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I touch my dad on the shoulder. “Dad, it’s okay.”
He flips around to me with a wild look in his eyes.
“Kira, this is not a good idea, this isn’t – it’s not right for him to show up unannounced and –”
“He tried to call. He tried to…” I can’t believe I’m defending Orlie right now. There’s a part of me that’s desperate to know what he has to say. “It’s okay. I can handle this.”
Dad frowns.
“She’s got it,” Gillian supports with an eager nod. “It’s okay.”
Another second of hesitation passes before Dad steps aside, shooting a glare at Orlie. “If you do anything to her –”
“I’m not going to –”
“He’s not going to –”
Orlie and I both stop short, exchange a look, and then flush.
“Come on, Dad. Let’s get you a mini quiche,” Gillian says, whisking our begrudging father away.
Leaving Orlie and me alone.
For the first time in months.
“You’re a witch.”
God fucking dammit.
We meet again for the first time in months and I’m literally wearing a pointy black witch hat. I rip the hat off and toss it to the side. “It’s Halloween. What are you? An extra in an eighties exercise video?”
Orlie snorts with laughter. I’m so proud of making him laugh that I nearly forget every wrong he’s ever done to me.
Nearly.
“My shorts aren’tthatshort.”
I shrug. “The amount of thigh showing says otherwise.”
Orlie pulls at the hem of his shorts and then clears his throat.
“Um, I’d like to speak with you in private, if that’s alright.”
“Sure. Let’s go onto the patio.”
Orlie and I step through a set of glass doors onto the private patio of Ricks tavern. There’s a gray stone fountain burbling at the center amongst a jungle of greenery. Orlie and I sit at the edge of it, a good width of space between us.
From the outside, I bet we look like idiots. A witch and an aerobics instructor.
Fucking Halloween.
“So, I owe you an apology.”
My eyes widen. That’s not what I expected.
Orlie nods slowly as if confirming my silent thoughts. “I…saw my doctor. And, it’s extremely rare, but my vasectomy reversed itself.”
I remain silent.Convenient.
