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He nods in agreement, but there’s an expression on his face that tells me he still has more to say.
“Go on, sport,” I prompt.
“You met my mom in school too, right? When you were the belle of the ball?” he questions curiously.
Like always, when he mentions his mother, my heart clenches and then falls. Outwardly though, I’m able to manage a small smile, my expression pleasant.
“Yeah, I met your mom when I was in college. You want to hear about her?”
He nods. “Yes, you can tell it to me in bed.” He grabs the remote to switch off the tv. “My bedtime’s passed anyway.”
You’d think I’d be the one enforcing the time he has to go to sleep. But Nate’s always been a stickler for rules. My perfect, obedient boy. He leads me into his bedroom that’s been decorated just the way he likes it. Painted a dark blue color with posters of his favorite shows, on the walls. There’s a giant robot from a show he likes in the room, which we had transported from D.C. I made sure he had everything he needed to be comfortable.
I wait on his bed, while he goes in to brush his teeth and change into his pjs. When he returns he climbs in, getting comfy under the blankets. I seat above them right beside his little body. His eyes are wide awake and curious. He always gets excited when I tell him about his mother.
“Your mom was the prettiest girl I had ever met,” I begin, like I always do. “She was really smart too, assertive, she never let anyone walk over her. The first time we met, she was in the middle of scaring another girl off.”
“So mom was scary?” my son questions.
“She could be sometimes. But she was also kind. She was only 18 but she had already established several charities to help people in need. That’s one thing she was passionate about, charity. She also like to skate and read. Her nose was almost always in a book.”
He smiles, “Like me.”
I’ve probably told him all this at least two dozen times. And yet each time, he acts like he’s hearing it all for the first time.
“Dad, why did you fall in love with mom?” Nate asks.
I think about that question for a second before replying. “It was impossible not to fall in love with your mom, honey. She could be a little rough on the edges at times, and she never really let anyone in. But once she did and you got to know the real her, you couldn’t help but fall in love with her.”
“She sounds amazing. I wish I had met her,” he says softly.
“Yeah, sport, me too.”
He gets another story about his mom out of me, before his eyelids start to fall closed. Soon enough, he’s fast asleep. I place a kiss on his forehead, before exiting the room. I head for the bar in the house, grabbing a bottle of wine.
On nights like this, after talking about his mom I find myself needing it in order to help the aching in my chest.
Katerina arrives at the meeting point at exactly five pm the next day, donning her usual cold expression. She barely even looks at me as she sits down. As she does, my eyes are drawn to her fingernails, particularly her pinkie finger.
She used to have a bad habit of biting her fingernails when she was nervous. She also hated it and tried hard not to stop. If she’s doing it now, it means she’s nervous which makes me extremely curious about what she has to say.
“Hello, Katerina,” I greet in a show of politeness.
She inclines her head in reply.
“I’m assuming you’ve thought about my offer,” I prompt.
“What you’re asking for is completely unreasonable and under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t be considering it, blackmail or not.”
“But...”
“But owing to our unique relationship, I have some terms that need to be fulfilled before I can help you.”
I arch an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.
“First off, you said the project you’re planning to launch is meant to change the face of technological security. I want my family to have access to it,” she starts.
I’m not surprised by that so I don’t react to it. Simply nodding and gesturing for her to continue.
