Page 261 of The Sinner: James

“The sales have been great this year. The bonus is only a percentage of what I’ve made on top of my commission,” I say.

She stays quiet for a second.

“Well. I’m glad you’ve found better work than what you were doing in that bookstore. I just talked to Rene, and she told me you were back in Colorado. I had no idea. You didn’t tell me...” she says, a bit surprised.

“I didn’t plan to come. It was a last-minute thing.”

“I’m happy to hear that. You need to get out of New York more often. She told me the place looks beautiful.”

“Yes, it does,” I murmur, looking out the window.

A horse-drawn sleigh passes by, the bells echoing in the air.

“Have you talked to Dad?” I ask.

She sighs.

“Yes, I have.”

“How is he?”

“He has news for us,” she says excitedly, yet something in her voice strikes me as off.

“What news?”

“You and Daria will have a little sister.”

She pauses, and I’m not sure how to react or what to say. I can’t even tell if the news affects her in any way.

“Is he…? Has he…?”

“Yes. He proposed to her, and they’ll get married next year. After she gives birth.”

“Is that Belle?”

“No. He broke up with her. It’s someone younger.”

“Belle was thirty.”

“Well, Vicky is twenty-six.”

“Oh...” I murmur.

“Anyway, this is the news,” she deadpans, no longer in the mood to talk about it.

“How are you otherwise?” I ask.

“I’m good. My job is great. I’m really lucky in that regard,” she says, a grin threading through her voice. “Stephanie is fantastic, and we have a wonderful time together, as you can imagine.”

She goes quiet again while I muse over her words.

“What about you? Are you seeing anyone?” I ask.

She doesn’t answer right away.

“It’s been almost two years,” I say.

“You mean… men? As in dating?”

---