The world keeps spinning

I finally felt good about the progress I was making. Even when I calmed down and couldn't help myself but tell Zoe to stop by the pharmacy on her way home, and even gave her a few bills to hopefully cover it – something she seemed confused by, not that she put up much of a fight – I'd still let most of my decisions ride. I felt like it was rocky, but I was at least heading in a comfortable direction and was content to just go back to my usual for the rest of the day.

I should've known I wouldn't be allowed to be that carefree and happy though....

Towards the evening, nearing the end of Zoe's regular shift and the time she was free to leave I got a call, something Cassandra was surprisingly helpful enough to bring to my attention by bringing me my phone which I had long since forgotten to bring back to my side, though not without her customary lip. It just bounced off of my when I saw it was my dad calling.

It had been forever since he'd just called to chat or say anything positive. I felt a put growing in my stomach before I even answer,

"Hello?"

"How much longer are you going to be keeping your mother and sister?"

I squeezed my eyes shut. Calling them step-family wasn't something he liked, but I couldn't remember the last time they treated me like actual family. In a moment of foresight however I bit my tongue,

"Awhile. I haven't really decided yet. Why?"

"Because I have another meeting with the Harrisons tomorrow to sign the papers and I'll need your mother there for that at the very least."

I stayed silent for a few moments as something about his words rubbed me off wrong,

"You need Cassandra too?"

"It would leave a better impression."

"...But not me?"

It was my father's turn to fall silent before he quickly muttered,

"...Didn't think you'd be interested."

He was right of course, but it still stung all the same,

"Even after I helped you make the deal?"

"While also making a scene!" My dad countered his voice rising before he let out a long exhausted sigh, "Look, Oliver, I don't like treating you like a kid any more than you do, believe it or not, but what else am I supposed to do when you keep acting like one?"

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" I growled into the phone.

"Exactly what I said Oliver!" My dad shouted back, "It worked out great this time so I'm just supposed to be happy about my son playing with his toys in the middle of a fancy restaurant? How do you think that makes me look? How do you think it affects my business? Am I just supposed tell Mr. Harrison tomorrow that I'm alone because my son would rather stay at home playing with his toys? This deal isn't done until the papers are signed he could always thing differently after the heat of the moment as passed!"

"I... I could just have another talk with his wife–"

"And have him sue me into the ground for extortion and bribery? Need I remind you, you still technically live under my roof? What happens then?"

"I don't need your money anymore...." Was all I could weakly mutter, despite my outrage. I didn't have a counterpoint.

"Right, because you took over one of your properties assets, sure. I still need to work, son." His voice started to drop, there wasn't anger anymore, just, a heavy, creeping disappointment that got thicker with every word, "Or does that no matter to you now that you've got someone else to foot the bill?"

It felt like a knife in my gut. There was only so much denial I could manage. He was right, but I so wished he wasn't. Maybe if he hadn't just sprung this on me so I wasn't so in the moment... or maybe if I stuck to my rules of respecting women's lives... If I just gave in and sent the girls back though it'd just be proving him even more right. I'd be admitting he was right for thinking the worst of me, for not believing in me.

"I'm not just playing around with toys!" I spoke without really thinking, I just wanted him to be wrong. I was such a child.

"Then what?"

"I'm..."

What came next? Practicing abusing my powers over half the population? Learning how else to selfishly benefit myself only?

No. Not this stupid, self-defeating bullshit again, I'd just come off a good day, I'd just started seeing this as a responsibility and not just a burden,

"...trying to figure out how to manage all the property I own now." I did my best to make it sound buisinessy but I felt my sudden burst of conviction die before the words were even fully out of my mouth.

There was a long tense moment of silence between us after where I could really beat myself up. To my surprise though my Dad's tone perked up a little,

"How d'you mean?" He cleared his throat, hope starting to return to his voice.

In some ways that hurt just as bad as his disappointment... but I guess it was something,

"I... I don't fully know okay...." If I started lying it was going to spiral out of my control, I also couldn't think of a good one on such a short time frame, "...but just, I own all women over night okay? Not just women, their autonomy and their assets. Women aren't just toys, they're my property now and if I don't use them properly... I don't know okay... it'll probably be bad though...." There were too many ways to count.

"...Okay...." My dad muttered his voice now neutral, unreadable, especially over the phone, he seemed to be thinking though, "...and how does Veronica and Cassandra fit into this planning phase of yours?"

I couldn't just say I wanted to fuck around with them until I got used to fucking around. Telling the truth seemed to be the most positive reaction I'd gotten so far though, so I was going to have to bend it,

"I needed people to bounce ideas off of, not just people, property, who would be better to ask, right?"

"mmmm."

"A-and I needed to start smaller scale, if I tried going city or country wide with sweeping orders to my property I'm liable to fuck it up, I needed them to practice on!"

There was a longer, tenser silence as I hoped to god he bought it. I was starting to believe myself a little to be honest, but if he called me out I wasn't sure my confidence was going to last.

Eventually though, my dad cleared his through and quietly muttered,

"That's good.... I'm sure Mr. Harrison would understand that too.... It's good to know you're thinking about these things... about your future."

"...thanks?" I really wasn't expecting such a switch up, I was just trying to pull something out of my ass to try and save face, to try and feel even slightly less of a fuck up, but now I felt... almost good? Did I do something right?

"Just, let me know if I'm ever gonna see them again once you're sure, alright?"

"Uh, s-sure."

"Alright, I'll let you get back to work than son. Let me know how you're getting along sometime." There was no something light in his voice, something I don't think I've ever heard before... at least not directed at me. Was he... proud?

"Yeah... see ya...."

Almost as soon as I hung up I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Zoe had at some point snuck up beside me,

"Is everything alright?" She gave my shoulder a sympathetic squeeze.

"I have to find a way to start managing all four billion of my girls now, I guess." I buried my face in my hands and let out a long, suffering sigh.

My abstract concept of a timeline was now starting to take shape but that alone still felt like it was coming up on me like a truck.