I get out plates and utensils. My mind is spinning. Marrying Elia might be the answer to my problems, but I think it’s unfair to her. She’s just a teenager. I don’t know how Eric will react.

I wince. She hasn’t dated boys, so it’s a big leap for her to marry me. I’m going to have to call him after dinner is over, no matter what time it is.

For some reason, I can’t think of an alternative. They’re coming for Danny and I will do anything when it comes to protecting my son.

He turns over in his sleep. Elia is still eating as I pull him into my arms and walk upstairs with his light weight pressed against me. I kiss his forehead when I put him down in the crib in my room.

Nothing is out of the question when it comes to protecting him. And my decision is made. I’ll call Eric as soon as I’ve finished eating.

When I walk downstairs, Elia’s almost done. It seems like she inhaled dinner. When she hears me walking down the steps, she inhales the last bites of her ice cream and stands up to put her dish in the sink, choking a little bit.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

“Fine,” she manages to squeak.

“I’m calling your father after dinner,” I say.

“I’ll be in my room,” she says before walking off.

I’m not sure what’s going to happen now. There’s a chance that Eric will explode when I ask him if I can marry his daughter. We’ll just have to see.

* * *

As soon as I’ve washed the dishes, I go to my computer. Calls to China cost $0.02 per minute through VoIP. I take a deep breath before calling his cell phone. Both of us have one, since we travel to China, although my own trips have been less frequent with Danny around.

“Hello?” Eric asks. “This better be an emergency. It’s dark o’clock, you asshole.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” I say. He’s not the cheeriest morning person. I check the clock. It’s actually not dark o’clock. “Listen, I’m getting hit with a lawsuit.”

“You’re getting hit with a lawsuit or we’re getting hit with a lawsuit?” Eric sounds a lot more awake now.

“My in-laws are trying to take half of my voting stock.”

“What the fuck?” Eric screeches. “How?”

“My living trust, the one that I created with my wife. We had some ambiguous language that they’re trying to use to get half of my voting shares.”

“Fuck,” Eric repeats.

“Yeah,” I say. “And that’s not the worst part. They’re trying to do it by getting guardianship of Danny. They’re trying to say that I’m an unfit parent because I’m alone and working. There are two of them. It’ll be a more stable household.”

“So get engaged to some floozy,” he tells me.

“Not that simple. I’m sure they’d see through that.”

Eric sighs. “So what are you going to do?”

“What would you be willing to do to protect the company? How far would you go?”

Silence. “Pretty far.” Eric doesn’t sound very happy, because he knows where I’m going.

“I’d like to marry your daughter.”

“No fucking way. Snowball’s chance in hell. Fuck no.”

“Hear me out,” I say. “Listen, she’s already living in my house and taking care of Danny. She’s kind of like a mother. And I’ll take care of her, pay for her college, set her up with a trust fund, whatever. I promise I’d treat her right.”

“You’re lucky that it’s you, asshole,” Eric grumbles. “You might be the only man I’d trust enough for this.” He sighs. “And the divorce?”

“Elia and I will work it out.”

“I don’t like this,” he says. “But I’m going to give you a green light anyway. Don’t fuck things up,” he warns.

“Got you,” I say.

“Later, loser,” he says, yawning. “I’m going to go back to sleep.”

And with that, the phone buzzes. He’s in bed and I’m about to ask Elia to be my wife.

I go to my safe. My mother was disappointed when I proposed to my dead wife with a custom-made ring that she designed. I have my grandmother’s ring, a tiny chip diamond set in a small gold band. It’s not worth a lot of money, but it’s worth the world to me. Elia might only wear it for a little while, but I know that I’ll like seeing it on her hand.