Page 72 of The Burning
“I don’t know, maybe . . . maybe not.”
“Why not? A car is an essential part of growing up,” my dad told Austin, as if he was only the one who had ever considered this. How arrogant.
Austin’s eyes rolled and it made me happy to know he wasn’t totally on my dad’s side.
“It’s just not a priority for me right now. Maybe when I have kids or when I can afford a decent one.”
My head spun a little at the wordkidscoming from my brother’s mouth. I was certain I had never, ever heard him even mention having children. Maybe he really was growing up?
“Hm. You should reconsider.” My dad continued to push his opinion.
“Maybe. Anyway, can we talk about something else, literally anything else? The game, the weather, the fucking—I mean freaking—economy at this point would be better.”
My dad turned to his attention to me. “What about you, Karina? How’s work going?”
Ugh, here we go.
“It’s actually great. I’ve been working more and more hours and am thinking about signing up for a training course soon. Oh, and I got a raise,” I lied, but just about the raise.
I just felt like I had to have something a bit more impressive than nothing.
“Training course for what? How many ways can you rub your hands on someone’s skin?” My dad’s tone was full of mockery, and he nearly laughed, like he’d told an impressive joke.
I groaned and dug my fingernails into my hand to stop myself from flipping over his fancy table and telling him to go fuck himself. “Actually, there are many different practices and techniques from all over the world and they’re always changing. My career field is growing and growing. Wellness is becoming a part of more people’s lives and I know it’s only going to get bigger and bigger as an industry, so I want to try to stay on top of it.”
Even after my speech, my father was unfazed. I didn’t know why I bothered to waste my breath, but I meant every word and I would bet money that Estelle will be the perfect consumer of the ever-expanding wellness industry.
“Who do you think won the game?” my dad asked Austin, completely changing the subject. I didn’t care this time.
I reached for my phone and texted my brother to ask why he didn’t bring up the Army and when the hell we were leaving, but the ding from his phone came from the living room, so it was pointless. Austin and my dad continued talking sports while Estelle absently stared into the abyss.
Chapter Thirty-One
Maybe I had been wrong about the potential birthday celebration. I was getting off easy and would be able to get the hell out of there soon. It felt like I had been there for ten hours instead of nearly two.
“You’re riding back with me, right?” I asked my brother while Estelle distracted my dad with talk about the upcoming maintenance on their RV.
“I have a ride coming,” he responded.
My dad gently poked at Estelle’s arm and she stood up. She excused herself from the table and walked into the kitchen, retying her ponytail on the way. My dad got up to follow her without any explanation, but I was more than happy they were giving Austin and me a second alone. I waited for my dad’s footsteps to make the floor creak like they always had before I opened my mouth.
“Have you not told him about the Army?” I asked my brother, whispering so neither my dad nor Estelle could hear me.
He shrugged. “I’m waiting.”
“For what?” I flicked both of my palms out in question.
“I dunno. I just don’t want to deal with it right now. I don’t need another headache and him knowing my business doesn’t mean shit to me. I’m just trying to get along with him tonight because he seems to be in a good mood for whatever reason.”
I nodded. I agreed with him, so I couldn’t really argue there. Plus, I did like knowing something my dad didn’t.
“Wait, so if he doesn’t know about your enlistment, why the heck is he in such a good mood?”
“No clue.” He shrugged again. My brother shrugged his shoulders more than anyone I had ever met. It was a big part of the way he communicated in his own carefree way.
“Something must be up.” I tapped my finger on the table to emphasize my point.
“Maybe his retirement came through sooner than expected?” Austin suggested.
