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Experience that, no doubt, helped in terms of Gen, who seemed genuinely pleased with our new arrangement. She never knew her father. By the time she’d been born, he was already long gone, so it was probably good that she could have some sort of male figure around. Even for a little while, no one really sure when the lockdown was going to end. Including and especially those who called for it.
Showing once again that those in power were really mere mortals, no better than anyone else. And on many cases so much worse. Rarely demonstrating a great sense of proportion, at least if those who represented them in court were any indication.
Skipping dessert, we went straight to the dishes, as the kids got busy with crayons at the table, keeping it mostly in the coloring book page. I was pleased that the two, despite the little age gap, were getting along like gangbusters.
According to Helena, Gen was doing great in terms of socializing, at least while at day care. Far from a professional in the field, it seemed to me important to try and keep that up during lockdown.
“Does Lily go to daycare?” I asked, drying the plate in my hands.
“Yeah, you know The Carrot Seed?”
“I know of it,” I said, hiding a smile.
“I managed to get her in there. Basically had to put in the application when she was still in utero, but it all worked out in the end.”
Well, that explained it, at least potentially. Looking at Lily and Gen they really did seem like friends.
“Where did Gen go? Before all the craziness anyway.”
“Carrot Seed.”
“No kidding?”
“Nope.”
“I wonder if they were friends before this. Lily can be a bit quiet.”
“She recognized her, but Gen’s definitely a social kid, she likes to think of herself as friends with everyone,” I said with a chuckle, “She’s on a first-name basis with our mailman, her favorite cashier at the grocery store…If anyone could get her out of her shell it’s Gen. She’s like a little ball of sunshine. I know every parent probably says that.”
“Probably, but I can see it is true.”
Concern chewed at the back of my mind, unable to let go of cultivated assumptions about him and his reputation. Particularly when it came to women. I wanted so much to trust him, with my heart, and truthfully, my body, but just couldn’t, not yet.
There was still too much of a chance of him betraying me, and I’d had more than enough of that to last a lifetime. I also didn’t want to bring anyone new into Gen’s life, at least not long term, until I knew for sure. I’d done pain and anger and didn’t much like either. It was impossible to give her a life free of trouble, but at least she wouldn’t have to make the same mistakes I had. She would make all new ones.
Right on cue, Gen made one of the biggest yawns I’d ever seen, disproving any denials that she was indeed very tired. The sun was barely going down on the shimmering horizon, casting the Pacific a fire orange, but needs must.
“You tired, honey?”
Gen nodded her agreement, but before I could move, Niles scooped her up, my heart melting as I watched the light of my life nuzzle against his chest. I took Lily by the hand.
“Ladies first,” he said as we got the kids out of the kitchen, letting me lead the way with Gen already snoozing in his arms.
He passed her over to me and I traded my sleeping daughter for the hand of his. We parted ways to put them to bed, and soon I was singing Gen a lullaby She fell into deep breathing sleep, under the influence of my song. A ritual we had fallen into back in her earliest days. Stepping lightly, as not to wake her, I crept towards the doorway and cracked the door open, peering out.
I wasn’t listening particularly, at least not on purpose. But could have sworn I heard Beethoven coming down the hall from the room claimed by Lily. Good taste in music was no guarantee of good character, as Anthony Burgess demonstrated in A Clockwork Orange. Alex DeLarge was a Beethoven fan as well as a psychopath, with interesting fashion sense. At least two of which could safely be said about Niles Veek.
It was the third, still remaining to be seen, that caused the most bother. Were he truly evil, or so logic would dictate, it ought to have been reflected in his field. While he was, admittedly, far from doing pro bono work for a charity, there were still far lower levels which to sink. Like Dante’s tier system of hell.
Surely corporate law, on the side of corporations, or criminal defense, would be doing the devil’s work far more efficiently for the truly malicious soul than anything copyright law might offer. Vindictiveness and greed being the worst of the sins driving such suits.
