I shuffled around uneasily in my seat. It felt like I was on trial as she watched me and waited for an answer. I was getting exactly what I’d asked for, her undivided attention. Now, I was wondering if I had made a huge mistake. She didn’t seem to have any filters which was both infuriating and enchanting to me. Nothing was out of bounds or off limits with her. I loved it for the most part .

“Well?” she asked again. “Are you going to tell me about your childhood or not ?”

I sighed. “Sure. When do you want to start ?”

“How did your mother die?” she asked bluntly .

“Cancer, your dad ?”

“Tumor. Got any siblings ?”

I laughed. “Besides you?” I asked with a wink .

Tabitha rolled her eyes. “Yes .”

“Then no. What about you? Any others I should know about? Past step-brothers I should be jealous of ?”

She shook her head but grinned. “Nope. I mean, I’m sure my mother has half a dozen former step-children that I don’t know about, but again, we don’t really talk .”

“You really don’t ever talk to your mother?” I asked .

“And you’re ‘son of the year’?” she snapped back .

This wasn’t going at all like I’d planned. I wanted her to trust me, not be more suspicious of my motives. For some reason that I couldn’t explain, I needed her to open up to me and trust that I wasn’t going to hurt her. There was an instinct inside of me that I couldn’t shake. I had to keep her safe from the outside world. She wasn’t making things easy for me though. Tabitha had spent most of her teen years and adult life not trusting the men her mother cycled in and out. I couldn’t understand how their relationship was so fractured .

“Fair enough. My father and I drifted apart after my mother died. He never really even dated after she passed. At least not until he met Opal. He always told me, ‘what’s the point in dating the rest when you’ve already had the best?’ I guess that just always stuck with me .”

“Were you surprised when he got married again ?”

I shrugged. “I hadn’t really thought about it much. At the wedding he seemed happy, like he had someone to take care of again and that made him feel good. That’s all I’ve ever wanted was for him to find that joy again that he had with my mother .”

Tabitha frowned. “I wish that my mother was a better person then, for your father’s sake .”

I still couldn’t believe that Opal was the monster that Tabitha was making her out to be. My father had to have better judgment than that. If Tabitha and her mother could resolve their issues then maybe things would work out in the end. I couldn’t see a future with us though, if the hostility stayed with Tabitha. A plan was starting to form in my mind, but I needed to be careful about the approach .

“Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?” she asked me as she looked down at her phone .

Taking a deep breath, I shook my head. “I guess not. Maybe you could explain to me why you are in such a hurry to get out of here .”

“Or you could tell me why you are so hell-bent on keeping me here .”

“Isn’t it obvious?” I asked. “I just want you to be safe .”

“It isn’t your place to worry about me though,” she said again. “I know that you want to take care of me, but that isn’t needed. Plus, I do have to work tonight. I’d like to go back to my own apartment and get some sleep .”

“If you don’t get mugged or raped on the way home .”

“I will take my chances .”

I ground my teeth together. It was a terrible habit that I had picked up in medical school. No matter how much money or status your family had in medical school you were still treated like dog crap until you were actually a surgeon or doctor. It was the only think that kept me from losing my temper, though Tabitha was doing her best to break me down. I knew that I was going to lose this round which was okay because I had a bigger plan in mind .

“At least let me get a car to take you home .”

She frowned, but nodded her head without saying another word. A ‘thank you’ would have been nice, but I had the strong feeling those didn’t come easily for her. I picked up the penthouse phone and called the front desk. A car would be waiting for her when she went downstairs and it would be charged to my room bill. It was a small price to pay to know more about her .

“Will you be coming into the office on Monday?” I asked as I walked her to the elevator .

“I don’t know, can I get the family discount?” she shot back .

I smiled. “I think we can work something out to make it more affordable .”

“Really?” she said with wide eyes .

Nodding my head, I wasn’t prepared for the warm embrace she gave me. I wrapped my arms around her and didn’t want to let go. How could one woman change my entire outlook on life with just one night together? I took in a deep breath, smelling the sweet honeysuckle and lilac of her perfume before she broke away from me again and stepped into the elevator .

“Thanks for breakfast,” she said as the doors closed. “This was fun !”

I wanted to stop her from going, but I knew I couldn’t. It took all of my self-control not to reach across and pull her back into my arms. As the doors closed and I watched the numbers go lower, I couldn’t look away. It wasn’t until they sat on the ground level for at least five minutes that I finally turned and walked away. I felt more depressed than I had in a long time. The sensation was foreign and uncomfortable. Picking up my phone I scrolled through the numbers until I landed on my father’s. I pressed the ‘call’ button and waited .

