Infinityglass (Hourglass 3)

I jerked my head around. “Was?”

“He’s a time traveler. Explosions, continuum issues, search and rescue.”

“The Hourglass seems to have a special talent for … bouncing back from death.”

“True. But we’ve all had a rough year.” He pointed to the tiny scars from previous piercings in his nose and eyebrow. The studs in his ears remained. “There are even war wounds.”

I noticed the edges of a tattoo at his sleeve cuffs and collar. It made me think of Dune’s, and the feel of his skin. Kaleb caught me staring. “Dune and I went to the tattoo parlor at the same time.”

“I love his. I bet Lily likes yours.”

“Lily accepts me for who I am. It took a long time, but so do I, and so does my dad. We’re going to pull you through this. The Hourglass has a special talent for that, too.”

I bit down on my lower lip. I didn’t want any more waterworks.

As if Kaleb knew, he gave me a pat on the shoulder, stood, and left me to contemplate the steam rising off the water.

Dune

Kaleb told me I could find Hallie at the pool. When I’d stared at him for a few seconds, he’d told me I should find Hallie at the pool, and then he pushed me in the right direction.

I surprised her when I sat down.

“What are you doing?” She looked at the water like it was alive and ready to come out of the ground to swallow me whole.

My stomach crashed to my feet when I considered her motive for being where she was. “Did you come here because you hoped I wouldn’t follow you?”

“No. No!” She grabbed my knee when I started to stand up. “I came outside barefoot without thinking about it, and the water is heated.”

Logic, not purposeful avoidance.

We both leaned back, hands behind us. Hallie’s feet were in the pool, mine folded uncomfortably. She gave me a side glance, and I turned around, back to the water, legs stretched out in front of me. We were still shoulder to shoulder, but I liked this position better. I could look at her face.

“There’s a pool outside the Hourglass. I actually live in the pool house.” I grinned. “How’s that for irony?”

“I’m glad pools don’t bother you.” She gave me a shoulder bump. “I bet you play a mean game of chicken, and we need to incorporate pool time into our first vacation together.”

“First vacation?” I watched her expression closely. “Does that mean you’ve reached a decision about how to handle the rip situation?”

“I talked to my … dad.”

That explained why she’d grabbed her phone and run outside so quickly, and was probably the reason why Kaleb had followed shortly thereafter.

“What did he say?”

“He agrees with your plan, thinks she should share the load. He wanted to drop everything and come home.”

“Did you think he wouldn’t?” I asked.

“I have a lot to think about. I asked him to trust me.”

“I’m sorry that it’s come to this, but the choice is crystal clear to me.”

“There’s a part of me, a really stupid part, that still wishes things could be different. That she’d be the cookie-baking mom, the kind that was a hundred percent in my corner. But I know that’s not the case, and it never will be.” She took a deep breath. “And Dad used to love her. I asked him if he knew about the genetic engineering. He said he didn’t. He also said he didn’t love her anymore.”

“Is he your—”

“Yes.” Her conviction was accompanied by calm. “In every way that matters, and biologically. She didn’t pick my dad to be her husband by accident.”