Page 103 of Morally Gray Daddies

“Transactional circumstances,” she repeated softly.

“Yes, I know, a very cold and dispassionate term for something society has taught should be the exact opposite, but… I find that the strongest and most intelligent people soon come to understand that even matters of the greatest passion have a quid pro quo attached to them.”

Aubrey smiled weakly. “I’m not sure I’m that person.”

I smiled back. “Ah, but you are.”

As we stared at each other, I took stock of her posture, the way her tension had eased slowly but surely as our conversation had gone on. She’d impressed me earlier, and now that had increased two-fold.

“Someday, hopefully, Mr. Delgado will realize it was you who saved his life. Perhaps he might even have the opportunity to thank you for it. But that’s for the future, and there are many other things that will shape your course long before that becomes a reality.”

Aubrey’s brow furrowed, but I was pleased when she nodded, the tiny gesture of acceptance exactly what I’d been hoping for.

“Earlier, before I got dressed, you said something about?—”

“Taking you with me,” I interjected, confirming what I was sure she was about to ask.

“Yes.”

“What do you need to know?”

“Well…” She waved her hand back and forth. “Why? And where?”

I pursed my lips before answering. “The why is easy; to leave you here would be a complete waste of the talents you possess.”

“The talents I possess?” Confusion beetled her brow. “I’m… I haven’t graduated from college yet, just so you understand.”

“Your value does not lie in what’s being taught to you at an institute of higher learning. Your value is far more ephemeral to the less astute, I assure you.”

“Ephemeral.”

“Yes. You possess something very few people recognize. I do. In fact, recognizing someone like you is something I take great pride in.”

“It’s not my becoming a chemist, is it?” she asked, her voice hesitant.

“No, Aubrey, it’s not.” I gazed down into her eyes. “Now, there’s nothing to say that in the future you won’t be given a chance to complete your degree, but for the time being, we need to focus on your latent talents, the ones that until now have gone completely unnoticed.”

She looked away. “I don’t understand.”

“And given the dearth of information you’ve been provided, I wouldn’t expect you to. To explain in detail would take longer than we have remaining here, so it’ll have to wait. Suffice to say, you have an incredibly rich life ahead of you. It’s just not the one you thought you were headed towards. It’s a life you didn’t even know existed.”

She looked back up at me. “Do you have any idea how cryptic that sounds? Can you possibly understand how scared I am?”

“Actually, more than you realize.”

“How?”

I blew out a small sigh. “Because this isn’t my first time doing this, nor are you the first person to express that sentiment.”

“Doing what?” she implored.

“Introducing a young woman to a life she never knew existed.”

Aubrey started to reply, but I held up my hand.

“Where’s your friend?”

She blinked rapidly. “I…”

---