Chapter Two-hundred Eight: Slappy Pappy

Chapter 208

Slappy Pappy

Jordi stepped out of his bedroom after showering and getting dressed. He wore a white pressed shirt, black tie, black pants, and black sheer socks. He carried his suit jacket in his arms. He entered the dining room and saw his sister, Lena, at the stove preparing breakfast. She wore a baby-blue off-the-shoulder dress with a ruffled trim. The fabric featured a delicate ditsy floral print, consisting of tiny pink flowers with green stems scattered across the garment. The bust had a milkmaid-style gathered design with a decorative lace-up drawstring detail at the center.

The sleeves were long, voluminous bishop sleeves that cinched at the wrists with ruffled, elasticated cuffs. The dress had a defined, high-waist bodice that flowed into a flared mini-length skirt. The hem was finished with a wide, tiered ruffle. Over her dress, she wore a heart apron.

Jordi smiled and sat down at the table. Heart-shaped blueberry muffins filled the basket on the table. Jordi picked one up and smiled. Lena handed him a plate with heart-shaped eggs sunnyside up, several pieces of bacon, and some honeyed toast. Jordi chuckled at the heart-shaped eggs. He normally didn’t eat breakfast at home, but this smelled and looked too good to pass up. Lena poured coffee into Jordi’s mug and put on oven mitts to take a batch of muffins out of the oven. Jordi added some cream and sugar to his coffee.

Lena placed some French toast on his plate. Jordi beamed at her. He poured some syrup over them and cut them with a knife and a fork. His eyes lit up when he tasted the banana inside.

Jordi: “WOW! Thank you, Lena! This is absolutely delectable.”

He sighed happily as he tucked in the French toast. He then ate a piece of bacon and dug into his eggs. Lena smiled at him and placed the muffins on the counter to cool. She removed her oven mitts and sat with her brother.

Lena: “Thanks, Jordi! That’s banana French toast.”

She nodded.

Jordi: “This is a first for me.”

Lena giggled.

Lena: “I made it often for Grandma.”

Jordi’s smile softened.

Jordi: “I’d like to see her sometime.”

Jordi looked around as he ate. Lena delicately ate her muffin in pieces.

Jordi: “So, where is Henrietta anyway?”

Lena: “Maybe she quit?”

Jordi felt a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach.

Lena: “Uhm, Jordi?”

She fiddled with her locket and removed her apron.

Jordi: “What?”

He said, knitting his eyebrows and locking his gaze on his grandfather’s door.

Lena: “What kind of breakfast does Tristan like?”

Jordi snapped out of his daze.

Jordi: “Oh, whenever we had breakfast, he took me to this tea place, so I think he likes tea.”

He rubbed the back of his neck.

Abraham stepped out of his bedroom and glared at the siblings.

Abraham: “What the fuck is this crap?”

He pointed to the breakfast Lena made. Jordi glared at him. Lena fiddled with her locket.

Lena: “Oh, I made breakfast, Grandpa.”

She murmured.

Abraham: “It’s heart-shaped girly crap! I’m not eating this! Jordi, get your ass out and order me some Voyage Breakfast!”

He demanded. Lena embraced herself and looked away with tears in her eyes.

Jordi’s fury soared. He angrily rose.

Jordi: “Grandpa, I don’t care how you treat me; you’ve done it all, but don’t you DARE speak to her that way!”

He barked. Abraham glared at him.

Abraham: “Don’t you tell me what to do! Ever since you and HER came into our lives, you’ve given June and me nothing but trouble!”

He shook his fist. Lena’s bottom lip trembled, and she started to cry.

Abraham: “STOP CRYING!”

He bellowed and slapped her across the face, causing her to fall onto the floor. Lena bawled, and she staggered to her feet.

In a flash, Jordi slammed him against the wall and closed his hands around his neck. His byzantine eyes burned with rage as he strangled his grandfather. Abraham choked and wheezed as Jordi tightened his grip around his neck.

Lena rushed up to Jordi and hugged him.

Lena: “Jordi, don’t! He’s not worth it!”

She cried.

Lena: “I don’t want to lose you again!”

She begged him. Jordi’s expression softened. He heaved a deep sigh and slowly released his grandfather from his grasp. Jordi turned to her and hugged her. Abraham fell to the floor, panting and wheezing.

