Quinn
I had to climb over some furniture to get to the bathroom. That was tough with my back injury, but I made it in one piece.
The last of the companies I’d hired to fix the house had finished up late the night before, which was Saturday, and the furniture had been delivered early Sunday morning. It’s amazing how quickly things can get done when you throw enough money at them.
When I finally made it to the bathroom, I splashed some water on my face and took a few deep breaths in and out. The whole house smelled like paint and cleaning supplies, but it looked fantastic. I’d buy a few candles and a bunch of wall plug-ins, and my house would be smelling as good as it looked in no time.
After a long, drawn-out tour of my new house and some more time avoiding it, I picked up my phone and clicked on the missed calls button—where I’d missed six calls. Four from my dad, one from my mom, and one from Beth.
Just as I was about to click on my dad’s latest call, the screen was replaced with a picture of him.
With a shaky hand, I pressed the button to answer and lifted the phone to my ear.
“Quintessa.”
“Hi, dad.” I decided I’d be civil. No matter what he said, I would take the higher ground. He would undoubtedly guilt-trip me with an ‘I’m disappointed’ or two, but I wouldn’t let that stop me. I was done trying to win over his love.
“I’m disappointed in you.”
There it was.
“You can be disappointed if you want, but I have a plan to get you into the Senate without Travis Childers or his dad.”
He didn’t respond. I took that to mean he was listening, though he didn’t want to admit it because he was trying to guilt-trip me.
“I’m not signing that paper, and neither is Cody, and you can say whatever you want because I’m not going to change my mind about it. But, if you campaign with a perspective supporting full shifter integration and equality, you have a real shot at winning.
“With a daughter and son-in-law who are shifters, no one would question the validity of your stance. We would do a few speeches with you and show up to a few events, and people would have no doubt that you believe shifters deserve a place in society just as much as any humans. You know as well as I do that nearly all of the current politicians want to lock shifters up again, and that the majority of voters are against it. Cody could be an even better asset to you than Travis, because Cody grew up like all the other shifters.”
I finished my proposal and waited for his response.
“You know how I feel about shifters.” He finally said.
I did know. He hated shifters; he always had, though he had never had a reason for it. I’d always had an open mind about them, not that I’d ever told him that.
“And you know that the world is changing. Even if you could campaign with the Childers, everyone would ask you about the shifter daughter you disowned. You’d never get elected after hating your own daughter and son-in-law for being different.”
“Our family has a long history of being against shifters, Quintessa. If I suddenly change my mind, do you know what your grandfather would say?”
“Something along the lines of what you’ve been saying to me since I broke my back four years ago, probably.” I shot back, and then forced myself to calm down. “If you don’t want me to be a Longhorn, that’s fine. According to the laws I’m a Burgandeau now anyway, and I know how you feel about laws.”
“That’s not fair.” His voice was cold.
“Life’s not fair, dad. You taught me that.” I grimaced. It wasn’t going as well as I’d hoped, though I hadn’t expected it to. “I didn’t mean that, I’m sorry. You’re allowed not to like it, but I’m a shifter now. I turn into an animal the same way all the other shifters do. I have a soulmate, and he’s the best man I’ve ever met, and I hope you can be proud of that or at least happy for me.”
Once again, he didn’t respond.
“Alright, I’m going to go. I’m sorry that I’m not the daughter you always hoped I’d be. Bye, dad.”
I hung up the phone, and something about the action felt final. It wouldn’t be the last time I ever talked to my dad on the phone, but the conversation would change my relationship with him for good.
My dad wasn’t okay with who and what I was, but I didn’t feel sad about that anymore. Mostly I just felt proud of myself. I felt like I was on the brink of becoming someone more, someone better than I’d been in long time, if ever.
I was done with the one night stands and drinking away my feelings of worthlessness, because I wasn’t worthless. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do with my life, but whatever I decided on, I didn’t have to do it to make my dad happy. The only person I needed to love me was me.
Cody couldn’t hurt either.
I stood up and looked around my new house. It wasn’t as modern as my apartment, it was more comfortable, more homey. That was thanks to Cody.
Something inside me sort of blossomed when I thought about him.
My soulmate. The man that I loved. He was everything I hadn’t realized I wanted or needed in a man, and suddenly, I couldn’t wait to spend the rest of my life with him.
That was when I realized I didn’t want to be alone anymore.
I clicked the button to call Cody and then lifted the phone to my ear.