The bedroom door opens and a pair of lips whisper in Emma's waiting ears. She nods, then closes the door, returning to her post as a makeshift guard. Except this time, she's guarding me from having a good time.
"Who has arrived?" I turn my right hand around with my left, the bare, well-buffed nails impeccable and smooth. It matters little, as they are about to be covered with gloves.
"She will know what you're doing." Leaning against the wall beside my bedroom door, Emma looks taller than I remember. It goes without saying that the 'she' can only be my mother.
"So did they. And they came anyways. That means something." It means that the Duvernay monopoly, while strong, isn't entirely without its cracks. The promise of more is effective enough to create challengers and I paid enough attention in economics to learn that challenge and competition are necessary for the growth and development of a nation.
