kitchen to help Gail wash and dry the dishes. Mallory also agreed with Alton’s idea.
Alton placed a call to Fahima. “Everything’s arranged on my end. You can proceed with your part.”
“Okay, Alton.”
“And you’ll tell me how you’re progressing, right?”
“Yes. I will let you know,” said Fahima. “You are good man—like my David.”
Alton smiled and shook his head. “You’re a good woman—the perfect one for David.”
As fate would have it, Professor Riley returned Alton’s call only minutes later. Alton shared the happy news of Fahima’s visa approval.
“Ha!” exclaimed the professor. “I was just preparing to tell you she should have no problem getting her visa. Three hundred thousand is well beyond the threshold needed for entry. I’m pleased it’s turned out so well.”
After the excitement of the unexpected news dissipated, Alton and Chelsea set up their laptops on the dining room table to spend a few hours working on their respective Kruptos projects, leaving Mallory with time to kill.
“Would you like to go with us to the grocery store?” asked Kayla. “Now that I have my license, I go more often than Mom.”
“Sure,” replied Mallory, welcoming the opportunity to become better acquainted with Alton’s family.
Ruth tagged along, and their discussion naturally centered on Alton.
“So, what is Alton like as a big brother?” asked Mallory. “Is he protective?”
Both girls grinned. “Yeah,” replied Kayla. “At times he’s more like a dad than a brother. That can be annoying at times, but he has a good heart.”
“Once, when he was home from college, he almost got in a fight with Buck down the street,” said Ruth. “Kayla and I were riding our bikes out front. Buck was riding his bike, too, and ran into me on purpose. As soon as Alton saw my skinned knees and learned what happened, he tore off down the street to Buck’s house. Buck didn’t run into me any more after that,” she said with a smirk.
Mallory couldn’t help but smile. So his protecting nature started early.
“So, if you don’t mind my asking, is he okay with you dating, Kayla? I know a lot of dads find it, um…disquieting when their daughters start to date, so I’m wondering if it was hard for Alton, as your big brother.”
“Ha—yeah! He’s pretty cool about it, though. As long as the guy is nice to me and respects me, he says.”
Mallory nodded. Again—Alton the protector . She looked out the window and asked as nonchalantly as possible, “So what kind of girls did he date back in high school?”
“Hmmm…all types, I guess,” said Kayla. “I was pretty young back then, so I don’t remember a lot. But I do remember one girl, Sheila. That’s the girl Mom was getting ready to tell you about at breakfast.”
“What’s so special about Sheila?”
“She dumped him. She was a cheerleader when Alton played linebacker. He was really into her. She said she was into him, too, but once she found out the quarterback liked her, she starting going out with him the very next day. She was just hoppin’ around.”
“That must have been hard on Alton.”
“Yeah, I remember he was really upset. He and Sheila were pretty serious. He didn’t date anyone for a while after their breakup. I think he didn’t want the drama or backstabbing after that.”
“Kayla, I don’t think Alton wanted you talking about that,” said Ruth.
“Oh, dingleberry—you’re right,” said Kayla. Turning to Mallory, she asked, “Can you not mention this to Alton?”
“Mention what?” replied Mallory with an innocent expression.
No one spoke for a few minutes. Finally, Ruth asked, “Did you know I have a bird?”
“No, I didn’t,” said Mallory. “What kind is it?”
“An Amazon parrot. He used to belong to George, our neighbor who got sick last year. George knew I always got along with Ruso—his bird—really well. When George went to the hospital last year, he gave Ruso to
Alton placed a call to Fahima. “Everything’s arranged on my end. You can proceed with your part.”
“Okay, Alton.”
“And you’ll tell me how you’re progressing, right?”
“Yes. I will let you know,” said Fahima. “You are good man—like my David.”
Alton smiled and shook his head. “You’re a good woman—the perfect one for David.”
As fate would have it, Professor Riley returned Alton’s call only minutes later. Alton shared the happy news of Fahima’s visa approval.
“Ha!” exclaimed the professor. “I was just preparing to tell you she should have no problem getting her visa. Three hundred thousand is well beyond the threshold needed for entry. I’m pleased it’s turned out so well.”
After the excitement of the unexpected news dissipated, Alton and Chelsea set up their laptops on the dining room table to spend a few hours working on their respective Kruptos projects, leaving Mallory with time to kill.
“Would you like to go with us to the grocery store?” asked Kayla. “Now that I have my license, I go more often than Mom.”
“Sure,” replied Mallory, welcoming the opportunity to become better acquainted with Alton’s family.
Ruth tagged along, and their discussion naturally centered on Alton.
“So, what is Alton like as a big brother?” asked Mallory. “Is he protective?”
Both girls grinned. “Yeah,” replied Kayla. “At times he’s more like a dad than a brother. That can be annoying at times, but he has a good heart.”
“Once, when he was home from college, he almost got in a fight with Buck down the street,” said Ruth. “Kayla and I were riding our bikes out front. Buck was riding his bike, too, and ran into me on purpose. As soon as Alton saw my skinned knees and learned what happened, he tore off down the street to Buck’s house. Buck didn’t run into me any more after that,” she said with a smirk.
Mallory couldn’t help but smile. So his protecting nature started early.
“So, if you don’t mind my asking, is he okay with you dating, Kayla? I know a lot of dads find it, um…disquieting when their daughters start to date, so I’m wondering if it was hard for Alton, as your big brother.”
“Ha—yeah! He’s pretty cool about it, though. As long as the guy is nice to me and respects me, he says.”
Mallory nodded. Again—Alton the protector . She looked out the window and asked as nonchalantly as possible, “So what kind of girls did he date back in high school?”
“Hmmm…all types, I guess,” said Kayla. “I was pretty young back then, so I don’t remember a lot. But I do remember one girl, Sheila. That’s the girl Mom was getting ready to tell you about at breakfast.”
“What’s so special about Sheila?”
“She dumped him. She was a cheerleader when Alton played linebacker. He was really into her. She said she was into him, too, but once she found out the quarterback liked her, she starting going out with him the very next day. She was just hoppin’ around.”
“That must have been hard on Alton.”
“Yeah, I remember he was really upset. He and Sheila were pretty serious. He didn’t date anyone for a while after their breakup. I think he didn’t want the drama or backstabbing after that.”
“Kayla, I don’t think Alton wanted you talking about that,” said Ruth.
“Oh, dingleberry—you’re right,” said Kayla. Turning to Mallory, she asked, “Can you not mention this to Alton?”
“Mention what?” replied Mallory with an innocent expression.
No one spoke for a few minutes. Finally, Ruth asked, “Did you know I have a bird?”
“No, I didn’t,” said Mallory. “What kind is it?”
“An Amazon parrot. He used to belong to George, our neighbor who got sick last year. George knew I always got along with Ruso—his bird—really well. When George went to the hospital last year, he gave Ruso to
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