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Zach
I was watching a hockey game when Genie came charging through the door. She was about as graceful as a herd of elephants. She dropped her bags to the ground with a thud.
“I’m home,” she said.
“I’m sure the floor below us knows that too.”
She ignored my barb and plopped down on the chair across from me. “Where’s Emma?”
“Working until ten.”
“Did she leave any dinner?”
“Every once in a while I fend for myself, you know. I can do that.”
Genie laughed. “Yeah, that’s a good one. So there’s nothing to eat?”
“There’s some leftovers from last night.”
She disappeared and I resumed watching the game. Toronto had scored again and were on the power play. The game couldn’t get any worse and I still had another period to endure, not to mention my sister, who’d retaken her seat on the chair no one ever used. She was eating cold pasta, too lazy to warm it up. She sat cross-legged and stared at me instead of the television.
“What do you want?” I asked with mild irritation, more with the game and less with her.
“I hear you’re leaving for New York tomorrow afternoon. You think that’s going to work?”
“What’s going to work?”
“You think New York will charm her for you? She’s a small-town girl; New York is going to seem like another planet.”
“She’ll love it.”
“Normally everything you do is the exact opposite of what you’re supposed to do, but you might have actually got this one right. Your planets finally aligned. You hit the jackpot. All sevens. Blackjack.”
I glared at her. “Okay, really funny.”
Genie’s face softened and I noticed that as we got older, she was looking more like Mom except with darker hair. “You don’t have to sell her. She’ll go with you even if she hates New York, that’s if you don’t fuck things up first.”
“I don’t plan on it.”
“I’m just guessing, but Emma’s the type of girl who wants a fresh canvas. New York will be it and she’ll love it.”
“Thanks for the pep talk,” I said. “It’s been great. Let’s not do it again any time soon.”
Genie frowned. “You’re in a mood.”
Yeah, I was in a mood and I wasn’t about to tell her why. I had a lot on my plate. School grades to keep high, keeping Bianca out of our lives and the biggest headache of all . . . the video. I vacillated between keeping and destroying it. My gut was telling me to get rid of it, but the other part of me needed the insurance. Once we were gone for good, safely in New York, I’d get rid of it. Until then I had to keep it safe. Bianca could not be trusted.
#
MY ALL-EXPENSE TRIP to New York came with a cost: a meeting with Dad. After my last class and with more than enough time to get to the airport, I drove across town to my parents’ house to see Dad. He was in his study on the phone and I took the seat across from him and waited. He was in a heated discussion with someone about the upcoming election. Dad’s term wasn’t up, but some of his colleagues’ were. Dad was an even-keel kind of guy and many people came to him for advice, but whoever was on the phone was giving him grief and that didn’t bode well for me.
I pulled out my phone while I waited. A text from Emma asking when I’d be home. Another from Brett wanting me to pick him up some New York weed. The guy was an idiot.
Dad ended the call and huffed. He turned his attention to me and I knew I’d bear the brunt of some of that call. Dad was a good transitioner, not letting outside shit annoy him, but this call must have really pissed him off.
“This New York business: why the urgency to go?”
“I want to check out New York. Show Emma around.”
Dad tapped a finger on his desk. His brown eyes seared through me. “So you’re going to show Emma around. Is that why your mother and I are sending you there? If the girl doesn’t want to go, don’t make her.”
I squirmed a bit. I could see now where Genie got it from. “It’s a weekend, that’s all. Emma’s never been.”
“And when you go to Columbia, providing you’re accepted, then what? She tags along? Your mother and I like her. She’s a good influence on you, but are we expected to pay her way? Your mother and I are not a non-profit organization.”
“There’s no way Emma is going to let you guys or anyone else pay her way.”
More intense staring.
“New York isn’t cheap.”
Why was Dad playing games with me? But I had to tread carefully. “It’s going to be the same as it is now. She pays what she can. Emma’s not a moocher.”
“And she plans on having a job? Not expecting you to support her?”
“She’s not like that.”
Dad leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers some more. He leaned over and spoke into the intercom, calling Mom to his office. He was bringing in the big guns now.
“And she’s not going to affect your grades?”
“She hasn’t yet.”
“That’s a good point. She’s a responsible girl, and we like that. She comes from a good family. I wish we knew a bit more about her mother.”
Did I mention that Meredith had spoken to Genie? That they’d briefly met the year before at a fundraiser for a women’s shelter? Nah, not the time.
“I’m sure there’s nothing there, Dad.”
Mom breezed into the room and pulled up one of the leather office chairs next to Dad’s. It was going to be a good cop/bad cop situation, except I didn’t know who’d be what.
“Dan, give me the recap,” Mom said.
Dad brought her up to speed, then Mom’s gaze fell on me. She smiled, but I couldn’t trust the action.
“Sweetie, what are your intentions for this girl? I know this is serious, but how serious is this? You’re both so young, you don’t have to jump into anything. Living together in a different city is a very big deal. Neither of you will know anyone and all you’ll have is each other. Are you ready for this step?”
“Yes.” I didn’t want to say anything else. If I said too much, I may as well have hung myself.
“And then what?” Dad asked.
“We come home for the summer.”
Mom’s eyes narrowed. She knew that’s not what Dad meant and so did I. “Try again,” she said.
“You want to know if I’m going to make an honest woman of her?” I asked with a hint of sarcasm.
“Well, frankly, yes. And we want to make sure you don’t rush into anything. Your father and I think this might be moving a tad fast.”
Then it dawned on me. I fought hard not to laugh. “Do you guys think I want to marry her now? That I’m going to propose to her in New York or something?”
“That exactly,” Dad said.
“You guys are nuts! The thought hasn’t crossed my mind.”
“Your father and I got engaged in college. We had a long engagement and it worked out fine . . .” She stopped. “What am I saying? I don’t want to encourage this. Forget what I just said. Look, don’t rush into anything. Dan, I should stop talking, shouldn’t I?”
“Yes, please.”
I got up. “Is that all? Or does Mom want to go ring shopping with me?”
She gave me a friendly scowl. “Very funny, Zachary. Although, when the time comes, I’d be happy to.”
“I’m going to go before Mom starts planning a wedding.”
“Yes, go. I’m not sure what your mother is going to say next.”
I pulled my keys from my pocket and walked to my truck. Mom had me thinking about the future. Did I want to spend the rest of my life with Emma? That one was easy. But making that official? Hell no, we were way too young for that.
Or were we?