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Panic rises up in my gut. It’s all I can do to keep from sprinting out of the room. Instead, I turn and march purposefully through the crowd to the front doors.
The lobby of the reception hall is nearly empty except for a few servers taking a break. I hurry past them and down the hall, with no idea at all where I’m running to.
When I see a gold-plated “Restroom” sign affixed to the wall, I don’t even check to see if it is the men’s or women’s. I shove the swinging door open and dive inside.
The bathroom smells overwhelmingly like bleach and potpourri. The tiles are outdated, a dark brown color with shimmery threads of yellow marble throughout. Why someone would choose to decorate a bathroom in browns and yellows, I have no idea.
The thought is absurd enough to distract me for a second. To keep the tears from falling, for just a moment.
But then I look down and see the check is still in my hand.
That’s when I start to cry.
I’m crying so hard that I don’t even hear Adrik come into the room. I just feel familiar arms around me and I sink against his chest.
“If your father wasn’t already dead, I’d kill him,” he murmurs in my ear.
I want to respond, but fuck if I know what the right words are. I’m thankful for you, maybe. Or I’m glad you came into my life.
But I’m pretty sure he knows those things already.
Adrik strokes my hair until I can finally catch my breath. Then he kisses my forehead. “You’re better than all of them, Emery.”
Tears well in my eyes again, but this time for another reason. I swipe at my cheeks and groan. “God, I’m repulsively emotional.”
“Is it the funeral?” Adrik asks. “Or something else?”
I realize all at once what I said.
And what it means.
Part of me wants to tell Adrik I’m pregnant. Things have shifted between us recently. I trust him.
But I also know how having a baby can change things. Having Isabella changed my entire world irreversibly.
And things are so good now. The news could ruin that. So, selfishly, for at least a little while longer, I want my life to stay exactly like it is.
God knows I deserve a moment to breathe.
“Yeah, I guess so,” I say with a nod. “I’m still not sad about my dad being dead, but today has been… a lot.”
“Then let’s get out of here,” Adrik says. “Let’s shred this fucking check and dump it in the trash. Better yet, fold it until it’s all corners and shove it up that pompous lawyer’s ass.”
I grit my teeth. “I have a better idea.”
Even in the sea of black in the reception hall, it’s easy for me to find my mother. She’s standing next to the lion ice sculpture. The lion’s mane has entirely melted and there’s a gruesome dent in his skull.
Whoever she is talking to—an older woman with a severe bun—must warn her I’m coming, because my mom spins around before I’m anywhere near her. She lifts her chin the way she always has and stares me down with hard eyes. I don’t slow down.
I march straight up to her and shove the check against her chest. She gasps in shock. “Emery! You’re making another scene. What is this?”
“My inheritance,” I spit. “But I think you could use it more. I signed the back so you can cash it. Save it for the day when all of your lenders finally come calling.”
Before she can say anything else, I turn around and leave. Adrik is waiting for me in the doorway, a broad smile on his face.
He’s proud of me. It’s written all over him.
But more than that, I’m finally proud of myself.
