Page 110 of Theta

"He's been a rockstar through this, Mom. I wouldn’t be here if not for him."

"Something tells me he is going to say the same thing."

"Maybe."

"Oh, your father says we must go. I will see you as soon as possible." A pause. "Ani ohev otech."

"I love you too, Mom."

"Rest. You are safe now. You will be home before you know it."

"Not Minneapolis. I'm gonna need to stay with you and Dad for a while."

"As long as you need." A sniffle. "Okay. I must go. Your father is very impatient to see you."

"Tell him I love him, Mom. Tell him his training saved our lives."

A few silent moments pass, and then I hear background sounds—a car door closing, an engine, the rustling of a phone changing hands. "Liebchen. I must drive very fast, so I will keep this brief. I am proud of you. You are a strong, brave, capable woman and I am proud. It has been the privilege of my life to get to be your father."

"God, Dad."

"Do not make me cry, liebchen." He says something muffled to Mom and then comes back to me. "Killian. Tell me only one thing. Does he deserve you?"

"And then some."

"He will make you happy?"

"He already has."

"No details of this, bitte." Of ziss.

I laugh. “Ow, ow, ow. Don't make me laugh."

"Ribs?"

“Yeah."

"Shot in the vest?"

"Four from a carbine at under a hundred yards."

He curses in three languages. "And?"

“One to the side. Almost hit my colon but didn't. It's out, now."

"And?"

"Mild concussion."

"You gave as good as you got, though." This isn't a question.

"And then some."

"That is my girl."

"Killian did most of it."

"Truly? I wondered how he would be when it came to it."