“You can be suspicious of whoever you want. But not Arie. Anyway, Chloe loves her, and right now, that’s all that matters. I can focus on work, Chloe will have someone with her during the day to help her adjust to a normal schedule. It’s time.”
Dad can tell the conversation is over, at least as far as I’m concerned, so he hands me a glass of single-malt scotch and opens the door to the study, allowing me to leave. When we get to the living room, we find Logan playing on the floor with Chloe, and Arie sitting on the couch with my mother. They are both crying, and Logan is just shaking his head.
“It’s like some sort of maudlin women’s meeting in here. Please save me,” Logan says as he hits himself in the head with Chloe’s toy hammer. Our mother throws a needlepoint pillow him.
“We aren’t maudlin! We just haven’t seen in each other in years, and there was a lot to catch up on. And isn’t her haircut beautiful? Have you told her how beautiful her hair looks yet, Pierce?”
Arie’s cheeks turn red and she gently pats my mom on the leg. “You’re too sweet to me, Carol. You always were.”
My dad gives a gruff cough, indicating that he is done with the sentimentality. “Shall we adjourn to the dining room for supper? It’s getting late and we don’t want to keep our precious Chloe up past her bedtime, now do we?”
Dinner goes fast, and consists mostly of Logan talking about his next deployment, as much as he’s able to anyway. Chloe plays with her food, my mom plays with Chloe, and my father watches Arie like a hawk, as if she’s going to give away some sort of secret if he stares at her hard enough. For a moment, I regret bringing her, thinking that it was a mistake to reintroduce her to my family so soon after she reappeared in my life. But from the look on Arie’s face, you’d never know anything was wrong.
She looks absolutely elated.
She is watching, and listening, to everything, like she hasn’t been around a family in a very long time. She eats her roast chicken in complete silence, barely seeming aware of anything happening around her, yet simultaneously taking everything in. There is a small smile on Arie’s face through the whole meal, even when my dad is grumbling about work, or Logan and my mother are bickering about whether or not he’s going to be home for Thanksgiving. When my mom turns, and addresses her, she doesn’t even seem to hear.
“Arie, honey? Did you hear me?”
Arie stops with her fork her mouth, the sound of her name finally bringing her back to the present. “I’m sorry, Carol. I didn’t. What did you ask?”
“We haven’t seen you for so long. What have you been up to for all this time?”
Arie takes another forkful of rice and gives a little shrug. “Oh, you know how it is. Busy with nothing and everything. Working. Not working. Helping my family at the garage.”
“Why the hell are you so skinny, Ari? I wouldn’t have recognized you if Pierce hadn’t told me who you are,” Logan says as he hands Chloe a piece of bread. I scowl at him, both for the comment about Arie’s weight, and for giving Chloe something she’ll barely be able to chew through. Luckily, mom smacks him on the back of the head.
“That was rude! Tell Arie you’re sorry.”
Logan rubs the back of his head and grimaces. “It wasn’t an insult. I was just stating a fact. Arie used to have those pinup model curves. Now she looks like, well, a runway model. I’m not saying she’s not beautiful, it’s just… aw, hell. I put my foot in it, all right?”
“And you can stop talking about her like she’s not here, you jackass,” I say as I deepen my scowl. But Arie just laughs.
“It’s really not a big deal. I definitely lost weight, but you never know. If you keep feeding me amazing food like this, I may get those curves back. Soon rather than later,” she says as she eats another mouthful of chicken. My mother reaches over and squeezes Arie’s hand.
“And if you don’t, it’s no one’s business but your own. Now, onto more interesting topics of conversation. Are you and my son dating again?”
I choke on the beer I’m drinking, and Arie bursts out laughing. “Was something I said that amusing?” mother asks, looking dreadfully confused.
“Mom, why do you have to be so damn nosy all the time?” I cough out, wiping beer off of my chin.
“I think it’s a perfectly reasonable question. She’s moved in to the apartment, she’s taking care of my granddaughter, you two have history. What other conclusion could I possibly draw?”
Arie smiles and shakes her head. “Carol, it’s nothing like that. Pierce was just kind enough to help me out when I needed it. We’re old friends. Nothing more.”
My father clears his throat and puts his napkin on the table. “And on that uncomfortable note, I have a conference call with Auckland that I am already late for.”
He stands up and leaves the dining room without another word, which is his cue that this particular family dinner has come to a close. Mom rolls her eyes and gets up to retrieve Chloe from her high-chair.
“That was even more short-lived than usual. Shall I call you kids a car?”
Arie looks confused, but Logan just chuckles as he gets up from his chair. “Dad is getting very particular in his old age. He loves us, but when he’s ready for his peace and quiet, he’s ready for his peace and quiet.”
I take Chloe from mom with a sigh. “No car. We can walk. It’s a nice night and it’s only six blocks and an avenue.”
Mom leans over to give me a hug, and when she seems to be sure Arie is out of earshot, whispers, “Don’t you do anything to hurt that girl again, you understand me?”
We’re walking down Fifth Avenue, each quietly enjoying the bustle of the New York streets as Chloe points and plays in her stroller. Arie seems especially distracted, and I’m just about to ask her what’s on her mind, when I spot something out of the corner of my eye that sets me on edge. About ten feet from where we are standing, waiting for the light to change, a man in a dark blue track suit seems to be watching Arie intently. His hands are in his pockets, and he’s wearing sunglasses even though the sun has almost entirely set. She doesn’t appear to notice him, but there is an intensity to his demeanor, and the way he is focused so singularly on Arie, that is making me deeply uncomfortable. Every nerve in my body, every ounce of my training, is telling me that something is off about this guy.