Page 86 of Up In Smoke

CHAPTER 26

Rico

I probably should have scheduledthe call in advance, but if I’m being honest, I’m not sure that would be any less stressful. So before I can change my mind, I take a breath and hit the icon to dial.

I’m alone in the apartment and do my best not to pace as I wait for the line to connect…or ring out. It’s in fate’s hands now.

When my mom’s face pops up on my screen, I try not to drop the phone in surprise. I am the one who called, after all.

“Sweetheart!” she cries, sounding genuinely happy. “So nice to hear from you! Is everything okay?”

It takes me a second to remember what the hell I was even doing. “Uh, yeah. Yeah! I’m really good. How are you and Dad?”

“Good, good. We had a wonderful cruise over the holidays. You looked like you had fun.”

I smile tightly, my determination already flagging. It wasn’t like I had a choice whether or not I spent Christmas with them. But I remind myself that I doubt it would have gone well if they’d invited me along, anyway. If a phone call is this strained, spending days at a time together probably wouldn’t have worked out well. I’d rather celebrate with the One-Thirteen on almost any occasion.

“It was nice, yeah,” I say, nodding. “There were a few of us from the firehouse that got together.”

“Good, good.” My mom’s gaze flicks to the side. She’s clearly feeling as awkward as I am. “Oh! I think I hear your father.”

We never have anything to talk about, so I don’t really blame her. Except today, I actually have some news, and I really want her to listen. Her and Dad, if possible.

“Um, there’s something exciting I was hoping to share with you, if you guys have a minute?”

She blinks into the camera. “Uh, yes. Of course, sweetie! Did you get a promotion? Don’t tell me Captain Valentine is retiring.”

I chuckle. Naturally, that’s the only thing she’d think I’d have to offer. “Um, no. It’s not work related. Oh, hi, Dad.”

My father peers into the middle of the screen over the top of his glasses. “Enrico? Good grief. Is the sky falling? It must be for you to bother calling!”

He chuckles at his attempt at a joke, and I force a smile. Neither of them have ever understood or supported my career given our shared history, but I refuse to humor his consistent niggling. Besides, I’m not the one responsible for our extremely strained relationship.

Or maybe I am.

I shake myself internally and try and think about everything I’ve talked about with Jesse and the station’s therapist. I can’t keep torturing myself for an accident that happened two decades ago.

“Well,” I say, forging on. “I just wanted to tell you something amazing that’s happened in my life over the past few months. I’ve started seeing someone.”

Their lack of response speaks volumes. “Oh, that’s lovely, dear!” my mom says eventually.

Maybe I can’t blame them. I’ve been lukewarm myself about most of my boyfriends in the past. But Jesse is different.

Jesse is also complicated. Even I have enough sense to acknowledge that.

“Is it serious?” my dad asks.

“You could say that.” I glance down at the wedding ring on the hand not holding my phone up.

“Well…isn’t that nice,” my mom says, her eyes flicking left and right.

I try not to be hurt that they’re not asking any questions about who this special person is and try and remember that we’re just very out of practice. I’m sure they’re not expecting to meet him and are probably wondering why I’m even bothering to tell them he exists.

“He’s actually someone you kind of know,” I prompt. “You remember Adam Silverman?”

“Isn’t he married with children?” my mom immediately snaps.

I sigh. “It’s not Adam, Mom.”