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“I’ll be back another day to change the locks,” Aero said, turning on his heel and stalking out of the room.
Sam watched him go, shutting the door behind him, and let out a long, slow breath. Apparently, they would be getting a new security system from Aero after all.
She stood up as the bell rang, placing the remaining salad in her bag. She wasn’t hungry anymore. After recess, she welcomed her students and started their reading lesson, completely forgetting Aero.
“Hi, Aero.” Evie smiled from the living room as he passed. He waved stiffly and headed upstairs.
Aero liked Evie just fine but had a hard time being with her and Ashlyn for long periods of time. Evie was a great mother, and Ashlyn was a happy, healthy toddler. The envy and anger Aero felt when he looked at them were unwarranted, and the last thing he wanted was to hurt Evie’s feelings.
In his room, Aero sat in his desk chair and took off his boots, setting them neatly beside his desk. Turning to his keyboard, he clicked through various programs before typing “Samantha Coleman” into a search bar.
He scrolled for a while until he came across several listings for Samantha Coleman in Havik Falls, CO.
In just a few minutes, he learned her birth date, phone number, and alma mater. But he still didn’t truly know her, just like when he entered South Street Elementary School that morning. After clicking through her Facebook page, he discovered that she had hazel eyes. This explained why he couldn’t figure out their color.
He sighed and ran his hands over his face.
Aero had first encountered Sam at Zed and Gemma’s baby shower when she came to support her friend. He’d avoided the party, not liking crowds, except for when he gave them his gift. They’d tried to give it back, but he wouldn’t take it. They deserved the money more than he did.
Eventually, Zed had worn Gemma down, and they accepted it, thanking him profusely.
He’d given the same $5,000 gift card to Evie shortly before she had Ashlyn. Like Gemma, Evie had refused to take it. Blaze, on the other hand, understood why Aero gave it to them and had convinced Evie to take it. He smiled to himself, recalling the thank-you note and a bouquet of flowers Evie had left for him. Tenderhearted Evie always tried to brighten Aero’s day, even if he wasn’t necessarily receptive to it.
Closing the windows that contained information about Sam, Aero went through his work orders for the day and processed them, did some financial work for Warrior Security, and went down to the kitchen for dinner.
Ma was there, as always, holding court at the stove. She dished him up a serving of lasagna, and he squeezed her shoulder as he passed to sit down. Kai, Fender, and Bear were eating pasta and talking at the table, ignoring Aero.
He ate in silence, making a list in his head of what he needed to get done over the next few days so he would be available to start work at South Street Elementary. It was a big job. They were having him update their camera and security system to include card reader locks on most of the doors and install newer cameras throughout the building and grounds. He was surprised it hadn’t been updated before, but it was an older building in a less-than-affluent neighborhood, which he knew meant their funding was used to keep the lights on and not on their security measures. Knowing they needed it, he’d decided to give them a relatively low estimate so they would contract him.
He was also going to need help. While he preferred working alone, the reality of system installations was the need for more than one set of hands.
Glancing up, he eavesdropped on the other men’s conversation for a moment, something about Fender’s band’s last gig, before interrupting.
“Bear, are you available next month? I’ve got a job for you.”
“Sure,” Bear said, his blue eyes shimmering with mischief. “You’ll have to fight Kai for me, though. He wants my help painting a house up in Colorado Springs.”
Aero sighed. Here came the jokes and heckling.
“I’m down.” Kai grinned. “Just no hair pulling.”
“That’s crap,” Zed called from the back door, where he’d just entered. “He likes it rough.”
Hoots of laughter sounded from all around as Bear ruffled Kai’s long, straight black hair.
Kai grabbed his wrist just in time for Ma to turn and smack them both upside the head. “Enough. Bear, help Aero. We know he’d level Kai, and I’m not stitching him up again.”
“C’mon, Ma,” Bear whined dramatically. “I was gonna insist on mud wrestling. Gladiator style. A fight to the death.”
Snorts of laughter and more jeering about fights Kai had won and those he’d lost came from those seated around the table and those who had just arrived.
Aero stared down at his plate, an uncomfortable twisting in his chest. He envied these men, even after all this time. He was jealous of how comfortable they were with each other and how easily they interacted.
There had been a time, what felt like eons before, when Aero had acted just like them. He’d had friends, brothers in arms, and a family. Now, Aero found himself wondering, not for the first time, why he was among them.
Swallowing hard and shaking off the thoughts of better times gone by, Aero focused on Bear. “You want the job or not?”
“Yeah, man,” he said, jabbing Kai with his elbow. “I’ll bring Gunner.”
