Page 12 of In the Long Run
‘Oops.’Caleb’s grin is far too triumphant for him to pretend he’s sorry for dropping me in it, good and proper.
‘There’s no guy,’ I say.
‘Are you back with Brand?’Mum asks, hope creeping into her voice as her lips form a tentative smile.
‘No.’I shake my head.‘That’s never happening.’
Caleb slings an arm around Mum.‘Eva, babes, forget Brand.You should’ve seen the new guy.If resting bitch face is a thing that we all accept, this guy had resting growl face, but in, like, a hot, dreamy way.If he asked me to call him “Daddy”, I’d do it and thank him for the opportunity.’
Clearly the snap of Knox’s Army ID paintedquitethe picture for Caleb.
‘Why does Caleb get to hear about this guy before me?Did he meet him?’Mum fiddles with the cuffs of her jacket.‘I’m still not convinced you shouldn’t give Brand another a chance.He’s so lovely, Gen.’
‘I didn’t meet the new guy,’ Caleb says.‘But I’d like to.He’s got a hot name, too: Knox Watson.It rolls off the tongue so well.Would you like his date of birth?I’ve memorised everything.’
‘Who’s Knox?’Meredith asks as she and Bernie join the conversation.Her blonde hair is pulled into an elegant twist and her blue eyes are sparkling.It’s good to see her so happy and relaxed.
‘Gen’s mystery man,’ Mum replies before I can.‘He’s got growly, sexy vibes according to Caleb.But I don’t understand why you’d want to call him—’
This is getting out of control.‘Knox is a guy I met recently,’ I cut in, to save us all from having to hear Eva Halliday say ‘Daddy’.
Caleb adjusts the tan-coloured fedora that his most recent flame, Lawson, gave him for his birthday.‘How many pick-up lines do you reckon Knox has heard about having his fortress breached?’
I groan.‘Stop.Please.Nothing’s going on.’Aside from the fact that I keep embarrassing myself in front of him.
‘Can we steal the birthday girl for a minute?’Meredith slides her arm through mine and doesn’t wait for an answer, towing me over to the far side of the room where the photo montage is being projected onto the wall.I’m going to ignore the fact that I’m in a lot of the pictures by myself.‘Looked like you needed a break,’ she says.
‘I can always count on you,’ I say.Whether it’s running interference with Mum, recommending my new business to everyone and anyone who will listen, or even simply offering an emergency hair tie, she’s always got my back.No one has a better big sister than I do.
‘You might feel differently in a few seconds.I did something impulsive,’ she says and Bernie chuckles.
I raise my eyebrows, waiting for her to elaborate.
‘This whole thing got me thinking about your birthday and how much you’ve been through in the last year or so.How you’ve had to put aside some of your dreams to start over after everything …’ She pauses, like she’s reassessing her words before continuing.‘I know this wasn’t your plan, starting your own company.You give so much of yourself to everyone else, Gen.You deserve to be celebrated.’She blinks back tears.
This is so typical of Mere.No one’s had a rougher time than her and Bernie facing disappointment after disappointment each month, but here she is trying to pump me up.Just like Mum and Dad raised us to.Honestly, everyone deserves a family like mine.Even if there’s a very awkward conversation in my future about why people might call a man who isn’t their father ‘Daddy’.I make a mental note to send Mum a screenshot from Urban Dictionary once I get home, with a request to never discuss this again.
Mere wipes her eyes.‘I want you to be happy—’
‘That’s what I want for you, too,’ I interject.If I could wave a magic wand and change anyone’s life, it would be hers and Bernie’s.
‘I know.But this is the impulsive bit.I wanted to get you something no one else would.Something fun and rewarding that you wouldn’t get for yourself.’
The last sentence snags in my mind.
‘Did you buy me a thousand-piece puzzle again?Because we all remember the Christmas we discovered I don’t have the patience to sit still for that long.’I spend so much time at my computer for work, I need to get outside and burn off energy.It’s why I love running.
Bernie laughs into his water glass.‘It was such a boss move when you flipped that table, Gen.Showed how much effort you’d been putting into your strength training.’
My rage might’ve also been motivated by another of Tim’s pathetic excuse-filled messages, but that’s all in the past now.
I press my lips together.‘It was a plastic trestle table.’
‘Still impressive.And considering Mum’s rule about us only giving each other experiences, not material things, and you’ve talked about wanting to do something like this before … this seemed perfect.But now I’m not sure.It might not be the right time.’Meredith wrings her hands together.‘Please don’t hate me.’
‘Mere, I could never.What did you do?’
She and Bernie exchange a look, and it can’t be a good sign that Bernie’s already chuckling.He’s the most disciplined man I’ve ever met.That’s what eventually won Mum and Dad over when he and Mere started dating.He refused to let their – legitimate – concerns about him being ten years older than Mere stop him from proving he was the best possible partner for her.
