don’t worry about it.” I handed the screwdriver to Emerson, and she placed it in my bag.
But then she paled when she realized how unorganized it was. “Wow…we need to clean this up later.”
Dad kept his eyes on me. “Sounds like your mother.”
I chuckled because it was dead-on.
He patted me on the back. “Thanks, little man. We couldn’t wait two weeks because we can’t freeze the patient samples, and when we tried to order another, it was going to take even longer to get here.”
“I really don’t mind, Dad. It’s no problem.”
He squeezed the back of my neck before he released me. “I appreciate it anyway.”
I turned on the machine, and the lights came on. “Does it look right?”
Dad did a couple things to test it out. “Yep. It’s like she’s brand-new.”
“Great,” I said. “Are you going to stay late to use it?”
“Yes,” he answered. “But Mom is working late tonight anyway, so it’s fine.”
I grabbed Emerson’s purse and handed it to her. “I guess our work here is done.”
“Are we going to head back to the lab?” she asked.
“I am, but I’ll drop you off on the way,” I said. “There’s no reason for you to stay late.”
“Are you sure?” she asked. “Because I don’t mind.”
“No. You should go home to your father.”
She smiled. “Great. That sounds nice.”
I turned back to my dad. “We’re going to take off. Call me if it acts up again.”
“I will.” He slid his hands into his front pockets as he regarded me. “Can we get a beer together or something on Friday after work? I miss you.” He never cared who was around when he spoke to me, didn’t feel self-conscious showing me affection. I knew when Mom or the rest of us weren’t around, he was back to his focused and intense state.
“Sure. I miss you too.”
He gave me a one-armed hug before he kissed me on the forehead. “I look forward to it.” Then he turned to Emerson. “Thanks for all your help today. I really appreciate it.”
“I was happy to,” she said. “That’s the first time I’ve ever fixed anything. Whenever I drop my phone and crack the screen, I always pay someone else to fix it. First time I’ve ever been part of the other side of that.”
He nodded. “If you continue to work with Derek, I’m sure this will be the first of many.”
I grabbed my tool bag and started to walk out. “Tell Mom I said hi.”
“I will.” He turned back to the machine. “Love you.”
“Love you too, Dad,” I said before the door shut.
Then Emerson and I walked down the hallway and back to the entrance where Ronnie was waiting.
“Can I say something?” she asked, walking beside me.
I turned to her.
“You guys are sooooo cute.”
I smiled slightly and faced forward again.
“You look so much alike. It’s adorable.”
I kept walking.
“You’ve got the same hair, the same eyes…”
And we had the same struggles conforming to societal rules.
“How old is he?”
“Just turned fifty-eight.”
“Wow. Doesn’t look a day older than forty.”
“It’s all those salmon burgers…”
“Damn, I guess I’m going to have to lay off the beef too,” she said with a chuckle.
Dr. Collins stared at me in silence.
I stared back.
“Will Emerson be joining us?”
“I told her we were fine on our own.”
He nodded. “Should I take that as a compliment? Or is that a by-product of something else?”
“The fact that I’m here is a compliment. But yes…it’s also a by-product.”
“To what?” he asked. “If you don’t mind my asking…”
I shrugged. “Last time we spoke, you asked a lot of questions about her.”
“Did that make you uncomfortable?”
“No.” I propped my knuckles against my cheek.
He stared at me for a long time, as if he were studying my features for secrets. “But the answers did…”
I didn’t confirm it.
“When Emerson walked me to the elevator, I asked if the two of you have a romantic relationship. She said no.”
“Because we don’t.”
“Do you want that to change?”
Now I became uncomfortable. “I thought we were supposed to work on absolving my guilt for the Odyssey 3?”
“That’s going to take time. It’s not like a nail you can strike until it’s embedded in the wood. This is a slow process, and rushing it is only going to make that nail crooked and unstable. Also, that’s not how humans work. Our consciousness is complicated and complex. And the fact that you’re deflecting the question makes me wonder if it’s relevant.”
“I don’t think a person wanting to keep their personal life private means anything.”
“But you’ve already confessed there