der Lu

eek

he tense silence in the dining

fifth birthday?" she asked Sel

the big living room

were all seated in the living

had been married for tw

ne. The furnishings in the livi

. There was a lot of buttery

n the walls. The floor was pal

geometric-patterned rug

had little family dinners that no

s reminded Killian and Selene

nthly family dinner, Grandma cri

anym

atic woman. She could contro

o call it tears, as most of th

n she had her first child," G

ll

hree years older than I was, an

was arranged by Dad, and they

for two y

dn't stand up to Dad years ago

or once went against Dad; he wa

e over Dad's company

even for a second. When Mom

ral because the

vowed never to take anything

ive years ago and made it big,

aires i

time Dad and I talked. He nev

to see me, his prodigal son, an

th

ne attended the dinners, and I

e of Grandma's c

that wanted to push its way out

cide if they want a child

like I had said a bad thing. "

d, I'm only giving yo

cary and mean, and right now,

harply. Time to heal? I was ne

to be best friends in college,

mation about a very important c

bucks then ran o

had thoughts of proposing and

rtune to her if she had asked fo

t all women were just after my

ve

ed a year ago, I hadn't dated a

nother proof that women wo

o find you a nice woma

aring at her like

give me a great-grandchild bec

gives m

see Killian suddenly taking h

thi

didn't want to drag the matter

ou very much. Someone

a week, but the memory of that n

secret visits to club 001, and

d the night with, and then I'd

rn

dn't send any woman to my roo

as. It wasn't just the sex,

he unabashed way she clung

nd back, framing a small, hea

h

colored contacts because she

were so full and vulnerable, he

hile I was asleep? Women didn't

the night. I wondered what Red

? Was she also thinking a

t was just a one-night stand. So

he left and

ee hours, don't you think we s

ed as she glan

s feet and helped Selene up. I

that we w

ght, Granny," I reassured her, a

ho

into Killian's car, and I could

each other five seconds ago,

ht, I hopped into my Tesla an