“No, it’s just me.”
She turned back to her food. “You’ve got an A in my book. And your daughter is adorable. She’s gonna be a bombshell in a couple years…gotta keep an eye on her.”
“I know, I’m kinda dreading it. When I was around her age, I was…well, I was getting knocked up in the back seat of a car.”
She was about to drink from her wine but burst out laughing instead. “Oh my god, girl…” She grabbed her chest and cleared her throat. “Other than the getting pregnant part, that sounds pretty nice.”
I chuckled then cut into my food, liking that his sister was easy to talk to, just like the rest of his family.
“What did you do in the back seat of a car?” Lizzie asked incredulously.
Daisy gave a terrified look and quickly looked away, covering up her expression with a drink of her wine.
“Nothing, honey.” I rubbed her back. “How’s your asparagus?”
“Pretty good,” she said. “This is a lot better than the stuff you make.”
“Liz.” Derek turned to her. “Come on, your mom does a great job.”
I tried not to react to his reaction, but I loved the way he intervened, the way he came to my defense but also scolded her like a parent.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Lizzie said with a sigh.
“How’s your book doing, little man?” Deacon asked from across the table.
Derek shrugged. “I have no idea.”
“Very well,” I said in his defense. “I just checked on the drive here, and his book is in the top ten.”
Derek continued to eat like he didn’t care.
“Wow,” Deacon said, visibly impressed.
Cleo dropped her utensils and gave a gentle clap. “Oh, that’s so great. I can’t wait to read it. I’ve just been so busy getting ready for Thanksgiving that I didn’t have a chance to go by the bookstore.”
“Does anyone die?” Daisy blurted.
Derek ignored her question. “Liz is only on book two, so no one ruin it for her.”
“You’re reading his book?” Cleo asked with joy in her face.
“Yeah,” Lizzie answered. “I really like it.”
“Derek has gotten my daughter to get A’s in her math class, interested in science, and now she’s reading. Pretty remarkable.” He did what I couldn’t, behaved as a strong role model with my daughter, and he had absolutely no idea.
Deacon looked at his son like he’d never been so proud.
Derek brushed off what I’d said by continuing to eat.
“Derek inspires everyone he meets,” Deacon said proudly. “Including me.”
Derek seemed embarrassed by the attention because he kept his head down and ate like he was starving.
“What’s the status on the rocket, little man?” Deacon seemed to change the subject on purpose to make his son more comfortable.
Derek immediately participated in the conversation once again. “We should be done shortly after Thanksgiving. Then we’ll pick a date for the launch.”
“So, where’s the rocket going?” Daisy asked.
“It’ll be dropped in the ocean, and we’ll retrieve it and recycle what we can,” Derek answered. “The purpose of the launch is to make sure that the design is flawless. If it’s a success, NASA will take the plans and utilize them for their missions. Our rocket is much more efficient, having a tenth of the weight of its predecessors, which means it needs to carry less fuel, or if it carries the same amount of fuel, it’ll be able to travel farther, which is essential for longer duration missions. There are other improvements as well, like the filtration system, the computer systems inside, stuff like that.”
“Why can it go farther than other rockets?” Lizzie asked.
Derek turned to her. “The heavier something is, the more energy it takes to move it. So, with a dramatic decrease in weight, that will require far less fuel. That saves money too. Making space exploration more economical will allow it to grow and become more convenient.”
Lizzie nodded like she understood then turned back to her food.
“I’m sure it’ll be a successful mission,” Deacon said. “You’re the brightest mind in aeronautics for this generation.”
Derek brushed off his compliment. “I don’t know about that, but thanks.”23DerekEmerson and Lizzie seemed to have a great time at the cabin.
Emerson clicked with my sister, and Lizzie really liked my mom. They didn’t always need me around to make them feel comfortable because my family did that for me. I ditched the wine and made myself a hot cup of cocoa before I sat down on the couch by myself, watching Dex talk to Lizzie and make her laugh.
After all the turkey and wine, I was tired. I had to drive them back to the city, and I probably wouldn’t even go to my penthouse. I’d probably just sleep at Emerson’s place and lounge around the next day.
Dex excused himself to use the restroom, so Lizzie sat beside me on the couch. “You like the hot cocoa?” She held up her mug. “I already ate all the marshmallows.”