Page 36 of Pride
“It’s just that I’ve been your mother for almost thirty years, Parker. And in all that time, you’ve never settled down. You’ve never even taken more than a week with someone, let alone bring her home. You’re lonely, and I’m worried about you.”
“Whether I want to love someone or not isn’t what matters. The heart is a weakness.”
“You’re starting to sound the same as Liza did. How did I fail at this—the most important task Gloria gave me?” Mary glared at her feet. “I was supposed to show you what love was so you recognized it with open arms.”
“Except, that’s not what you taught me first and we all know those lessons are best remembered. The heart is what forced Daisy to leave us. It’s why she walked into that burning building to save Gloria. Yet the heart wasn’t enough for you to go back for Daisy. She stopped being useful the moment she stepped off that elevator. I remember, Mary. I remember you making the choice to leave Daisy to the flames. She was the acceptable sacrifice because what mattered most was saving the world, so… don’t talk to me about love.”
The slap in the face threw Parker’s head to the side. He worked his jaw as the pain numbed and tingled. His mother always did have a good right hook.
“I’m going to forgive you for that,mijo, because I know you’re hurting, and I also know why you work so hard at being perfect. You said it yourself, you’re afraid to outlive your use. You think that’s all you have to offer the world.” She patted his shoulder, her anger tempered. “If you can’t see how wrong you’ve been, then I don’t know what else to tell you, but maybe Alice does.”
“Haven’t you been listening?” He threw up his hand, exasperated.
“I’ve been listening your whole life, Parker. Maybe it’s time you did the same.”
With those final words, Mary went to the workshop and kissed her husband on the cheek. Flint stood swiftly, glowered at Parker in a way that said he would have words with him later, and then took his wife back to their rooms.
Left alone, Parker tried not to repeat what Mary had said to him, but he couldn’t stop thinking about it. Failure to be useful?
Well, someone had to make the money to fund this operation. Someone had to lead them. Someone had to make all the sacrifices before he was the one sacrificed.
And there it was, the truth of it.
He slumped in his seat, head in his hand. Pride had taken him far in life, except what was the point if he was bitter and alone? That was the one lesson Mary always tried to drill into him. The one lesson he’d chosen to ignore because he thought he knew better.
What was the point to any of it without love?
He picked up his cell and dialed his sister.
“Bras,” Sloan answered. “I’m in bed now. This better be important.”
“A personal request,” he said. Swallowed. “Please.”
“What is it?”
“I need to know more about Alice. Can you see what you can find out?”
“Already done it.”
“You have?”
“You don’t think we’d let you go off with the enemy without doing a background check first, do you?”
“We?”
“Yeah, all of us. I’ll bring the info tomorrow.”
“Thanks.”
Something warm bloomed in his chest as he cut the call. They’d looked out for him? All of them?
Parker leveled his gaze on the dormant suits. He couldn’t fully operate it in his state. He shifted his gaze to where Flint had worked, ten feet away on the robotic arm that was once attached to a Syndicate enemy. He’d been working on it all day and night. It would go faster if Parker joined him, and the arm would most likely function better. Parker was still staring at the robotic arm when Flint returned.
The tall man put his hands in his pockets and narrowed his eyes at Parker.
“I think it’s time you and I had a little father-son chat about manners where your mother is concerned.” He glanced at the robotic arm. “And then we’re going to try to fit this to you.”
15
