Page 126 of So That Happened

“I sent you her contact information weeks ago. Her father is the CFO of a Fortune 500 company. Very wealthy family. Lots of connections.”

“I have literally no idea who you’re talking about.”

Constance sighs deeply and purses her lips to take a sip of her lemon tea.

Dad—lucky him—hasmanaged to acquire some whiskey, and he swirls the amber liquid in his crystal glass as he fixes me with a glare. “Maybe you should. Tabitha could’ve gotten you a good, stable job.”

“I have a job,” I say evenly.

Dad shakes his head and guffaws. “All this ridiculous gallivanting in ‘start-ups’ or whatever the word you young folk are using… It’s not going to put food on the table, is it? If you’d stuck with baseball, you’d have been set for life.”

“I didn’t want to stick with baseball.” I wanted to be with my family. Like I said, no regrets. No matter what my father might think. “And anyways, it would have been a career in minor league at best. It’s not like I was off to the MLB or anything.”

Dad sighs. “You could have been, but you’re too stubborn for your own good, Liam. And you need to think about your brother. He squandered anexcellentcareer to join you in this little… endeavor. Gave up his job security and finances to pour money into your half-baked idea. But it’s not too late; he could ask for his old job back. Make decent money to support his family.”

The irony of my father’s words is not lost on me. My mom raised three kids alone while working multiple jobs, and still, somehow, managed to make sure we wanted for nothing. Meanwhile, Dad was “so busy,” he could only see us once a month. He missed multiple baseball games, swim galas, graduations, birthday dinners, you name it.

At some point, I simply stopped hoping that he’d come to my games. It was the right move, because he never did (until I got a full ride to college for baseball. Then, all of a sudden, he was very interested).

Sure, he provided us with grand gifts of laptops and designer sneakers when birthdays and Christmases rolled around, but what we actually wanted for was a father who was present. Who loved us and cared for us, instead of showing up once in a while to berate and criticize us. Got an A on an exam?Why wasn’t it an A+.Won a silver medal at a sporting event?Why wasn’t it gold.

Tonight is the first time I’ve seen my father in months, and it looks like nothing’s changed. I’ve learned over the years to just shut it out, to meet his critical words with neutrality. Being upset or angry doesn’t help anything—in fact, sometimes I think it prods him on. Like he secretly relishes the drama.

How he and my mother got along in the first place, I’ll never know.

“Luke likes working with Liam,” Lana Mae interjects, bless her heart.

I give my sister a grateful smile coupled with a small shake of my head. She shouldn’t get involved. Her job as a group travel specialist is notashigh on my Dad’s complaint list—mostly because he gave up on her the second she became an unwed teenage mother. Now, he heaps all of his preposterous expectations on poor Allegra.

Dad fixes Lana Mae with a glare that is positively frigid. “Luke was on a path to success.”

Was.Past tense.

What’s left unsaid hangs in the air, heavy as storm clouds about to burst: after my failure to launch a baseball career, Luke was the only one he was vaguely proud of. Until I came up with the idea for SITL and screwed things up for him.

I scrub a hand over my face, mentally chewing over what sort of response I could possibly give to that. I refuse to let my father bait me like this.

But a sound cuts through my thoughts before I can open my mouth.

“Ahem!”

42

LIAM

I startle at the throat clearing, glance backwards.

Shoot, Annie!

What did she hear? I was so caught up in the conversation with my dad that I didn’t even notice her.

By the look on her face, she’s been standing there long enough that she’s heard too much. I’ve got to find a way to get us out of this asap.

I step towards Annie. “Sorry you had to hear that, An—”

Annie’s gaze is firmly on my father as she holds up a hand abruptly, cutting me off. Her expression is unlike anything I’ve seen in her before.

I shut right up.

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