Page 22

Lark

My phone buzzes, scooting across the conference table and interrupting the meeting between Lara, Shana and me.

They both look at me and I give an apologetic wave of my hand and pick up the device to silence it, until I see the name on the screen. Walker. It’s a name I’d never turn down a call from, an old friend back when I was living a more… unsavory life. He was a gang member a long time ago, and someone I trust with my whole being.

“Excuse me,” I say, sliding out of my chair and pacing toward the window, the cityscape blurred by rain. “Walker, what's up?”

“Hey, Lark.” His voice is serious and deadpan, which is to be expected from him. He’s a close to the vest kind of guy. “I've got bad news. Sending you info now.” My spine stiffens. Walker is not a man to be dramatic. If he says something is going on, then something is going on, and I need to take note.

My phone dings with documents and I open them, then place an arm on the steel beam beside the window for support.

“Oh, damn.” My heart hammers and icy cold then burning hot fear prickle across my being.

“Your designs, they're being replicated,” he says. “But with trash materials. They'll crumble and cost people more. It's dirty play – your company has the patent.”

I don’t even want to ask how he got this information; he’s always had his ways. But I am thankful.

“Shit.” The single word hisses through my teeth. Walker was one of the people I’d asked to pour some of his wealth into our venture. His was a vote of confidence we'd sorely needed. Now this.

Damn it.

“Thanks for the heads-up,” I say, keeping my voice steady as I begin to form a plan.

“Watch your back, Lark,” he says. “Someone on the inside is betraying you.” With that, the line goes dead.

I walk back to the meeting room, where Shana and Lara sit, their faces still filled with concern at my sudden exit.

“Someone's stealing our ideas,” I say. “Passing them off as ours, but with sub-par parts.” I forward the documents to them both and they open the files, their faces shifting with emotion; anger, fear, disbelief… they go through so many changes.

Shana looks ill; her face has gone pale, and her hands tremble as they clutch at the edge of the table. Lara's eyes widen, stunned anger filling her features as her lips move slightly with every word she reads.

“Are you serious?” Lara’s fury overflows as she nearly throws her device down in anger before realizing it’s not actual paperwork and might break if she does.

But it’s Shana I’m watching, because there’s something in her eyes that has me curious.

Shana nods, tears sparkling in her eyes as she sets her phone down and bites on her lower lip as if to hold back the truth. But the words come anyway. “I think I know how it happened.”

“Shana?” Lara sounds betrayed and I hold up a hand to quiet her as Shana tries to explain.

“I'm so sorry,” she whispers, her voice barely loud enough to be heard. “My laptop... I wasn't careful enough with security.”

“What does that mean?” Lara sounds angry and confused at this point, but I don’t need details. I need to find a way to fix this, and fast.

“God, Shana...” But Lara's voice trails off, her anger seeming to deflate as tears slip down her friend’s face.

I stand there, well aware that anger solves nothing. The best we can do is move forward and make the best of things.

“We'll deal with this,” I say, glancing from Lara to Shana, wanting to assure them as I speak in a tone that’s firm but not unkind. “We'll fix it. Together.”

Lara nods. “Whatever it takes,” she whispers, reaching out to pat Shana’s hand.

Shana's tearful eyes meet mine, a silent thank you passing between us. Lara lets out a sigh of relief and I can see she trusts me, a fact that warms my soul. This is a setback, yes, but we're a team, and we'll handle it as a team.

“What happened?” Lara asks, sounding curious about what transpired to get things to this point.

Shana's eyes are red-rimmed, her fingers twisting a tissue into puffs of white dust.

“I met him at a conference,” she says, her low voice hushed and embarrassed. “He seemed... interested in me. Maybe a little too interested in me.”

“Your boyfriend?” Lara asks, and I stand back, wondering how the heck Lara didn’t know about her best friend’s boyfriend. But things click; if Shana had a bad feeling from the start, of course, she wouldn’t want her friend to meet him and confirm her fears.

Shana nods, fresh tears sliding down her cheeks. “I should have known—”

“Shana.” Lara's tone seems to get her friends attention and she continues to speak. “This is not your fault. Someone did this to you.”

“You didn't know,” I say, feeling bad for her. “We'll sort this mess out and you’ll meet a decent guy.”

“He did invent reasons to get me out of the room when my laptop was open and on.” Her heart seems to be breaking before us and I want to hug her, but Lara does instead. As Lara squeezes her friend, I continue puzzling out what to do next.

“I feel so stupid. How did I not see this?” Shana asks Lara.

Lara pulls back slightly, looking Shana in the eyes. “You couldn’t have known. People like that are good at hiding their true intentions.”

I nod in agreement. “The important thing now is to secure your data and make sure he can’t access anything else. We’ll start by changing all your passwords and checking for any malware on your laptop.” There it is, step one of a plan that’ll help us get this situation under control. And if they’re anything like me, just having a plan in place will help them both feel better about the whole situation.

