Page 120 of Terms Of Un-Endearment
“—Don’t say?—”
“—Vegemite!” He finishes with a wicked grin, and I know he’s recalling the one time—at Mom’s insistence that we be one big happy family—we took a trip to Australia.
We went out for breakfast, and Archie insisted I’d love Vegemite. He spread a thick layer on a piece of toast for me. I took one bite and wanted to barf, but I knew that’s what Archie wanted. So I ate the whole thing, choking down a bite at a time, until I gagged and had to make a run for the bathroom.
I send him a warning look and his smile softens.
“Don’t worry. We’ve got butter somewhere. Britta loves the stuff,” he says before opening the fridge. “I reckon I should apologize to you for the Vegemite incident.”
“Ireckonthere’s a lot you should apologize to me for.” I slide the eggs onto the plates.
Archie closes the fridge and hands me a stick of butter. “Nah, yeah. I was a kid who didn’t know what to do with his emotions. I had a lot going on with my parents’ divorce and life in general. I’m sorry if your feelings got caught in the crossfire.”
I stare at him. It’s more of asorry you’re so sensitivethan an apology. But it’s something. Probably all I’ll ever get from Archie.
He strolls to the table while I butter the toast, cut it into perfect triangles, and add two pieces to each plate of eggs. I take Archie his plate then sit across from him. An uneasy quiet settles between us. I’m not sure we’ve shared a meal since the Vegemite incident.
“What’s this?” Archie opens my sketchbook I left on the table.
I jump up and yank it away from him. “Nothing.”
“Nothing? That was a big reaction for nothing.” He laughs and bites into his toast.
I close my book and sit back down. “Yeah,” I snort. “I may have over-reacted. Sorry. It’s just some ideas I’ve been playing with.”
“Ideas?” He tips his head, reminding me of a curious puppy with overgrown red hair framing his big green eyes.
I have an irritating weakness for puppies.
“For my own designs. They’re still pretty rough.” I poke at my eggs, avoiding any teasing that may be in his eyes.
“Your own designs? So not for Valente?” His genuine interest draws my gaze to his.
“If they hire me after the internship, maybe…” I glance away, then take a risk sharing my secret. “But I’d rather put them out under my own name.”
I keep thinking about Archie sharing a bit of his own insecurity yesterday. He gave me an insider’s view of his life. I guess I can give him a peek at mine.
His eyebrows arch into his shaggy bangs as he studies me. “You’ve got things figured out, don’t you?” He doesn’t wait for me to answer. “Good on ya’, Piper. I can’t wait to brag that I was the bloke who made Piper Quinn’s life miserable before she wasthePiper Quinn.”
I laugh. “Don’t hold your breath. That’s years down the road…if I’m lucky.”
Archie smiles and shrugs. He opens his mouth, but whatever he’s about to say gets lost in the sound of the Darth Vader song fromStar Wars.Bom bom-ba-bom, bom-ba-bom.That one. Where the bad guy marches into the picture, all evil and heavy-breathy.
Archie swears under his breath and takes his phone from his pocket.
“It’s Dad. I’d better take it.”
He goes out the back door before answering, leaving me giggling over the ringtone he’s chosen for Malcolm. I had no idea Archie could do subversive, but he’s on point with that sound.
But it also makes me wonder if he doesn’t worship Malcolm the way he used to.
If that’s the case, I feel bad for Archie.
I understand exactly how it feels to lose faith in a parent—Malcolm, in particular.
Chapter 9
Piper
