“Exactly.”
I’m not sure I truly understand my sister’s point, and I’m not sure why I’m trusting her since she’s always single. But I can amend my plans and hope that my girl doesn’t think it’s shit that I didn’t put any effort into her favorite holiday.
CHAPTER18
Edith
When I hobble into the living room, Apollo is placing a second vase next to my “never empty” vase that’s currently filled with orchids. The new container has baby pink roses in it.
“It’s Valentine’s Day.” The words slip out of my mouth, more thought than intentional and he spins to face me.
He’s wearing a hot pink T-shirt with a white circle on it, like the Dr. Seuss “Thing One” and “Thing Two” shirts, but instead of “Thing One,” it says “Bitch one.” He has pink-framed love-heart shaped shades on his face, black cat ears on his head and metallic pink beads dangling around his neck.
It’s the most adorable thing I’ve seen. He’s dressed as Francis, a character from my favorite Anna Kendrick filmMr. Right.
He holds up a finger before darting to a bag on the couch and pulling out a second shirt. He tugs it over my tank top, places matching shades on my face, completing the outfit with a red clown nose that he pops over my nose. Then he pulls two plastic fishbowl glasses out of the bag and bendy straws and stands facing me, a glass in each outstretched hand.
“What’s the plan, Pollo?”
He shrugs, a blush creeping into his cheeks. “I figured it was obvious. Virgin cocktails and movies.”
I cross my arms. “Which movies?”
He rolls his eyes. “Your choice, obviously. But I’m thinkingMr. Rightsince we’re all dressed up.”
“What about dinner?” I jerk my chin to the paper bag on the table.
“Vietnamese food. Summer rolls, pho, noodles...” Hope laces his tone. His gaze searches my face. “I can be your best friendandyour boyfriend, Edie. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.”
Warmth spreads in my chest. And as we sit on the couch eating my favorite food from my favorite restaurant watching my favorite movie with my favorite person, I’m starting to hope he might be right.
CHAPTER19
Apollo
(FEBRUARY 25TH – DAY 60 POST OP)
“You’ve been avoiding me.”
It’s true, but I won’t be telling that to Papá. I’ve been dialing it in. Completing the bare minimum I need to for the company. Delegating where I can, playing fast and loose with my responsibilities.
I knew it would come back to bite me in the ass, and if I’m honest I got longer out of it than I expected. I don’t regret my actions, but I also don’t have the bandwidth for a confrontation with my father.
“No, Papá. I’ve been busy. I just arrived at the rink for the first of two games this weekend.”
“If you weren’t playing that stupid game you could dedicate more time to your role in the company.”
This is true. But if I wasn’t working at the company, I could dedicate more time to doing other things, with other people. I’d never say that out loud though. There’s no way he’d understand.
“Have I missed something? I sent the Q3 budget forecasting to Lucy and picked the candidates for the short list for management in our plant in Atlanta.”
“Leaving messages with my staff is not the same as doing your job, Apollo. You know I dislike chasing my employees.”
Company before family. You’d think I’d be used to it by now, but it still stings. His aerospace business came before any of us, it was and always will be his first baby. He loves it more than all of us, Mamá included.
It’s on the tip of my tongue to quit. To tell him I’m done with his job. I don’t need it. I don’t need him. My apartment and my car are mine outright, I have enough money of my own that I don’t need him to bankroll me. Every time the thought crosses my mind, something stops me, and I fall in line.
Wouldn’t it be nice not to have this anvil of responsibility hovering over my head all day every day?
