Page 64 of Negotiating Tactics

My first instinct was to laugh and then deny it. The denials could roll off my tongue like nothing.

What new man?

What are you talking about?

Do you know all busy I am?

All the usual.

Instead, I looked at Aunt Clem, her brown eyes bright with excitement, yet still soft with the acceptance and understanding that I treasured.

Then, I looked at Birdie, who was smiling. I returned the expression.

“What do you want to know?” I finally said.

Aunt Clem looked proud, and Birdie smiled even brighter.

“I want my five dollars, Auntie,” Birdie said.

“You earned it,” Aunt Clem responded as she reached into the pocket of her white button-down shirt and grabbed a folded bill.

“What am I missing?” I asked, looking between the two of them who were wearing matching Cheshire grins.

Birdie adjusted her full pink and black floral skirt and nodded at me.

“Aunt Clem thought you would try to keep holding out on us, but I told her that you’d come clean,” Birdie said.

“I guess I appreciate the confidence. But you say, ‘come clean’ like I have some deep, dark secret,” I said.

“That’s the way you are treating it. Or should I say him?” she said.

“So you’re aware of the him in question?” I said.

“Alex, I’m not a dummy. And for what it’s worth, I think it’s great,” Birdie said, her eyes bright with excitement

“I do too,” Aunt Clem added.

“Why?” I asked, genuinely curious and buoyed by the conversation so far.

Aunt Clem and Birdie were just about all the family I had left.

What they thought was important to me.

“Because Noah is a good man. He’ll take care of you. And he is strong enough to not back down when you try to push him away,” Birdie said.

“I feel attacked,” I said, though I wasn’t able to deny what she said.

Aunt Clem smiled. “Don’t. I know how hard it has to be to trust somebody, especially after…”

To her credit she trailed off, but she didn’t need to say anything else.

After growing up with a father like yours.

No other explanation was necessary.

“But that one,” Aunt Clem said, nodding, though Noah was nowhere in sight. “He’s a good one,” she said.

“Why haven’t you asked any questions?” I asked Birdie, surprised she hadn’t even let out a peep.

---