Page 79 of Newly Tied

“That’s right.”

“Because you weren’t going to say, I shouldn’t make fun of his name because he’s your father, were you?”

He made a face as though that was a ridiculous notion.

“I didn’t think so.”

They were quiet a moment.

“I bet you wouldn’t have made fun of his name if his last name was Ellington,” he said, grinning at her.

“No, sir, I would not.”

“Just so we’re clear.”

She shrugged.

“You seem angry.”

“It’s the whole him having a daughter a year younger than me and the implications of that. I was a bit thrown. I’m working through it.”

“Or, conversely,” I offered, “you could go ahead and forget it.”

“How can I forget?”

“He doesn’t mean forget. He means let go,” Lang clarified. He was good at that, translating what I said to others.

“How?”

“What’s the point of holding on to it?” Lang asked. “When will you see him again?”

She crossed her arms.

“He left us. And as good with everything as Mom is, as great as Duke’s life turned out with Selah, the facts don’t change with time. He abandoned his first family, and we had to sink or swim without him.”

“We’re both excellent swimmers,” she said hoarsely, her voice cracking a bit. She was trying to be so strong but it was a lot for a Saturday afternoon.

“Because our mother made certain we were.”

“Yes.” She sighed, cupping his cheek for a moment.

“So really, since you’re not going to visit there, what are the chances of you seeing him ever again?”

“True.”

“That was my point about lettin’ it go,” I told her. “What’s the purpose of bein’ mad? It’s a lot of energy that you can use for somethin’ else.”

She tipped her head sideways, studying me. “You’re smarter than you look.”

“That’s rude,” I told her, then looked at Lang. “Your sister is rude.”

“Yes,” he concurred, smiling at me, then looking back at her. “And why would I give him my number?”

“Sentiment? New beginnings? Forgiveness? Epiphanies? Closure? I don’t know. I have no idea. What I do know is that I don’t need a father. I have you. And in fantastic news, from all that Ethan’s said, his father is glorious, so if we get married, I’ll assimilate him like the Borg.”

It took me a moment to process that because first, I was very hungry and my blood sugar was dipping. Second, she used a Star Trek reference, and third and finally, what the hell? “What the hell?” I repeated what was in my brain.

She was chuckling.