A knock came at the door. Jordi went to the door to open it. He opened the door to a middle-aged, heavyset white woman dressed in an olive green cardigan, a mauve ankle-length skirt, and black granny boots. She had dark eyes with a gentle “crinkle” at the corners, suggesting she smiled often. Her gaze was direct and steady, indicating confidence and engagement with Jordi. Her face had a soft, oval contour, a prominent, rounded chin, and full cheeks. There was a natural softness to her jawline, which blended into the neckline of her cardigan.

She had a straight, well-defined nose that sat proportionally to her other features. Her mouth was set in a subtle, closed-lip smile, with slightly upturned corners that gave her a pleasant, knowing expression.

Her hair was a rich, dark red. The hair was neatly kept, framing her face without overshadowing her features.

Jordi: “Yes? Can I help you?”

Woman: “Hello, you must be Jordi Vaquero.”

She replied in a husky voice and shot her hand out. Jordi gingerly took it and shook it.

Jordi: “Yes, that’s me.”

Woman: “I’m Gladys Blodwen. I will be replacing Henrietta Gray.”

She smiled. Jordi inhaled sharply.

Jordi: “Sounds wonderful. Come on in.”

He stepped aside to let her in. Gladys examined Abraham sitting at the table, and Lena embracing herself, looking away.

Gladys: “Good morning, Mr. Vaquero! I’m Gladys Blodwen! I’m going to be your new caretaker.”

She smirked.

Abraham: “I want to be in a home, away from those two.”

Gladys retained her smile.

Jordi flicked his gaze to Lena and saw the bruise on her face. He sneered at his grandfather and tried hard not to throw a punch.

Jordi: “She’s going to be here until I drive you to one and give you a room with a view of the dumpster!”

He barked.

Abraham: “Better than lookin’ at you!”

He spat.

He turned to Lena.

Jordi: “Come with me. I don’t want you alone with him.”

Lena nodded, grabbed her purse, and slid her tiny feet into her butterfly sandals. Jordi slid on his boots, shrugged into his suit jacket, and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

~

Tristan stepped out of his bedroom wearing a purple three-piece suit, a black tie, a white pressed shirt, and black sheer socks. Oliver followed behind him. He went down the stairs and through the living room into the kitchen, where Bastien was preparing breakfast. He wore a white pressed shirt with an olive sweater over it, beige pants, and brown loafers.

His father and Jasper sat across from Tristan. Bastien set a cup of black vanilla orchid tea and a plate of honeyed toast and sausages in front of Tristan, and a plate of sausages in front of Oliver. Tristan blew on his tea and sipped it. Oliver started eating his sausages.

Victor: “So, boys…”

He intertwined his fingers with Jasper. Bastien kept his back to his father.

Victor: “As you know, Jasper and I have grown very close lately.”

Tristan raised his eyebrows.

~

Last night…

Tristan lay in bed, hearing the loud moaning from his father’s bedroom of Victor and Jasper making love. He rose from his bed, turned on the fan and the ceiling fan, and went back to bed.

~

Yes, I had to use my fan to drown out the noise, Tristan thought.

Tristan: “Yes, Papa, I am aware.”

Bastien’s jaw tightened. Tristan quickly turned to Bastien and refocused on his father.

Victor: “I think it’s best I move in with Jasper. I love living with my sons, but I am finally happy again!”

He beamed.

Victor: “And both of you boys are grown up and thriving. You don’t need your father around.”

He chuckled. Tristan smiled and nodded.

Tristan: “If this is what you want, Papa. I just want you to be happy.”

He said gently. Jasper smiled at Tristan and patted Victor’s hand.

Bastien slammed his fist on the counter. Everyone turned to him.

Bastien: “Are you serious, Father?! Do you not care about our mother or Narcisse?!”

He cried. Victor’s smile faded.

Tristan: “...That thing is dead, Bastien.”

He said coolly.

Bastien: “SO WHAT?! YOU SHOULD REMAIN WITH YOUR FIRST LOVE ONLY!”

He screamed. Victor’s bottom lip trembled.

Victor: “Do you know how AWFUL she was to me, Bastien?! AND WHAT YOUR UNCLE DID TO ME?!”

He bawled.

Jasper gently put his hands on Victor’s shoulders.

Jasper: “Bastien, I understand you still see your parents as being together, but my first husband died a number of years ago. People can fall in love again.”

Bastien: “I said you should remain with your first love! You never loved him then!”

He snapped. Jasper drew back, hurt.

Tristan: “Bastien, if I may, what kind of a mindset is this? What if your ‘first love’ was abusive to you or cheated on you? Your first isn’t always going to be your best.”

