all blow up in my face because of who I’m dating.”
“You think Roman would be that upset?” Shilpa asks.
“Maybe? Probably. I don’t know. But my birthday is this weekend, and my mom is coming to visit. There’s just a lot.” I love my mom, and time with her always makes me miss her. It also reminds me that I was too much for her to take care of and that my dad had to make sacrifices for my well-being. It’s a weird cycle.
“And then the team is heading into playoffs. There’s so much going on. What if my dad freaks out and it screws up his game? What if it costs them the playoffs?” I’ve had terrible dreams the past couple of nights where they lose. Because of me. My dad has given up so much for me, and he’s so excited about this season and the potential for Toronto to make it to the end. To screw the team out of a potential Cup win, especially this close to the end of my dad’s career… The guilt would be crushing. What if my dad blames me? What if I hurt him so badly he won’t talk to me or Hollis anymore? The shame spiral is too overwhelming.
“What if he’s totally fine with it?” Shilpa asks.
I give her a look. “Considering I’ve only ever had one hard and fast rule and that’s to never date a player, I just can’t see it. Especially because that player is also his best freaking friend.”
“As someone who appreciates the importance of rules, I’ll also point out that you’re an adult. And that the longer you wait, the more difficult it will be,” Shilpa says gently, echoing Tristan.
“We just need a little time,” I assure them. “We’ll get through the gala and exams. Then we’ll tell my dad.”
CHAPTER 32
HAMMER
“Happy birthday, sweetie!” Mom steps into Dad’s penthouse and wraps me in an embrace.
“Hi, Mom.” I breathe in the scent of sage and patchouli and lift a hand to wave to North, her life partner, who’s standing behind her with their backpacks.
Mom is the embodiment of a hippie, from the waist-length hair braided at the crown to the flowy skirt to the off-the-shoulder oversized Grateful Dead tie-dyed T-shirt that’s older than I am.
“I’ve missed you so much.” She squeezes me.
“I’ve missed you, too.” I haven’t seen her since Christmas, when I went to visit her at a Reiki retreat.
She inhales deeply, taking my hands as she steps back. “Are you wearing a new perfume?”
An hour ago my dad ran out to pick up a last-minute something or other—he was not specific—and I ran over to Hollis’s for a birthday quickie. I probably smell like his cologne. I plan to sneak back over later tonight.
“Oh, uh, I ran out of my usual soap.” Lying to my dad is hard enough, but my mom is unnervingly observant.
“Your energy is…” She tilts her head, gaze shifting behind me to where Dad is standing. Her eyes hold questions when they return to mine, but she’s smiling. “There’s just so much going on, isn’t there? Your birthday, the gala next weekend, finals, graduation, life.”
“Yeah.” I squeeze her hands. “There’s a lot going on.”
My mom is a lot of things, highly intuitive being one of them. She practices Reiki and teaches palmistry. She’s as woo-woo as they come, and I adore that about her. That she and my dad ever ended up together, however briefly, is a mystery. Hormones are mostly to blame, and charisma.
“You’ll have plenty of time to fill me in on everything.”
I nod. “For sure.” My stomach is already roiling.
She lets my dad pull her in for a brief hug while I do the same with North. His long, dirty-blond hair is pulled back in a ponytail, and he’s wearing an ancient Beatles shirt, linen drawstring pants, and a pair of sandals with wool socks. He smells like he smoked a bowl right before he came inside.
He pats me on the back. “It’s great to see you, Aurora.”
“You too, North.”
He and my dad hug it out next, because North is all about affection and good vibes. I set up North and my mom in the spare room while my dad pours drinks and makes sure everything is ready for the party. Guests are scheduled to arrive in the next half hour.
Mom threads her arm through mine and pulls the bedroom door closed behind North. He always takes a good half an hour to get settled when they visit. He needs to align his energies. “Did you give Roman free rein on the party decorations?”
“I don’t know if I gave it to him so much as he took the reins and sprinted with them.” My dad desperately wanted to throw me a party, and I couldn’t say no.
“Oh wow. That’s something else.” Mom squeezes my arm as she assesses the pink, white, and silver metallic balloon arch in front of the windows. There’s also a banner with HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PEGGY on it strung across with a place for photos.
