Page 97 of Echo and the Homicidal Sea Panda

His mother slipped her arm through Echo’s and led him toward his front door. “Maybe I can get your father to fix those horrid stairs while we’re here as a thank you for putting a roof over our heads.”

“The stairs have already been repaired.”

“What?”his mother asked, wide-eyed. “You finally got them fixed? Are you finally being an actual adult or something?”

“Mom…”

As if graduating with a doctorate, getting a well-paying job, and home ownership isn’t adult enough.

She walked into the front door behind him and swept past to the stairs—and let out a dramatic gasp, which sent Tilly running for cover.“Echo!Not just repaired, but redone.” She gazed around. “Wait… wasn’t there a wall here?”

“There was but according to the blueprints, this is the way the stairs were when the house was first built. The wall wasn’t there originally.” He smiled at the beautiful work Mael, Storm, and Ravage had done. “I think it really opens it up.”

“You even dug up the old blueprints?”She walked up a few, testing them. “These are gorgeous, Echo.” She bent and checked the molding. “Good thing you’ve got a good job. This must’ve cost a pretty penny.”

It was rare she gave him any praise, and it felt odd to receive it—though the real compliment went to those who’d built them, not him. “I got a good deal.”

Mael and his brothers had refused payment. Echo had tried. Repeatedly. He’d even snuck a wad of cash into Storm’s toolbox, but he found that same stack, untouched and in a baggie in his freezer, a couple of weeks later. Echo would find some way to repay them with more than pizzas and beer—eventually. He wasn’t sure how, but he’d figure it out.

His mother raced back to the front door. “Eddie! Come see Echo’s new stairs!”

His father appeared with their two small suitcases—they’d clearly packed light for their trip—and eyed the stairs. He smiled and nodded. “Nice.”

“Thanks,” Echo murmured, grinning. “Well, I’m late for work. I need to get dressed and head in. You know where everything is.”

“Sure do,” his mother said. “We can take the extra bedroom, right?”

“Of course. I’ll change out the sheets once I get home from work,” Echo said.

“I can handle that, sweetheart,” his mom said. She spun toward the kitchen. “Let’s see what you’ve got in your pantry. I’m starving, but I’m sure you’ve got absolutely nothing in there as thin as you look.”

“We’ll go grocery shopping this afternoon and not take advantage of you more than we already have,” his dad said the minute she was out of earshot, before hugging him again. “Thank you for letting us stay.”

Echo smiled, squeezing his father tight. “You’re not taking advantage. Some early notice would’ve been nice rather than her to springing it on me, though.”

“She told me she called you the evening before we boarded the plane in Puerto Rico. I was miffed she didn’t let me talk to you, but now I realize why. She never called you in the first place.” He sighed. “I’m sorry, kiddo.”

“It’s fine,” Echo muttered.

“She likely worried you’d say no.”

“I wouldn’t have said no,” Echo said. For her? Maybe. For his father? Absolutely not. “You know that.”

“Well, your relationship hasn’t always been easy,” his father said. “She might act like the two of you are fine, but I know it troubles her.”

“It doesn’t trouble her enough to change her behavior,” Echo said.

“You’re right,” his father said. “She’s a lot. Always has been. But shedoeslove you, kid. You should’ve heard her go on and on to her family saying how proud she is of you and how much you’ve already accomplished.”

“Well, maybe she could tellmethat on occasion instead of always nitpicking and complaining.”

“I’ve told her that myself,” his father said. “Maybe one day she’ll listen.”

He gave Echo a squeeze on the arm before following her into the kitchen. Echo shook his head as he ran upstairs to get ready.

21

After rushing to get ready, Echo rolled into work a solid thirty minutes late. He’d not been in his lab for more than two minutes when Diego appeared.

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