He said coolly.

Bastien: “You hate Mother, but she gave birth to you, Tristan!”

He cried. Tristan’s jaw tightened, and he furrowed his eyebrows.

Tristan: “Should that change my mind about it or erase the trauma it gave to me?! Or to our father?!”

He fired back.

Tristan: “You don’t realize you were abused at the hands of that thing as well as Narcisse into thinking this mindset is remotely healthy or normal!”

He added. Bastien glared at Tristan.

Bastien: “You stayed with Deimos, despite him cheating on you!”

He hissed. Tristan glowered at him.

Tristan: “I didn’t ‘stay’ with him.”

Bastien: “So you’re using him for something you want!”

Tristan glared hotly at him, and ice surrounded where he sat. Oliver backed away.

Tristan: “NEVER tell me how I feel about someone or make my motivations into something sinister.”

He hissed through clenched teeth. Victor clung to Jasper, and Jasper held him close.

Bastien glared at Tristan. The potted Venus flytraps shot out at him. Tristan slashed his hand, slicing their heads off with his ice. Bastien gasped as their heads fell to the ground and then screamed when several icicles shot at Bastien, forming a frame around him, pinning his clothes to the wall. Bastien screamed and cried.

Victor: “DON’T HURT HIM, TRISTAN!”

He bawled.

Tristan turned to Victor and scooped Oliver up in his arms.

Tristan: “He made the first move, Papa. He’s being manipulated by Narcisse. He’s near.”

He glared at Bastien. Victor screamed and clung to Jasper.

Tristan: “I have to go to work.”

He said as he went into the mudroom. Francis came out and followed Tristan. Tristan slid his feet into his wingtip Oxfords and went to his car.

Bastien panted as he was pinned to the wall by icicles.

Victor: “I’m sorry, Bastien. Don’t anger him ever again!”

He cried.

Victor: “When his anger is at its peak, he will do damage!”

He bawled. Tristan heard him from the garage and knit his eyebrows, thinking back to the night of the housefire. He still blames me for that, he thought.

~

Jordi pulled up to Jaxon and Celeste’s house. Jaxon stepped out dressed in a red snakeskin print button-down shirt, black leather pants, and Chelsea boots. Jaxon leaned in and winced at Lena’s bruise.

Jaxon: “Ow, how’d that happen?”

He reached out and cupped her face as a red glow emitted from it, healing her bruise.

Jordi: “Grandpa being a prick.”

He muttered.

Jaxon: “Yeah, I dealt with crappy family members my whole life.”

He laughed bitterly.

Lena: “Thank you!”

She smiled.

Fabien stepped outside. He wore a Nuklear Intoxikation sucks shirt with a green plaid shirt over it, jeans, and flip-flops. He leaned in Jordi’s car window on Lena’s side.

Fabien: “Hello, Miss. New in town?”

Jordi sneered at Fabien. Lena smiled.

Lena: “Yes, I’m Jordi’s sister, Lena!”

Fabien frowned.

Fabien: “You never told me you had a sister.”

Jordi: “I just learned this the other day!”

He snapped. Lena sighed.

Fabien: “I’m Fabien! Nice to meet ya, Lena! Jordi used to work at Danny Donger’s with me.”

He drawled. Lena giggled. Jordi blushed.

Lena: “You worked there?!”

Jordi: “Yeah, briefly, but it’s Fabien’s life outside of trolling!”

He spat.

Fabien: “Oh, I do plenty of other things besides trolling, like spending time with Jax, Celeste, and grilling her favorite wings.”

He smiled and draped his arm around Jaxon. Jaxon rolled his eyes.

Fabien: “So, Lena, do you use Bungle? I have a Bungle Server where the fun never ends!”

He laughed.

Jordi: “Don’t rope her into that!”

He hissed.

Fabien: “Why, because Blair’s whining triggers you, or you don’t like that I call your girlfriend of the now fat?”

He snorted. Lena frowned.

Lena: “Why would you make fun of people for being fat?”

She twisted her mouth.

Lena: “Is Tristan on there?”

Jordi’s jaw dropped. Fabien smiled.

Fabien: “He sure is! He posts on there sometimes!”

He handed her a scrap of paper with his Bungle invite code.

Jordi: “Okay, I have to get to work. Thanks, Jaxon.”

He smiled at him and drove away.

Fabien: “Jordi will throw a fit at her. You wait.”

He said to Jaxon.

Jaxon: “Fuck you, man.”

