“That’s a nice number.”
“That number also exceeds the school district’s general and professional liability insurance coverage. They would be forced to dip into the school district’s already thinly stretched budget.”
“Too fucking bad.”
“That’s what I said. I told their legal department that they better figure it out, get the PTA together, and start fundraising their asses off. Remember when our school’s PTA would host silent auctions, and Mom would donate her paintings?”
“Her paintings would fetch the school a pretty penny.”
“Those kids better start washing cars and selling plates because that payout will double if this goes to trial. Their negligence cost a bunch of little lives.”
“Whatever they decide, I have no doubt that you can handle it. How is everyone else?”
“Mmmm, something’s going on with Casey. I passed by his office, and he was having some sort of dispute over the phone. A few minutes later, he stormed out of the office and peeled out of the parking lot.”
“I’d hazard a guess that whatever his issue is, it has something to do with the opposite sex.”
“Same, but I’m not getting involved. Daisy is pissed that she’s on pro bono, but she knows better than to argue with Dad about it. Nori has been the doting wife, sending flowers and gifts to Daisy at the office daily.”
“She must be in the doghouse.”
“Nah, I just think they’re in the honeymoon phase.”
Let’s hope for all our sake that it lasts forever.
“What else?”
“Ronan went viral recently and is partnering up with this fitness line to have his own protein line.”
“No shit?”
“No shit. Uncle Ant told him he had never been prouder of him in his entire life.”
“I bet that was emotional.”
Kieran nodded. “There were a lot of tears and snot. Ronan feels like he finally made something of himself, you know?”
“Like he’s proven that he’s not the dumb meathead that Uncle Ant has been treating him like all these years.”
“Exactly. He might not have followed in Uncle Ant’s footsteps, but he paved his own way, unlike that silver-eyed monster of his. Mom and Aunt Simone took off on another one of their secret lesbian trips.”
“Don’t be disrespectful,” I said sharply.
“We all think it,” he sang. I ignored him. He was being a little shit on purpose, knowing I wanted to know how Kiyah was doing. No one else would fill me in on her, and I knew Kieran was my best choice for an update.
“How’s Kiyah?” He turned to me with a pitying look in his eyes. “Did she take off again?”
“Drop it, Grant,” he remarked, pulling himself up and crossing his legs.
“You know I’m not going to. Did she leave?”
“Your funeral,” he muttered under his breath. “She’s no longer at the house, but she’s not far.”
“What’s your definition of ‘not far’?”
“She’s staying in Austin.”
“What is she doing there?”