Olivia Westview
Dad handed James a beer bottle, the amber liquid catching the light as it swirled inside the glass.
I sat a little ways off from them, perched on the edge of the loveseat near the window, my beer untouched in my hands.
James and Dad sat on the couch, shoulders turned slightly toward each other like two old friends who had done this a million times before. And in some ways, they had. Their voices weaved in and out of laughter and shared stories. But I couldn’t relax. My body felt tense like a wire stretched too tight, ready to snap at the wrong word or glance.
“So,” Dad said, leaning back into the cushions with his beer balanced on his knee. “How’s everything with the merger? Liv mentioned it’s been intense.”
James nodded, his profile illuminated by the faint glow of t
