Her face softens. “I know that, Carson.”
“Okay. Good.” I stab my fork into the quinoa and rice.
“So what’s the problem?”
“There is no problem.”
“Okay.” She eats a fry, then says, “How’s your mom?”
“She’s good.”
“She’s still teaching?”
“Actually, she’s principal now. At a different school.”
“Oh, that’s great. And your sisters? How are they?”
“They’re good, too. Lenny’s still in Vancouver. She’s still with Aiden. No sign of them getting married yet.”
Ayla shrugs. “They don’t have to get married.”
“So you’re anti-marriage now?” I’m getting annoyed with all this talk about not needing men.
“I didn’t say that.”
“It sounds to me like you are.”
“There’s a lot of research that shows marriage primarily benefits men.”
“Really.” My back teeth grind together.
“Yes. So I think a lot of women these days are wondering why get married.”
Marriage primarily benefits men. Huh. It’s true I no longer have a spouse to take care of all the household shit that needs to be done when I’m traveling for a week or deep in the playoffs. I shift uncomfortably in my seat. That wasn’t why I married Ayla. Or am I blind and obtuse?
“Statistics show that marriage is in a steep decline worldwide,” Ayla continues. “We don’t need it. The only reason for marriage was to assign parental rights to men for control over women and children.”
“Youareanti-marriage.” For some reason, this pisses me off.
“Just for me.” She gives me a toothy smile. “It’s none of my business what other people do. But maybe that’s why Lenny and Aiden aren’t married; she doesn’t need it. Anyway, how’s Viv?”
My other sister. She’s an Olympic rower. We grew up on a lake and she started rowing when she was young. “She’s based in Victoria at the university rowing club. Still aiming for an Olympic medal.”
“That’s fantastic. No marriage for her either?”
“She’s gay.”
“I know that. She lives in Canada; gay marriage is a thing there.”
“I know that, too.” I do. Why did I respond like that? Duh. “She says she has no time for dating with classes and all the practice they have to do.”
“Yeah, I can see that. It takes a lot of work to make the Olympics. Well. You know that.”
“Yeah.” I’ve been to the Olympics as part of Team Canada. Definitely a highlight of my hockey career.
“And things in Salmon Arm are good?”
“Yeah. Summer’s always nice there, with the lake and all the things to do.”
