Lilac Valley

Is Con a Bad Friend?

Con wakes up in bed with Amber.

The first thing that comes to mind is: Shit! What about Eddie?

The second is: Who's watching Kyle?

The third is: Can eleven-year-olds be left alone over night?

He doesn't want to wake her.

But he has to get her out before Eddie wakes up.

He gets out of bed and pulls on his T-shirt and pajama bottoms.

There was alcohol and reminiscing and clothes thrown around the room.

He leaves the bedroom. Eddie sits at the kitchen table.

"Did you have fun last night?" he asks. What does he know? "You came home late."

"I was helping a friend," Con says. He listened to Amber talk about her meeting with the Secretary of Magic. Everything after that happened so quickly. Eddie was already asleep.

"I'm not an idiot," he says.

"You're the one who let her lie to her son," Con points out. "He still doesn't know I'm his father. You think I'd make a terrible father?"

"She does," Eddie answers. "I don't. Why do you have to like every woman I like? And you don't even want to date them. You just sleep with them. What kind of friend does that?"

"I don't know why I do the things I do," Con says.

"Going to blame your upbringing?" Eddie asks. "Good old repressed church boy has to screw every woman he comes across. A big f—you to dear old dad, right? You and Amber are perfect for each other."

Eddie gets up to put his mug and plate in the sink. He grabs the briefcase beside the door and leaves.