“I didn’t mean it,” Amelia gasps, looking down at Ian and tugging his arm to pull him to his feet. “Owwww!” Ian shouts, howling even louder. “Just leave him!” Victor says, shooting her a dirty look and crouching down beside his boy. “Are you okay, Ian?” “My shoulder,” Ian sniffs, “it really hurts
Laughing, Victor heads out the door. He walks down to the pool, letting the cool air and the whiskey do their work on his nerves. The more time I spend with Amelia and the boys, Victor thinks, the more I realize that this is just… not her world. He shakes his head, wondering. When he first met Am
Victor looks out the kitchen window, staring across the back yard, beyond the pool, towards the trees that separate his house from the cottage out back. Winter is starting to take its grip on the landscape, stripping the trees of their brown leaves so that, day by day, a little bit more of the cotta
“It’s not a party, Victor,” Amelia breathes, her words angry and injured. “It’s a sacred ceremony, where we will be forever linked –“ “Party, ceremony, call it whatever you want,” Victor murmurs, turning away and entering his office. “Just don’t bother me with it anymore.” He sits down at his desk
“Sure, I have a moment,” I say, tucking my feet sideways beneath me. In honesty, though, I don’t have too long. The boys are downstairs waiting for their dinner and I have absolutely nothing thawed or prepped. Still, I can tell by the tension in Victor’s voice that something’s up. He sighs, a big
He hums, listening. “If you don’t, I worry that she’ll close the space between you and find ways to convince you to agree to the things that she wants, even if they’re in her best interest, not both of yours.” “Thank you,” Victor says, decisive. I jump a little at the closure and authority in his
“I mean, did we have to go across town for the burgers?” I say, running an exasperated hand through my hair as I stand on the side of the road, staring at the steaming engine of Victor’s Jeep. “We had to get the best, mom,” Alvin says sternly, ready to jump to his dad’s defense. The boys were thril
“What are you doing?” Victor asks. “Adventure,” I say, looking at him with wide eyes as if it’s obvious. “Come on!” With that, I head into the grassy meadow next to the car, which runs for what looks like miles in every direction. “Evelyn,” Victor says, his voice low with warning. “This doesn’t s