Fabien: “My place or yours?”

He smirked. Jaxon rolled his eyes.

Celeste came out of the house and checked the mailbox. She wore a white tiger stripe bustier and a jean skirt. She pulled out a flyer with a picture of a middle-aged white man with a mop of hair and a mustache, both in Neopolitan colors. Round glasses hung from his bulbous nose. He wore a blue-and-white vertical-striped shirt, off-white pants, a red bow tie, and a boater hat. He posed by a statue of a cow. The header read, “Coming soon to Greammoom Hills, Dessert Ranch.” The subheader read, “Come say hello to Mr. Nice Cream and his cow, Daisy Cup, this Friday!”

There was a pink balloon in the corner that said, “Now Hiring!”

Celeste: “GUYS! ICE CREAM!”

She flapped the flyer.

~

Deimos was in his personal gym using the lat pulldown. He wore a black tank top, black gym shorts, and black sneakers. Lazaros burst into the gym, flapping his arms. He wore a purple suit with gold trim, white lapels with gold trim, a dark purple pressed shirt, a paisley silk tie, and black loafers with a gold clasp.

Lazaros: “DEIMOS, IT’S URGENT! YOU OR TRISTAN HAVE TO HELP ME!”

He screamed. Deimos glowered at him.

Deimos: “With what?! You broke your VCR again while rewatching your Ashley eating tapes?!”

Lazaros sobbed.

Lazaros: “That happened, but this is worse.”

Deimos: “What could be worse than that?”

He patted his face with a damp towel.

Lazaros: “Ashley wants to work at a place where the food isn’t mine and being away from me.”

He cried into his hands. Deimos blinked.

Deimos: “What is the problem? They should have a life outside of you.”

Lazaros: “NO, DEIMOS! NO! NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOO!!”

He caterwauled and stomped his feet with each syllable.

Lazaros: “The food isn’t MINE! It’s less time my friends, you, and me don’t get to watch them eat! What am I going to do, Deimos?!”

He bawled.

Deimos: “What friends?!”

He fired back.

Lazaros: “Tristan, Celeste, Jaxon, and Jordi!”

He nodded.

Deimos: “They’re not your friends!”

He snapped.

Lazaros: “YES, THEY ARE! THEY LOVE WATCHING ASHLEY EAT AS MUCH AS I DO!”

He cried.

Deimos rolled his eyes.

Deimos: “Tristan works at his job, and I don’t fucking cry and whine!”

He snapped.

Lazaros: “Ashley is not a super smart genius!”

He wept. Deimos nodded.

Deimos: “Yeah, you’re right.”

Deimos kicked off his shoes and took off his socks.

Lazaros: “Oh, God, Deimos, your feet and mine smell like that valerian root tea Ashley makes sometimes.”

He laughed. Deimos glared hotly at him.

Deimos: “Fuck you, dickhead!”

Lazaros’ bottom lip trembled, and he broke down crying.

~

As Jordi drove to work, he inhaled a long drag and was silent through the ride. Lena shifted in her seat.

Lena: “You’re awfully quiet.”

Jordi: “I’m fine.”

He said tersely, then took a long drag.

Lena: “No, you’re not.”

She murmured.

Jordi: “I am.”

He said firmly. Lena embraced herself.

Lena: “Are you mad at me?”

Jordi gaped at her.

Jordi: “Why? Why would you take an invite to his stupid server, especially with how he insulted me?”

He asked sharply. Lena looked away.

Jordi: “Just to be close to Tristan?! I can take you to his place! He doesn’t use that server much because Fabien is an asshole, and he allows a bigger asshole to run that hellhole!”

He snapped. Tears welled in Lena’s eyes.

Lena: “I didn’t mean to, Jordi! He seemed nice!”

She sniffled.

Jordi: “Fabien is NOT nice! He just trolls people, and I don’t want you entangled in his bullshit!”

He slammed on the steering wheel. Lena embraced herself and sobbed. Jordi knit his eyebrows.

Lena: “I wanted a good day with you.”

Jordi: “I know, Lena.”

He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

Jordi: “Fabien hurt me a lot, and I don’t want you… to get hurt by him.”

He drew a long breath.

Lena: “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Jordi heaved a deep sigh.

Jordi: “Because we’re just reconnecting and…”

His eyelids dipped.

Jordi: “I don’t like discussing what Fabien did to me. We were co-workers. He overestimated our friendship. I grew, and he didn’t. He took me drifting away super personally and doesn’t realize that people don’t want to be in his life because he’s a dick, and people also don’t want to anger him lest they’re on his radar.”

