Page 10 of When Wildflowers Bloom

I hate how good it is.

They watch me, and before I know it, I drink it all.

“Delicious,” I say, forcing a toothy smile.

Bo snorts out a laugh before asking, “What do you do in your free time?”

I open my mouth to answer but Veda cuts in again. “Are you married?”

What does that have to do with anything?

“No...”

“Kids?” she demands.

“No.” My eyes narrow.

“How old are you?”

I scoff. “Thirty-seven, but I don’t see why—”

“Hobbies?” she barks.

“I go to the gym and—”

“What do you do for fun?”

“I—”

This time it’s Bo interrupting with, “Are you dating anyone?”

What?

“Areyoudating anyone?” I shoot back.

I don’t know what they want to accomplish with their interrogation, but I’m close to snapping from the irrelevance of it all, the weird smell, and how good Bo looks in the light of day.

Finally, he’s quiet, leaning back into the chair, taking up too much space and grating on my last nerve.

“Ha!” Veda bursts out. “Bo’s married,” she says like it’s funny, sliding her gaze from me to him.

My jaw drops along with my stomach and the empty glass that I’ve been holding in my hands.

What?

The glass doesn’t break, but the ice spills, and I fumble to pick it up from the floor. Every cube shoots from my trembling fingers like a frozen missile as I try to grab them.

Married. Married? Married!

I hear Bo say, “Gran, we’re here to talk about Birdie, not me.”

When I work up the nerve to look at him, it’s with pure hatred, my own eyes turning into slits.Married.I want to puke or lie down or pukeandlie down.

In yet another long stretchy silence, a switch flips. I don’t care. I can’t. It was never going anywhere, and the fact that he has no moral compass just makes it easier for me to accept.

I refuse to let this be the thing that stops me. I’m here for Veda, not him. He’s an inconvenience; she’s my priority. I will get through this meeting then let myself freak the hell out about my potential role in destroying a marriage later.

“Congratulations, Bo, that’s great,” I say, voice even. When I turn to Veda, lost confidence found, I square my shoulders. “Veda, why don’t you tell me what you’re looking for. I’m happy to do whatever you need. Yourmarriedgrandson here might have set this up, but I’m here foryou. That’s my whole purpose, really. As I’m sure you’ve gathered, my personal life isn’t very exciting.” I give a weightless self-deprecating laugh. “But I love what I do, and I’d like to think the people I work with enjoy having me around.”

---