Star-Crossed Secrets by Kali Brixton

Author:Kali Brixton [Brixton, Kali]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-01-18T05:00:00+00:00

After Greta and I emerge from the office, we join my mom in the living room. Rory sits quietly in her lap, watching as Mom flips through the family photo albums from when Kieran and I were kids. Her little finger points to the pictures and she jabbers on, her words unintelligible as she hugs the little police bear Dad got for her. Mom pretends to understand her and carries on a conversation as she tells her about each photograph. The only thing missing from this sweet moment is my dad.

We help Greta get her ready to go and I put her in her car seat as Greta thanks Mom for her hospitality. The little white sedan honks before they drive into the night and I realize that things like car seats and diaper bags are a very real thing in my future. And yet standing her on the cusp of a major life choice, I welcome all the change that it potentially brings with open arms.

When we head back inside, I ask Mom where Dad ran off to.

“He’s been getting called out more for work lately,” she answers passively as we finish cleaning up the last of dinner. “I think the department’s short-staffed or something.”

My mind travels back through the recent months since Luca served as messenger pigeon for Kieran and his accusations. I love my dad more than anything and I’ve never met a more honorable man than him, but certain things that are setting off alarm bells in my brain. Alarms that my heart is trying to ignore. “It’s been happening a lot, though.”

She pauses a moment, her dishrag in mid-swipe on the counters. “Sweetheart, you know your father. It’s impossible to keep him from helping where it’s needed.”

“Mom, is everything okay?”

Her smile doesn’t reach her eyes. “Why wouldn’t it be, honey?”

“Just wondering…” I offer, trailing off. “Have you heard anything from Kieran lately?”

There’s a flinch in her reaction, but she covers it up quickly. “Not since he went on assignment. It’s been eight months, so I hope we’ll hear something soon.”

We chat a bit while we finish cleaning up, her changing the subject to the conversation with Greta as well as what’s new with the girls. I let her because something in her reaction tells me that the topic of Dad and work makes her feel a little uneasy. And the fact that Dad didn’t even bother to come to say goodbye to Greta and me before running off causes a brick of worry to settle in my stomach. Little things have started to pile up over the last few months, pointing to a couple of possible conclusions I’d rather not entertain, but can’t seem to avoid now. Especially when I accidentally knocked Dad’s jacket off the hall tree while grabbing my purse and a keycard to a local motel fell out of the front pocket.

Mom sees me off and I wave to her, the thought of the keycard sitting back in his jacket burning its way into my memory.

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