Page 74 of Karma
“I did. Briefly. She was pretty doped up.”
“She’s pretty cool, huh?”
Anne shoots Zane a look over the soda can as she takes a drink. They both know it’s a test. “Yeah, she’s something else. A fighter, that’s for sure.”
“Oh, you have no idea. No one at school messes with me because their moms know my aunt, and they’re all scared of her.”
Laughing, she sets the drink down. “Is that right?”
“My sister has a… reputation,” Zane says, crinkling his nose. “And now she’s the wife of the President of the Deranged Drifters. She’s probably more powerful than the mayor. And a little more likable.”
“But she only uses her powers for good, not evil,” Margaret says and giggles. “Seriously, though, I’m just the first round of critics in the family. She’s much harsher than I am.”
Eyebrows raised, Anne looks at Zane with concern. “Really?”
“Yeah, if Lex doesn’t like you, you’re pretty much out. I heard she smashed Venom’s ex-girlfriend’s face into a table at the clubhouse before tossing her out.”
“She did?”
This is news to Zane, and he looks at his daughter with curiosity. He knows his sister’s a brawler, and he loves watching her fight. He’s not the biggest fan of Margaret having firsthand knowledge of it, though.
“To be fair, I heard Cinder punched Venom, and he doesn’t hit girls. He’s a little scary, but, like, in a good way. Like, no onemesses with you if he’s with you, but if you don’t know him, he’s scary.”
She chuckles. “Well, I guess that’s good to know.”
“Lex isn’t that difficult to impress,” Zane says. “If Margaret likes you, Lex will, too.”
“So… Any kids, Anne?”
The interrogation tactic his daughter has makes Zane stare with wide eyes. She switches from sweet to detective in a split second, and he hopes Anne’s up for it.
“No, unfortunately, I can’t have kids of my own.”
This is also news to him, and he looks at her in shock. He’s talked about Margaret many times, but she’s never said a thing about this before.
“I’m sorry,” Margaret says. “My mom wasn’t supposed to be able to have kids because she had cancer when she was younger, but then I came walking into her life like it was always meant to be.”
She giggles. “I like that description. I had to have a partial hysterectomy when I was seventeen because of a bad car accident. I should have died, but it made me decide to become a trauma surgeon.”
“Because they saved your life?”
“Because it was really scary being in there with all those people. The lights are bright, there are strange sounds, you’re in pain, and surrounded by people you don’t know. People you have to trust. There was one doctor who went out of her way to comfort me in the chaos, and I wanted to be just like her for other people.”
Margaret nods. “I had an eating disorder, my mom died, and my dad disappeared for over a year. I’ve thought about going into therapy because I think I could relate.”
Her words stun Zane, and he just stares at her. What does he say to that? He can’t argue it. And it’s not like Anne doesn’tknow. Well, except for the eating disorder. It just sounds so bad coming out like that.
“There’s a connection that happens when you can relate to someone who’s been through something you have. You understand in a way others can’t, and you’re able to help them navigate better because you’ve already done it.”
“I bet you’re a kick-ass doctor.”
Anne giggles. “I like to think so.”
They continue to talk, getting to know each other, and Zane just sits back and watches. There’s a comfortable air around them that continues to grow, and he relaxes. It feels as though a calming hand rests on his shoulder as his daughter and the woman he’s falling for connect.
Lane.
He’s comforted by the thought that Lane approves of Anne. Maybe this won’t be as difficult as he thought it would be.