Shana sniffles, wiping her eyes with a fresh tissue Lara hands her. “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you both.”

“We’re here for you,” Lara says firmly. “We’ll get through this together.”

“I should have listened to my gut.” Shana lets out a laugh with no joy behind it. “I didn’t want you to meet him, Lara, because I knew you’d hate him and tell me to kick him to the curb.”

Lara shrugs. “He sounds like a loser and you can do better. But for now, don’t let him change how you feel about yourself or stop you from working.”

I take a deep breath, ready to get started. While I have step one of the plan already, my mind is working on the backend to form the next part. The harder part. That part that’s not just changing passwords and looking for malware. “Let’s get to work. The sooner we start, the sooner we can put this behind us.”

We gather around Shana’s laptop, ready to tackle the problem head-on. As we work, I can’t help but feel like this could be a problem moving forward. If it was this easy… security needs an overhaul. And I know just the guy to do it. Time to see if Vice is still looking for honest, aboveboard work. It would be nice to see him again, too. And as those thoughts fill my mind, another clicks into place. Not only could I ask Vice to head up security, but maybe I can convince Walker to help, too.

After all, he wanted to invest in the company. Maybe he’ll be willing to make this company worth investing in by getting rid of the impersonators. It’s worth giving him a call. And as the IT guy looks over the system, I step out into the hallway to make a call.

“I can’t wait!” Win is dragging both me and Lara along, clearly in a bigger hurry than we are, but only because we’re not four-year-olds with endless energy and an unmatched excitement for life.

We’d decided to bring him to the aquarium after I asked Lara if he’d ever been. She’d thought about it, then in a surprised voice said no. She seemed surprised because it’s the kind of place he’d go crazy for and she couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of it before.

All the anger, tension, and betrayal of the day stops at the door, replaced by the wide-eyed wonder of our son. He tugs on my hand, eager, and I let him lead the way inside the darker space filled with tanks.

“Look, Daddy!” His small finger points to a circular tank where jellyfish hover, their tops undulating and their long tentacles drifting on invisible currents.

“Oh, they’re beautiful,” Lara says, and I give her a sideways glance. I can’t imagine anyone calling a gelatinous blob beautiful, but…

She elbows me, a smile on her face. “I think they’re pretty.”

“What? I didn’t say anything,” I tease back, leaning in to press a quick kiss to her lips as Win presses his face to the tank, clearly fascinated.

“Come on,” Win says, done with them just as fast as he’d taken interest. He grabs out hands, leading us deeper into the place and I chuckle at his excitement. He stops at seahorses, watches some pretty blue tangs and clownfish as he remembers a movie he’s watched at least thirteen thousand times.

“Dory!” he exclaims before moving on, walking in a zig-zag pattern. “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.”

I hustle after Lark's tiny, darting form, Lara hot on my heels. His laughter echoes through the vast space alongside the low conversations of other people, the shouts of excited kids, and the soft gurgle of filtered water. He skids to a halt in front of a tank where a sea turtle glides, looking majestic.

“Big turtle, Daddy!” Lark's finger smudges against the glass, his eyes round with delight. From overhead, we see them dropping food in and the turtle lazily eats the food raining down around him. And Win watches, his expression thrilled, his attention fixated on the creature.

“Really big,” I say with a chuckle, stealing a glance at Lara. There’s so much joy in her eyes it takes my breath away.

We weave between clusters of people, following Lark's excited beeline from exhibit to exhibit. He is a blur of energy who finds each display more fascinating than the last. Neon fish. Spiky urchins. We're chasing more than just our son; we're chasing his mind’s ability to absorb and retain information.

“Why don’t we visit the touch pool next?” I ask, knowing the sensory experience would make him even happier.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Win jumps up and down, and I lead him and Lara into the rooms for hands-on discovery, and Lark's face lights up brighter than any bioluminescent creature here.

“You really did your homework, huh?” Lara asks, crossing her arms as we watch Win rush to the tanks, then make a U-turn right back to us.

“I can touch?” he asks, looking back at the shallow pool.

“Yep, just be gentle,” I say, walking him over to the pool. We stand side by side and I guide his small hand toward the surface. The water is chilly, but not uncomfortably so, and Win seems okay. Until his fingers graze a starfish, and he recoils. But he doesn’t need me to talk him through it, he touches the starfish again, this time with purpose.

“Bumpy, hard, awesome,” he says softly, awe filling his words. It’s obvious he didn't expect that texture, and my heart swells, knowing I'm here for this moment of discovery.

“Starfish are tough, buddy,” I say, kneeling beside him. “They need to be, living out there in the ocean.”

“Tough like us?” His question catches me off guard as he peers up at me with those bright green eyes that are so like mine.

