LAYTONIt was still early, the sun wasn’t even fully risen yet. Annie and I had both snuck out of bed early this morning to make this breakfast. Marissa was fast asleep, lying on her side on the bed.Annie set down the tray and the glass and shook Marissa’s shoulders. “Mommy! Wake up Mommy! We have a surprise for you.”Marissa’s eyes blinked open slowly, confusion clouding them until she rubbed it away as she sat up and took in the scene in front of her. “What’s all this?”“We’re celebrating,” I told her. “I spoke to Craig earlier. They’re on their way to the site for the final clean up. The building’s finally done.”Her lips curled into a sleepy smile. “I can’t believe that it’s over. It’s really all done?”“It’s really all done,” I confirmed, picking up the tray and placing her plate on it on her lap. “Eat up, we’ve got a lot of celebrating ahead of us today.”“Shouldn’t I be the one feeding you breakfast in bed for this?” She asked, frowning slightly. Lifting up the duvet, she patt
LAYTONThe ground was frozen beneath my feet, crunching under the soles of my shoes as I walked onto the construction site. It was freezing out and we had at least another couple of months left before we’d get any respite from the cold.As a Boston boy, born and bred, I was used to the cold. Didn’t mean I had to like it, though. My cheeks burned when a sudden gust of wind blew through the tunneling on the site that would soon be unveiled as the newest museum ready to be added to Boston’s collection.Reaching up, I rearranged the scarf around my neck and tucked my chin into it. Moving to warmer climates sure felt like a great idea right around now.Maybe my dad had a point by spending most of his time down in Texas. A little sunshine never hurt anyone. Dad always said he would’ve gone mad if he had to stay in Boston year round. Dad.Fuck. It was hard to believe he was really gone.Shoving my gloved hands into my pockets, I released a heavy sigh. It was too easy to just believe he was
LAYTONFamiliar nausea spread from the pit of my stomach. It couldn’t be. Before I signed off on any of my designs, I double checked every inch of the building.Fuck, not even double checked. I triple checked. And then I checked one last time just in case. The city trusted me to add something permanent to its face. It was a responsibility I took seriously. “You’re kidding. They were perfect.”Craig shook his head glumly. “They’re angled just shy of ninety degrees. Go check them.”I did just that. Hurrying to the corner to my left, the one closest to me, I wished I had some of my own tools with me to check, but I was going to have to trust my own two eyes for now. If I needed to, I could always come back later with the proper equipment.Dropping down into a crouch, I squinted at the corner just as I heard bellowing laughter from Craig. “I’m fucking with you, man. Shit, you should have seen the look on your face. It was epic.”“Epic was that prank we pulled on Dave when we told him abou
MARISSA“Eggs will be ready in five!” I called out, cracking a couple into the sizzling hot pan on the stove in front of me. “And you better have brushed those teeth young lady. I’ll know if you haven’t.”Annie’s giggles echoed down the hallway as she rushed into the bathroom. “I’m doing it now, Mommy! I’ll be ready before the eggs.”For a six-year-old, Annie was surprisingly good about being on time. I counted that as one of my many blessings with my little girl. She was an absolute angel who hardly ever gave me a tough time.True to her word, she came bouncing into the kitchen just as the egg whites started bubbling. She ran right up to my side and gave me a hug around my hips before going to stand in front of the counter next to me.I lifted her up on the counter and as soon as her bum hit the surface, she reached for the salt shaker next to her and handed it over to me. This was our routine every morning, Annie sitting on the counter and helping me cook breakfast.“Did you really
MARISSA“Hello my blonde beauties!” Denise’s voice rang out from the hall before she turned the corner into the kitchen.The fuzzy purple hat sitting on top of her fiery red hair was dotted with white snowflakes. She’d pulled off her coat already and was working on her gloves as she flicked on the kettle and plopped down in her seat for breakfast. “Man, is it coming down out there. I’m frozen.”“And apparently you’ve taken a dislike to knocking and doorbells,” I told her, unable to help the smile pulling at my lips. I loved that she felt so at home here she no longer knocked, but I had to give her at least a little grief about it.Rolling her olive green eyes, she piled some egg onto her fork and bypassed my comment. “Why are all men the same?”“They can’t help it. It’s because of their—” I trailed off, suddenly remembering Annie was in the room with us. “Anatomy. It’s because they’re so much bigger.”Denise winked at me, but then she sighed. “Bigger, yeah. Got you. Still, guys suck.”
LAYTONLike most people, I wasn’t particularly fond of lawyers. My father’s lawyer, specifically, was a piece of work. There was a reason the two of them got along so well. They were both stubborn and stoic men who believed the world belonged at their feet.Going to the office of Clayton Reeve was not an errand I was looking forward to, but it had to be done. Dad’s estate had to be wound up and Clayton was the one entrusted with making it happen.But apparently he needed my signature on a couple of things before he could do his job. When his assistant called me to set up the appointment, she told me to get there at ten sharp.Glancing down at my watch, a bulky silver thing that was a gift to myself when I finished my first project, I saw I still had some time before I was expected at Clayton’s office. The financial district was the nerve center of business in downtown Boston, and naturally, it was where the lawyer’s office was located.Given that half the people who worked in the area
LAYTONThe lawyer was waiting for me when I strode into his office at ten o’clock on the dot. He stood, a somber expression on his face as he shook my hand. “Layton, I’m so sorry for your loss.”“Thank you,” I replied automatically, the same reply I’d been giving for days now.Motioning me into one of the high back black leather chairs around the conference table in his office, he took his own seat at the head. There was a thick brown file lying on the table, with a smaller manila envelope on top. “Your father left you this letter,” Clayton started, sliding the envelope off the file and handing it to me. I took it, but didn’t open it. “Would you like a moment of privacy to read it?”I shook my head. I didn’t need to read it, especially not while sitting in this lawyer’s stuffy office. It was lined with books I would bet he hardly ever opened, and filled with oversize furniture. There were oil paintings on the walls. Not of dogs playing poker, but of birds in flight.If I was ever go
MARISSA“Look Mommy, I can make snow angels!” Annie called out excitedly. She flung her little body onto the ground and started demonstrating before I could say a word about it.Luckily, she had the hood up on her coat and unless she went completely crazy, she wouldn’t get her clothes beneath it wet. “I see, baby. Well done! That’s a perfect snow angel.”She beamed up at me, rolling over to repeat her movements on an untouched patch of grass next to the first angel. I laughed, happy that I was getting to see how much she enjoyed the snow.Denise, Annie and I had decided to take a walk in one of Boston’s massive parks after a light snow had fallen. Snow was still a novelty to Annie and if I were being completely honest with myself, it made me feel slightly excited too.“You guys have been here nearly a year, you’d think she’d be used to the snow by now,” Denise commented, smiling as she watched Annie’s antics on the ground.“Nah, we arrived toward the end of winter last year. She didn’