Life Lines

41: The Matter Of Rent

He just rolled his eyes and headed out of the restaurant. All of a sudden, I felt sad. He looked so lonely walking away like that. I couldn't help but feel like my mother should be there next to him, making him feel better about the fact I'd turned eighteen.

"Hey Dad?" I called out.

He turned and looked at me. "Yeah, sweetheart?"

"That last proposal you gave?" He nodded. "I'll accept if you throw in a couple of kisses."

His smile almost made me tear up. "Deal, baby girl."

He disappeared out the doors and my uncle took his seat with a sigh. "You're such a softy."

I twirled around on the stool to face the bar again. "Yeah, well, I love him. He's all I have left really."

"And what am I? Chopped liver?"

I gave him a look. "You know what I mean. Dad...if something happens..." I sighed, all of this not coming out the way I wanted it to. "I'm all he has left of her."

My uncle frowned. "Natalie..."

"Can I get you anything, Chief?" the bartender asked, cutting him off.

"No thank you," my uncle said, not even waiting for him to leave to finish what he was about to say. "What's wrong, honey?"

I twirled my glass gently, not wanting any of the liquid inside to spill over.

"I found something out today. Something I'm not supposed to know. Something I was never supposed to find out."

"You mean about the Elite?" I shook my head. "Then what, honey? You know I'm here for you, to talk to. If you have any questions..."

"Mom was Elite?"

I'd meant the three words to come out strong and as a statement. Instead they came out weak sounding and as a question. For some reason I couldn't take my eyes off my favorite drink, afraid he'd confirm what I'd already been told and lectured about to let go.

But if I knew anything, my uncle wouldn't lie to me.

And I was right.

"She was," he said softly.

"Daddy doesn't know?"

"She didn't want him to know. It wasn't important."

"Why?"

He sighed, reaching over to take one of my hands away from the neck of my glass. His fingers were warm but callused. I never understood how they got that way. Normally callused hands suggested hard, manual labor. As far as I knew my uncle didn't do much heavy lifting or moving other than to chase down the occasional perpetrator or rearrange his furniture in his house or office.

"She wanted to protect him, both of you. The two of you were the most important thing for her."

"Protect us from what?" I looked up at him. "What can be so...horrible that she'd want to protect us from? I don't understand..."

"I know, honey." He gripped my hand firmly and maintained eye contact. "I know it's not easy. In the beginning, it never is. You have to adjust, take in all the new information. I remember how difficult it is but your mother...that's not something you have to worry about."

"But she was Assarion," I whispered. "Shouldn't I be worried about that?"

He looked conflicted, sad almost. "The choice you make...is yours. Just like the choice she made to leave all of it behind was hers. You don't need to understand why she did it in order to make yours. She loved you and she loved your father. She loved you guys so much that none of it mattered..."