Switch

empty pantry, to pul out the fancy plastic plates and

plastic-ware, the matching napkins.

'No.' Jeremy shrugged and disappeared up the back

stairs.

After that, the party realy started.

It was easier for me with more people there. Stela's

friends knew who I was, of course, and avoided talking to

me so they didn't have to deal with the awkwardness of

how to address their friend's husband's ilegitimate

daughter. My dad's friends knew me, too, but had fewer

inhibitions for some reason. Maybe because I'd known

them longer, or because they had no conflict of loyalty.

Some of them didn't like Stela much, and maybe that was

part of it, too.

Of my father's other kids, I saw very little. Gretchen, Steve

and I had never been close, even though it wasn't my

mother who'd finaly won our dad away from their mom.

Of course, their spouses weren't sure what to make of me,

Of course, their spouses weren't sure what to make of me,

either, and it was easier for us to be superficialy polite

without trying to get to know each other. Their children

were and would be my nieces and nephews, but I doubted

they'd ever think of me as an aunt.

'Paige DeMarco, how the hel are you?' Denny's one of

my dad's oldest friends. Fishing and drinking buddies,

they'd known each other since high school. He'd known

my mom, too.

'Hey, Denny. Long time no see.'

'Yeah, and you a big-city girl now, too. How's it going?'

Denny gave me a one-armed hug.

'It's going great.' It wasn't an entire lie. Most of my life was going great.

'Yeah?' He tossed back the dregs of his iced tea. I

guessed he was hankering for a beer, but Stela wasn't

serving booze. Not that I blamed her. Alcohol always

made a different kind of party. 'Where you living at? Your

dad said someplace along the river?'

'Riverview Manor.'

There was no denying the pride sweling inside me at

Denny's impressed whistle. 'Nice digs. And your job?

You're not stil working with your mom, are you?'

'I help out once in a while, if she's got a big job.'

Denny grimaced at his empty cup, but didn't move to pour

more. 'What's she up to? She stil with the same guy?'

Questions my dad never asked. I was the only part of my

mother my dad needed to know about. He'd never said as

much, but I knew it.

'Leo? Yes.'

'And that kid, how old's he now?'

'Arty's seven.' I had to laugh for a second. 'Wow. Yeah.

He just turned seven.'