He huffed.

Lena: “Who is the worst one?”

Jordi’s jaw tightened.

Jordi: “Blair Donati.”

Lena: “Was he a coworker?”

Jordi shook his head.

Jordi: “Blair worked briefly at Fred’s Burger Castle and was fired for making Donald Duck noises at girls and cutting a girl’s French Toast for her. Blair also went to a private all-boys school, and I didn’t.”

He sighed.

Jordi: “When… Grandma left…, Grandpa shut down. There was no food in the house… I took to selling seeds door-to-door.”

He took another breath and crammed his cigarette in the ashtray.

Jordi: “I went to the Donati manor, and I begged for food. I hate begging, but I was hungry. Both Mr. and Mrs. Donati were so kind and helpful. They donated food to Grandpa and me.”

He smiled a bit.

Jordi: “But Blair…”

His smile faded.

Jordi: “Blair was angry about this and accused me of being a thief. He never let me live it down.”

He frowned.

Lena knit her eyebrows.

Lena: “You were starving?”

Jordi nodded soberly.

Lena: “Why didn’t Grandma take you?”

Jordi heaved a deep sigh.

Jordi: “I wish I knew. I knew why she left that old bastard, but I don’t know why she didn’t take me.”

He blew air through his parted lips.

~

Jordi stepped into the Megalos Tower. Lena’s eyes widened at the height of the tower and the many people coming in and out. Jordi swiped his work ID in the time clock. The young secretaries saw Jordi and giggled.

Secretary: “Hi, Jordi!”

Jordi: “Good morning.”

He nodded. Lena examined the tower map. He pressed the button to get on the elevator. When the doors opened, he and Lena stepped inside, and he pushed the button for the 85th floor. Lena examined the cityscape as the elevator ascended.

Lena: “Wow, this is so pretty!”

She pressed her face against the glass.

Lena: “There’s a shopping mall on the 65th floor!”

She put her hands behind her back and swayed her hips. Jordi smiled.

Jordi: “Get anything you like. You can charge it to my account.”

When they got off on the 85th floor, she followed Jordi and gazed at the food court.

Lena: “Wow, you have a food court, too!”

Jordi smiled and nodded.

Jordi: “So, Lena, I have to work, so I can’t spend it with you, so you can shop or do anything you like in the tower.”

Lena nodded.

Lena: “Sure, there seems to be a lot to do.”

Jordi: “We’ll meet up when my shift ends.”

They hugged briefly, and he went down the hall. Lena watched him go and sighed.

She looked at the clock in the food court and went to the elevator. She pressed the button. As she waited, she fished into her purse and pulled out Tristan’s business card. Maybe I can go see him, she thought.

~

Tristan sat in his office, deep in thought, and saw Francis and Oliver fighting in the corner of his eye. He cupped his mouth and knit his eyebrows. Why would Bastien attack me? He wondered. No, I know why, he thought.

He pulled his pocket watch out and checked the time. It’s almost lunch time, he thought. Someone knocked on his door. Tristan raised his head.

Tristan: “Come in.”

The door opened, and Lena stepped in. Tristan smiled when he saw her.

Tristan: “Lena, what brings you by?”

Lena fiddled with her locket.

Lena: “Want to take me to lunch?”

Tristan smiled and nodded.

Tristan: “Yes, I am on my lunch break.”

He rose from his seat.

Tristan: “How did you get here?”

He asked as he stepped out and closed his door behind him.

Lena: “I took a taxi here!”

Tristan nodded, and the two headed downstairs.

Tristan: “Rosemary, both Oliver and Francis are still in my office. Would you feed them while I head out?”

He asked her. Rosemary smiled and nodded at him.

He led Lena outside to his car in his designated parking spot.

Lena: “You have a nice office! It’s so quaint!”

Tristan smiled tightly.

Tristan: “Thank you.”

He opened the passenger’s door for her. Lena flushed red and gingerly stepped into his car. Tristan strolled over to the driver’s side, got in, and slid the key into the ignition. He looked behind his shoulder as he backed out and then shifted gears to drive out of the parking lot and onto the road.

~

Tristan and Lena arrived at Alice’s Dreams. Lena’s byzantine eyes glittered at the place.

Lena: “Oh, wow, this is so beautiful, Tristan!”

Tristan chuckled. He pulled out a chair for her. Lena blushed and sat down, thanking him. He sat across from her.

