Page 18 of The Awakening

The cottage makes me a bit sad though, so I don’t stay there.

“What are you doing?” Cyrus asks, finally calm.

“I’m working on a proposal, and I need to email the hospital director about something.”

“A proposal for…? See, I don’t even know what’s happening in your life anymore.”

I grin. “If you shut up, I’ll tell you. It’s a program to help same-sex vampire couples have kids.”

“Sorry I asked.”

“Tosser.”

“Have you been dating?” Cyrus asks. “I mean normies.Humans.Don’t tell me about your dodgy vampire banging.”

“I hate you.”

“Youloveme. Pip says hi.”

“Hello, Pippa.” I sigh. Pippa is Cyrus’s very blonde, blue-eyed, pixie-like fiancée. Growing up, Cy and I spent so much time together that his little sister used to joke that we were gay. I didn’t mind because… well, I was, wasn’t I? Sort of. I hadn’t quite figured myself out yet. But Cyhatedit, and so did his parents. When Cy got engaged to Pippa before I left, his parents weren’t thrilled over her blonde-hair, blue-eyed-ness, but I suspect they were grateful about her female-ness.

I once told Cy that the two of them sound like a children’s book about a boy and his dog who solve mysteries.Cyrus and Pip: Something’s Fishy at the BeachorCyrus and Pip at the Fair: Disappearing Clowns are no Joke. He didn’t think that was very funny.

“Can we catch up this weekend?” I ask. “I need to finish this email before I lose my train of thought.”

“Promise?” Cyrus says.

“I promise. Cheers.”

“Later.”

I hang up and exhale a deep breath. Cyrus has been stressing me the hell out ever since I moved to Japan. We’ve been around each other almost constantly since we were tweens. It’s like I’m trying to gently detach the umbilical cord and he isnothaving it. He was very against me moving here, saying I didn’t know anyone and it was too far away. He’s about to be married and start a new life. I honestly have no desire to be his and Pip’s third wheel.

I read over the email in front of me one more time.

To: [email protected]

Subject: Proposal Questions

Hello, Junichi,

I hope you’re enjoying your trip. I have two more questions regarding the proposal details:

1. In addition to data on bloodlines and ranking, should we also collect biographical components? Such as interests and hobbies.

2. Can you give me a range as far as what it might cost to launch a new hospital program? How much have other programs cost in the past? I’d like to estimate a budget.

Cheers,

Jae Davies

Staring at my name, I wonder if I should put “M.D., PhD” behind it, or if I should sign it “Doctor Davies,” since that’s what he usually calls me.

I remove my last name and hit send. Sighing, I sit back. It’s obscenely late and I should probably try to sleep, but my body has been wired lately. I’m about to stand when my email notification pings. I look at the screen, and Junichi has already emailed me back.

From: Takayama Junichi

Subject: Re: Proposal Questions