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He waved her off.
“It’s so uncanny how much like your mother you are,” he said with a wistful sigh. “She once told me that when I was an Architect one day, that I would be able to help our kids through the games. She always seemed to believe in me.”
His words caused my heart to stop in my chest.Ourkids? Surely he meant something else? Maybe as friends?
His lips pursed, and he paused for a second, then took a swig of his wine.
“Yes, well,” Vic said with a sigh. “She always was the type of person who believed in those she knew would do well. It was like a sixth sense. Pity, she never really thought I would do much with the games.”
Vic’s face was pained when the words left her. She never talked about her mother much. Maybe that was why.
“It’s not for everyone,” Father said and cleared his throat. “How is she? It’s been… well, years since I heard anything about her.”
Vic’s eyes widened before falling to her lap. I leaned forward, trying to get a look at her, but her hair had fallen over and covered her face. Only then had I noticed how tightly her hands grasped her shirt.
“You don’t know,” she murmured.
“What was that?” Father asked.
Vic lifted her head, giving him a sad look.
“I thought most winners and the Inner Circle would have heard the news…” her voice trailed. “Truly, you heard nothing?”
My gaze shot to Father, and I was taken aback by how abruptly his entire mood had changed. He had been somewhat happy about his accomplishment and the ability to brag, but now his face was tight and reddening slowly. His jaw was set, the sound of his teeth grinding could be heard even across the table.
Even Dylan had paused his eating to take a look.
“What happened to her?” Father all but spat out.
Vic opened her mouth and shut it.
“Father, maybe this isn't dinner conversat—”
Father didn’t hide his glare at my interruption.
“She’s dead. Cancer, we didn’t catch it in time.”
There was something in the way Father’s face slackened. The way his eyes shot toward her. The way his hand clenched into fists before releasing.
Whatever news this was, it was enough to catch Father off guard. He was a pro at concealing his emotions, had to for his job… but his mask had slipped just enough to give me a glimpse into what he was really feeling.
Anger?
“How?” he asked.
Vic shrugged.
“I guess no one really noticed anything off, and one day my father came home and found Mom passed out, and—it just progressed really fast. That’s all there is to say, sir. They were never really close. Since I was born, there had been this wedge in between them, one my mother put in between the both of us, so it was easy for us to miss the signs.”
What was even more jarring was the way Vic stared at my father. Just like when she sat down. Her gaze was almost daring him to say something.
He stood, the sound of the chair screeching against the floor causing me to wince.
“Sorry,” he said, though his expression told me he didn’t mean it. “I forgot that I have a call. It was nice meeting you, Vic.”
We all sat there in shocked silence as Father stormed out of the room.
“Well,” Dylan said, leaning across the table to grab Father’s cup of wine. “More for me.”
