揟he otters are the cutest, Eliza. I love ocean mammals and all the other weird creatures. Have you seen the jellyfish? Heck, if he抎 let me, I抎 try SeaWorld. Perfect combination, being in SoCal out of the rain. But I guess this lab isn抰 so bad. At least I抦 actually doing stuff. Upstairs is naptime. It抯 just staring at screens, clicking around, shuffling papers. I don抰 even care how many zeros are behind those numbers. Ugh.?
She抯 speaking my language. I can抰 imagine corporate coffee office work being exciting for any high schooler. Though I wonder, why didn抰 she shadow her mom?
揥hat does your mother do??I ask absently, wiping down the counter.
When I look back, Destiny抯 face sinks, and those bright-blue eyes seem dull.
My stomach flips over.
Oh, no.
Clearly, I抳e stepped on a landmine. I was just making conversation. I didn抰 mean to upset her.
揘obody told you??Her voice comes out strained.
揘o, but it抯 okay. You don抰 have to tell me anything if it抯 too personal. I wasn抰 trying to pry. I just wondered if she抎 be a better person to shadow for this school thing…？
She hesitates, twining her fingers together.
揗y mom died when I was five,?she whispers.
Oh, crap. There it is.
The answer I was dreading.
Without thinking, I step forward, pulling the girl into an instant hug.
揑抦 so sorry, honey. I had no idea.?I release her. 揇on抰 tell him, but your dad抯 kinda right. I have a big mouth sometimes. I never should抳e棓
揈liza, chill. It抯 okay,?she rushes out. 揑t was a long time ago. I抦 not upset about it anymore. I barely remember, honestly… I guess I just kind of miss her sometimes. And the few good times I remember.?
揑 bet you do,?I say firmly. 揚art of you always will.?
Poor, poor kid.
Poor Grumpfather.
For the first time, I realize with some horror that my demon boss is a human being with heavy life experiences that have nothing to do with commodifying coffee and yelling at people.
He lost his wife ten years ago.
He raised this wonderful young girl alone.
Maybe that抯 what made his heart a charred lump of coal, infinitely more scorched than his stupid drinks.
That gives me an idea for a terrible new name. He抯 a lump of Cole now.
Lump.
But I抣l hold off on that one until he does something so awful I can抰 feel sorry for him anymore.
Right now, my heart feels like lead.
I almost wish I抎 never asked about Cole Lancaster抯 life and gotten hit by the empathy bus.
Knowing there抯 a good chance that life made a tyrant out of an otherwise pleasant family man kind of sucks the fun out of harassing him.
I mean, he抯 had his battles. He may have owed Wayne a fat apology, but should I really keep adding to his woes?
I try to throw myself into cleaning梥aving the janitorial staff some work梬hile Destiny taps at her phone. She gets up and grabs a broom on her own a little while later, sweeping around my feet, doing this awkward little dance while she hums a viral song I抳e heard on TikTok.
I抦 lucky she wasn抰 too stressed over my dumb questions. Or she bounces back on her feet lightning fast.
Once the chocolate finishes cooling and my timer dings, I start whipping up a fresh batch of marshmallow fluff.
揥hat抯 next??Destiny asks, emptying the dust pan in a bin nearby.
I grin at her. 揧ou抣l find out soon. Start popping the crusts onto plates, assuming we have any we don抰 have to beg the food team for.?
揙n it!?She washes her hands and gets to work.
I transfer the marshmallow fluff to a bowl, grab a couple spoons, pull the chocolate from the fridge, and set everything up beside Destiny.
揌ere, check this out. You tug on the wax paper and it comes up with a chocolate bar.?I pull one out and remove it from the paper. 揂dd a small line of marshmallow fluff and glue it to the graham cracker crust. Voil? Your dad has his precious graham cracker to complete the S抦ores Mocha.?
揙h, cool! Can we try it??
揃e my guest.?I gesture at the spread of cookies.
She抯 still munching away on her third cookie when Mr. Lancaster comes to pick up his daughter a little while later.
He looks at Destiny with what seems like a tired glance. Or maybe it抯 just my imagination now that I know he has good reasons for being world-weary.
揇ess, let抯 go. I抳e still got a heap of work to catch up on at home and I have to make dinner.?
He makes dinner? No live-in chef?
揌ey, uh梥he did a fantastic job today, Mr. Lancaster,?I say carefully. 揝he抯 an awesome kid. The work would抳e limped along much slower without her lending me a hand. I think she learned a few things, too.?
He nods with a suspicious look, like he doesn抰 trust my praise.