Lena: “Do you go here often?”

Tristan nodded as he examined the menu.

Tristan: “Yes, they have a lovely selection of tea and desserts.”

He smiled.

Tristan: “Get whatever you like. It’s my treat.”

Lena bit her bottom lip and opened up the menu.

The waitress approached them.

Waitress: “Hello, welcome to Alice’s Dreams! Are you two ready to order, and will this be on one bill or two?”

Tristan: “One, I’m paying.”

Lena bit her bottom lip.

Tristan: “I’ll have a cup of cherry marzipan green tea, and six macarons.”

Lena pursed her lips.

Lena: “I’ll have the same tea as him, and banana cream cheesecake.”

She took their orders and left the two of them.

Tristan scrutinized her.

Tristan: “Is everything okay?”

Lena paused and bowed her head.

Lena: “I wanted today to be a good day where I make breakfast for my big brother and grandfather, and…”

She embraced herself.

Lena: “Grandpa got mean, he… he hit me…”

Tears well in her eyes. Tristan gazed at her empathetically.

Lena: “He and Jordi fought, and then some lady came in to replace Grandpa’s old caregiver.”

She drew a long breath. Tristan handed her his handkerchief. Lena gasped and graciously accepted it.

Lena: “Thank you.”

She dabbed her eyes with it.

Lena: “And Jordi took me to see Jaxon to heal me. I also met Fabien.”

Tristan’s expression stiffened.

Tristan: “I see.”

Lena: “Do you not like him either?”

Tristan: “I tolerate him.”

He said tersely.

Lena: “He invited me to his Bungle Server and… Jordi was mad at me because I wanted to join.”

Tristan knit his eyebrows and sighed.

Lena: “I don’t want him mad at me!”

She cried.

Tristan: “Lena…”

He leaned forward. Lena reddened, and butterflies formed in her stomach.

Tristan: “Fabien treated Jordi horribly, and I believe that by you doing that, you’re betraying him, and this is why he’s upset.”

He said gently.

Lena: “I-I wanted to make some new friends.”

Tristan: “I understand that, but Fabien’s server is not the place to make friends.”

He twisted his mouth.

Lena: “Why do you tolerate Fabien?”

Tristan inhaled sharply.

Tristan: “Because I don’t want to deal with his vitriol.”

He said tersely.

Tristan: “I have enough issues in my life to contend with, so I don’t need to add more to that.”

He said gruffly.

Lena: “What issues?”

Tristan forced a smile.

Tristan: “It’s stuff I have to deal with, and it’s nothing for you to worry about.”

He nodded. Lena gazed at the handkerchief he gave her on her lap.

Tristan cleared his throat.

Tristan: “I apologize for what happened with your grandfather, Lena.”

He said softly. Lena brushed her hair behind her ear.

Lena: “Thank you.”

Tristan: “He has a new caregiver now?”

Lena: “Yes, she came to the door after Henrietta quit.”

Tristan raised an eyebrow.

The waitress arrived with their tea, cookies, and cake. Lena gasped with delight as she saw the banana cream cheesecake adorned with banana slices and caramel on her plate. Tristan smiled at her expression and munched on a blue bubblegum macaron.

~

After their lunch, Tristan drove Lena back to the Megalos Tower.

Lena: “I had a lovely time with you!”

Tristan smiled.

Tristan: “As did I.”

He said genially. Lena beamed.

Tristan: “Take care, Lena. Stay safe and don’t hesitate to contact me if you need me.”

He smiled. Lena nodded.

Lena: “See you soon, Tristan!”

She closed the door, and Tristan watched her leave.

He sighed and drove down the road on his way back to his office.

~

Tristan stepped into his recreation room to see Rosemary watching the news. He saw Daniel Lancaster on the screen. I haven’t seen that face in a while, he thought.

The marquee across the screen read, “The Top Defense Lawyer of Pink Top City, Daniel Lancaster, joins the fight against crime.”

Tristan sat beside Rosemary.

A journalist stuck her microphone in Daniel’s face.

Journalist: “After years of fighting the system, what changed?”

Daniel: “I’ve spent seventeen years ensuring the system works fairly from the outside; now I’m going to ensure it works justly from the inside.”

Tristan raised an eyebrow. Rosemary turned to him.

Rosemary: “I never thought you’d have to go head-to-head with your former boss, but you might someday.”

She chirped. Tristan heaved a deep sigh. This is what I dreaded, he thought.