“Exactly like us,” I say, surprised as always at how perceptive and intelligent he is and, as I ruffle his hair, I think about how we are all facing rough waters, but today, there’s some smooth sailing.

But he’s off, finding another exhibit. “Look, Dad! Look, Mom!” Win's voice pulls me from my thoughts as he hovers over the new exhibit, fingers hovering inches above a sea anemone. His fascination in the motion of the delicate pink tendrils seems to make him hesitate. Or he’s steeling himself since the starfish surprised him.

He glances at us as if asking permission, and I’m suddenly aware of how close Lara is standing and how amazing she smells.

“Go ahead,” I say, nodding at him. I don’t mind reassuring him that what he’s doing is okay. Moments like this, when I was unsure as a child, my mother had been kind and gentle. Not impatient. And I want to parent like she did.

We watch as his tiny finger descends with care as he pets the anemone. “Just don’t stick your finger in its mouth.” One of the staff bend over and talk to him about the creature and Lara peeks up at me.

“He’s loving this, so you know. You made a good choice with this place.”

I nod as the staff member explains that the anemone responds to being touched by closing slightly – but it doesn’t hurt or scare them.

“It tickles!” Win says with a giggle, pulling his hand back to watch it unfurl once more.

“Hey, buddy, let's listen to this,” I say as a marine educator starts her talk on rays. Win’s gaze shifts, noticing that she has props, pictures, and a voice so bright with passion for rays it’s hard not to listen to her.

“Rays have different shapes for different reasons,” she explains, holding up a ray-shaped cutout and turning in a half-circle so everyone can see.

“Like superheroes!” Win exclaims, and the small crowd chuckles.

“Exactly, each one with their own superpower,” she says, agreeing with him and offering a smile. Win gives a little shoulder wiggle, a dance that tells me he’s proud to have been part of the lesson.

“He’s a special little guy,” I say to Lara, and she nods.

I watch Win with a sense of pride that I only feel for him. His curiosity and enthusiasm are contagious, and I can’t help but smile as he soaks up every bit of information offered. Lara’s hand slips into mine, and I give it a gentle squeeze.

“He’s got your spirit,” she says softly, her eyes shining.

I chuckle, shaking my head. “I think he’s got the best of both of us.”

Lara nods, accepting my words, and I’m happy right here in this moment.

The marine educator continues her talk, and Win is completely captivated. I glance at Lara, her face illuminated by the soft light of the aquarium. She’s watching Win with so much love my heart begins to ache in the best way possible.

“Thank you for this,” she says, turning to me. “For everything.”

“You don’t have to thank me. This is my pleasure.” I love spending time with them. Both of them. And I have a lot of time to make up for. I know that’s not how things work, but I have every intention of trying. I lean in, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“Next time we should bring your mom and Damon.” She seems genuinely thrilled by the idea as she says it, and it only makes me love her more.

We both look up as Win’s laughter rings out as the educator lets him touch a ray’s smooth skin. His joy shines in his face and gives me a sense of fulfillment I never knew I needed. This is what it’s all about—these moments of pure, unfiltered happiness.

As the talk wraps up, Win runs over to us, his eyes wide with excitement. “Did you see that, Mom? I touched a ray!”

“I saw, buddy,” Lara says, hunkering down to his level.

He nods. “Dad, did you see?” he asks.

“I did!” I say with a nod. “Pretty cool, huh?”

“The coolest!” he exclaims, bouncing up and down on his toes.

Lara laughs, and I realize I love the sound. “What’s next on the agenda, Mr. Tour Guide?” she teases me.

I glance at the map of the aquarium, considering our options. “How about we check out the shark tunnel?”

Win’s eyes go even wider. “Sharks? Yes, please!”

We make our way to the tunnel, Win practically dragging us along in his excitement. As we walk through, surrounded by the graceful predators, I feel that everything has finally fallen into place. Well, maybe not everything – there are still some business matters to attend to – but this whole family life and dad role make me happy. This is my family, my life, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Win’s excitement is contagious, and I find myself grinning as he looks up. The water above us shimmers with the movement of the sharks, their sleek bodies gliding effortlessly through the blue. Lara squeezes my hand, her eyes filled with wonder and a hint of fear.

“Look at that one!” Win points to a particularly large shark, his voice filled with awe. “It’s huge!”

I love his excitement. “That’s a sand tiger shark. Impressive, right?”

Lara leans closer, her shoulder brushing against mine. “It’s amazing how peaceful they seem,” she says.

I nod, watching as the sharks swim. “Yeah, it’s like they’re in their own world.” Like we are. Our own happy little world, untouched by the stress and troubles of the outside world, if only for a moment.

Lara leans into me, her head resting on my shoulder. “This is perfect,” she whispers.

I wrap my arm around her, pulling her close. “Yeah, it is,” I agree, my heart feeling full. “It really is.”