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I waited for my father to congratulate me, but he sat there, feet spread
apart, two hands circling his glass, taking me apart in a way only my father
could.
“That’s fast,” was all he said.
“It is. But not as fast as you think. It’s been going on. I’ll let her tell you
when you meet her.”
“When’s that?”
When required a commitment to a plan I couldn’t execute on my own.
“Is she here?” Byron asked. “Or Canada?”
“She’s busy,” I said. “You like that in a woman, right?”
“I do.” My brother seemed genuinely happy for me.
I wished I shared his joy. My father didn’t hide his suspicion. He needed
an explanation.
“I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to get your hopes
up. Frankly, I didn’t want to get mine up either.”
It was becoming obvious—even to me—that I hadn’t said her name. If
my father hadn’t noticed, I’d worry about him. I couldn’t talk about it much
longer before he brought it up.
“Look,” I said, “let her say yes first, okay?”
“You should bring her around some time,” Byron said.
“Maybe Crowne Jewels.”
“You’re not rushing this, are you?” Dad asked.
“No. Absolutely not. This is real. When you guys meet her, you’ll
know.”
“Fine.” Dad put down his glass. “Let’s talk about the UVX pipeline
before your mother finds out we’re working.”
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