Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 78466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“You guys don’t understand,” he sighed. “I lost a kid on my watch.”
“Actually, that woman that other guy hired—she lost the kid,” Kola corrected his father. “I read it in the paper.”
Sam turned to his son. “Everything that happens there is on my watch, son.”
“Then it’s also Mr. Kenwood’s since he’s your boss, right?”
“No,” Sam sighed, sitting up, glancing at me and then back at his son. “He placed his faith in me to oversee the department and––”
“Yeah, but,” Hannah chimed in, “isn’t that what that other guy did when he hired the Cullen lady?”
“Yes, but I should have been overseeing him.”
“But you didn’t get a say in hiring him,” Kola said, and I could tell he was trying to see Sam’s point but having trouble.
“Your father is saying,” I told my kids, “that even though the blame may not have been specifically his, everything there falls under his purview.”
Sam gestured at me, and I got a trace of a smile.
“Isn’t this like Jaws?”
We all turned to look at Hannah.
“Like when Chief Brody told the mayor to close the beaches but he didn’t and then it’s all about that little Kintner boy spilling out all over the dock.”
It was horrible, and I tried really hard not to smile.
“But, Hannah, honey,” Sam said gently. “The difference is that we lost a real kid.”
She reached out to take her father’s hand. “And I’m not saying you shouldn’t feel bad about that, and I’m not saying that you shouldn’t fix it, ’cause it sounds like putting Miro over there has already done that from what they said on the news but—I don’t think you going over and over it is helping you.”
“And it’s probably not helping those guys at work,” Kola said, widening his eyes.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that you’ve been vile here at home,” I told him, picking up the glass of pinot in front of me to take a sip. “And if you’ve been this fun at home with the people you love, I can only imagine what your men have been going through.”
He glanced around the table at each of us. “I lost a kid on my watch, you guys.”
“I think we can debate this some more,” Hannah apprised him, leaning forward, folding her hands together like she’d seen me do a million times. It was so strange to see my mannerisms on her. “But I think lots of cops feel that way, Dad, and again, if anyone should be feeling guilt, I suspect it’s the woman you fired.”
“Maybe you should talk to someone,” Kola said, hand on his father’s shoulder. “Nana says that therapy is very beneficial.”
Sam shot me a look, and I worked hard not to smile, drinking more wine instead, finishing off my third glass since I got home.
“This is why I’m giving more and more serious thought to becoming a superhero.”
I turned to my daughter, and she and Kola began to clear the dinner plates. “I’m sorry?”
“Superhero,” she repeated. “I mean, my plan is to become a productivity consultant, to go to school for public relations, human resources, and environmental education, combine that all together and go to different corporations and help them take care of their people and their customers while at the same time minimizing their carbon footprint and helping the community at large.”
Sam did a slow pan to me. “She’s turning into Aaron Sutter.”
“Yes, well, it turns out there are worse things,” I assured him.
He shook his head and turned back to his daughter. “And now?”
“Now I’m giving serious consideration to adding superhero to that list as well.”
“Oh?” I placated her, pouring myself another glass of wine.
“You think she can’t?” Kola challenged me.
Looking up, I found him scowling and his sister daring me to say a word that wasn’t positive, one of her eyebrows lifted, waiting in silent judgment.
“She’s a black belt in Tae Kwon Do now, and between that and the gymnastics and Uncle Aaron’s tech—you seriously don’t think she could be Batman?”
I looked at Hannah, then back at him and over to Sam, who appeared a bit gobsmacked.
“No,” I agreed, smiling at him. “She could. You’re right.”
“Of course I’m right,” Kola dismissed me, heading inside with dishes. “Now we just have to think of a cool name for you,” he said to his sister, who was beaming at him as she followed behind him. “Like Disruptor or Annihilator.”
“What kind of costume do you think I should have?” Hannah asked as the door closed and the rest of their conversation was cut off.
“You should have told me I was bringing my work home with me and dragging you all down,” Sam murmured from across the table, returning my focus to him.
“You weren’t bringing us down, we were grieving with you,” I assured him. “But you can’t take the whole world on your shoulders, Sam, even your kids know that.”