Page 106 of An Adventure For Aster

His parents looked at each other. “We thought maybe you could help us out?” his father asked.

“Sorry,” he said. “I don’t have much to offer.”

“That’s ridiculous,” his father said. “I know Tucker had to have given you a million easily.”

“First off,” he said, “what he gave me is none of your business and it’s not like I wanted it. Second of all, anything I got I had to pay taxes on. A shit ton of taxes.”

“That would still leave you a lot,” his mother said. “And it’s not like you own a house. You pay rent. I’m sure Zane isn’t charging much. And you’ve got money from the Army you never spent.”

Daphne stepped in, saying, “I told you guys to stop. Leave Aster alone. Maybe he hopes to use that money for a home and family of his own. Whatever he has is his and no one should be asking for anything.”

“I don’t understand why he can’t help his parents out,” his mother said. “It’s not like we didn’t support you both for years.”

He saw Daphne’s jaw clench. “That is what parents do. And on top of that, you cut us both off at eighteen. You never offered to help us go to college. Aster was in the service and I got a job the minute I graduated. You said I had to pay rent just to stay in the house where I grew up. I had to get two jobs to do that.”

He hadn’t known that. Not exactly. It just upped his anger even more and he had to get the hell out of here.

“Do you have everything loaded, Daphne?”

“Two more boxes.”

“Then let’s get them now,” he said.

He had to move before he said anything else that he’d regret.

Once the boxes were in the truck, they went back in the house and Daphne gave their father a hug and then their mother. “I’m sorry you’re not happy I’m leaving, but I think it’s for the best. You’ll figure things out just like I had to do. Like I’ve been doing for years. I’m a phone call away.”

His parents weren’t upset. They were ticked. He hugged them both and said pretty much the same thing and then they jumped in the truck once Daphne was positive she had everything.

If she forgot something, he didn’t think it was worth going back in the house for it anyway.

“That went about how I expected,” he said when they were driving down the street of his childhood home.

“I expected it. I told them no a few times, not to ask. They are always trying to find out how much you got.”

“It’s not their business. But a lot indeed went to taxes. Like forty percent,” he said.

“Ouch,” she said.

“Tucker wanted to make sure I had enough after taxes to start my life over. If that meant college, then I could live comfortably while I did it. It was more about that than anything else.”

“I wouldn’t have wanted you to go through what you did to get that money,” Daphne said. “It's not worth it, but Mom and Dad don’t see those things. They still think you’re lucky. I tell them all the time you are lucky to be alive.”

“I am,” he said. “The money is meaningless to me, but most of it is invested at this point. Could I touch it? Sure. Do I want to? Not really.”

“Good for you.”

He still had a nice chunk in savings he could touch. A few hundred thousand, but he was thinking he might look for a house soon and he’d need that for a down payment and closing costs too.

Things he was planning for that his parents never did. And most of that money was from his years of not spending much in the service more than anything.

“Are you okay?” he asked after twenty minutes of silence in the car. It was just after eight in the morning. Thanks to his parents pissing Daphne off, they got out of there faster than he’d thought but later than he would have planned if it was up to him. He wanted to be on the road at the crack of dawn.

“Yes,” she said. “I can’t believe I’m leaving. I’ve thought of this day for years, and as scared and nervous as I am, I’m glad you’re close by. It’s going to be hard not knowing anyone, but I’ll have you and Raine.”

“You’ll have more than just me and Raine,” he said. “Poppy is a social butterfly. You’ll be meeting all sorts of people and making friends easily. It’s going to be a better life. A good one. You deserve it.”

His sister turned and she looked ready to cry. “Thanks. Why are Mom and Dad like that? Why couldn’t they say they were going to miss me? Or wish me luck? I’m sure if I didn’t hug them first they wouldn’t have done it.”

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