I followed Oliver to the back porch, taking my fourth glass of wine with me. Pinpricks of white decorated the sky. The chilly night air invigorated me, sobering me up just enough to realize how close Oliver stood next to me, our arms brushing. I could almost feel his body heat smothering the cold.

“You okay?” I asked.

He stared straight ahead into the darkness. “Nope. Not really.”

“Anything I can do to help?”

He scoffed. “Unless you can perform miracles, I’m not sure anything would help.”

“How about a hit?” I offered him the vape pen that I brought with me to Felicity’s—her anxiety was contagious—and his lips curled up in a grin as he shook his head.

“Didn’t you learn your lesson about this stuff? If Felicity sees that she’s going to rip you to shreds.”

“It’s CBD oil, without THC, the stuff that gets you high. Perfectly legal. You can even buy it on Amazon.”

“Still…” Oliver shrugged. “You know Felicity and her sanctimony.”

“Eh, she’s all bark and no bite. You’re a big boy, aren’t you?”

Our eyes locked, frozen for a long moment. A rustle of leaves across the garden, at the edge of the porch where a massive lilac took over the corner, broke the spell.

“Did you hear that?” I stepped toward the increasing crunch and snap of yard debris, searching the gaps in the bush for movement.

Oliver took the e-cig. “Probably just Meowzebub rustling through the leaves on another mouse murder spree.” Taking a long drag, he exhaled and closed his eyes. “Wow, I haven’t done pot since college. What are you doing to me? Turning this responsible dad into a pothead.”

I chuckled. “Like I said, it’s not pot, it’s CBD, you old man. Besides, one hit won’t make you a junkie. You’ve had a lot going on and this can help ease anxiety. God knows I need it to deal with my boss’s racism and sexism.”

“Still that bad, huh?” Mortimer Randolph was notorious among my family by now.

“It’s getting worse. His sexual harassment is getting more blatant, and when it’s not sexually suggestive, it’s racist.”

“Why don’t you just quit?”

I rolled my eyes in shameful admission. “I need the money, Ollie.”

“I’ll give you money if you need money, Mare. You’re family.”

“Absolutely not. I don’t take charity. I just wish I didn’t have to debase myself to earn a buck.”

“He’s ancient, isn’t he? Maybe he’ll die and leave you all of his money.”

I chuckled. “If only I was so lucky.”