“Earl?” he said in surprise. “Is everything okay ?”

“Yeah Dad, why wouldn’t it be? I was just calling to see how you were doing .”

“Oh,” muttered my father before a long pause. “I’m doing okay, and you ?”

“Fine,” I said .

Silence fell. I didn’t know how to talk to him anymore. Hell, I didn’t even know what he did with his time since retiring from his position as chief of staff for NY Memorial. I’d picked up bits and pieces of his life in the papers, so I knew he was working part time as a volunteer doctor all over the country, but that was only a few days a month .

“So,” he said awkwardly .

“Right,” I stammered. “How is married life treating you? Opal giving you a run for your money ?”

“You can say that again. That woman spends money like it’s going out of style. I swear that daughter of hers spends more money in college than most graduates make in ten years. I never thought I’d have to foot the bill for dorm life again .”

I chuckled. “Yeah, Selina can be a bit of a handful, or so I hear. What do you know about Opal’s other daughter, Tabitha ?”

“Not much, just that there is a good bit of animosity between the two of them. Why do you ask ?”

“No reason,” I said .

“Hm,” he said. “Well, I’m sure that you will come across her sooner or later. To be honest I don’t even know what her last name is. For the longest time I thought Selina was Opal’s only daughter. She doesn’t ever talk about Tabitha. I think when her first husband, Tabitha’s father, died it left a bit of a rift between them .”

You could say that again, I thought to myself. How was I going to bring the two of them together if my own father, Opal’s husband didn’t even know anything about what had happened between the mother and daughter duo. It was starting to look like this whole mission was going to be more difficult than I originally thought. Tabitha did show me one thing while she was here. If I wanted her to try and work things out with her mother, I would first need to make the effort with my father .

“I was thinking that one day next week the two of us could go to lunch together. Maybe Opal can join us too. I feel like I haven’t really gotten a chance to know her .”

My dad laughed, there was something sarcastic about it, but he didn’t share and I didn’t push the issue. “I would love to have lunch with you .”

“And Opal? Do you think she would come too ?”

“To be honest, son, I have no idea. Everything seemed to be going perfectly until a few weeks ago. It’s nothing for you to worry about. I just wouldn’t count on her coming to any luncheons unless there’s a chance she’ll run into a socialite or woman from the garden club .”

“Wow, sounds like a pretty lame afternoon,” I told him honestly .

“You’re telling me. I can barely leave my house without wondering what I’m going to come home too .”

“That sounds terrible,” I said .

“Well, we have our holiday family dinner coming up soon, you know. I know that Selina is going to be there, but I wasn’t sure if it was something that you could make .”

“Of course I will!” I said enthusiastically .

“Really?” my father stammered. “Sorry, you just caught me off guard again. I’m not sure what’s getting into you recently, but I like it. Spending more time with my son sounds like the perfect distraction right now .”

“What am I supposed to be distracting you from again?” I pressed .

“Nothing that you need to worry about. How does lunch at noon tomorrow sound and dinner here at six next weekend? Then you can ask all these questions to Opal and Tabitha at the same time. Maybe they can offer some insight into your quest for knowledge. Hell, I don’t even know how old Opal’s other girl is. I guess there is always one in every family .”

“Always one what ?”

“One that wants to stir the pot,” he said .

“And in our family ?”

My father chuckled and sighed. A soft noise slipped out and I knew that he was thinking about my mother. I would bet my inheritance that there was a faint smile on his face right now .

“Your mother was the pot stirring type. She was always pushing for a better world, a better future for you and all the children of the world. I really loved that woman .”

“I know you did, Dad,” I said as my heart started to ache. “I loved her too. Say, do you mind if I bring a guest to dinner on Saturday night ?”

“Oh,” he said. “A special friend? I wouldn’t mind at all. Of course I will have to make sure it’s okay with Opal, but I don’t see why not. This one must be something great if you are bringing her home to meet the family .”

“She is certainly something else,” I told him. My phone was lighting up on the other end. It was Mary calling. “Hey Dad, I’m gonna have to go, but I will see you tomorrow afternoon. I’m really looking forward to it .”

“Me too, son,” he said lightheartedly .

It was the first time in months that I could hear a smile in his voice. It was a sound that I never wanted to forget. Tomorrow would be good for the both of us, though I was disappointed that Opal wouldn’t be joining us. I had to figure out what was going on between Tabitha and her mother .