Free Project Renovatio by Allison Maruska Page A

Liz looked at Levin and Brent in quick succession before turning her attention to Dayla. “Go inside for a little while. We need to have an adult conversation. I’ll come get you when we’re done, okay?”
    Dayla scowled and slumped her shoulders before entering the house.
    “I’m ssss….sorry to s…s…surprise you like that, ma’am.”
    “No, please. Don’t be sorry. Levin, would you mind filling me in?”
    “Sure. I met with Scott yesterday. Well, with Scott and with our other half-brothers. Brent is one of them. He’s from Seattle.”
    She looked at Brent, who nodded.
    “Only five male embryos survived in the first phase of the Project. Scott, Brent, Daniel, Jeremy, and me. The rest were miscarried because something went wrong when they monkeyed with the DNA. We all have the same Greek father, so they’re Rana’s brothers too.” Levin went on to describe Scott’s involvement in the Project, what happened with Scott’s girlfriend, and what Scott told them about marrying a PR girl.
    “That’s terrible. They can’t tell you how to live.” His mother stared outside the group and took a sip from her glass.
    “He didn’t think so either, but he couldn’t do anything about it, as close as he is to the Project. He did suggest another option, though.”
    “What option?”
    “He said we should either do what the Project wants–meaning I marry a PR girl–or we sever communication with them and try to disappear.”
    Liz faced Maggie. “Scott said they threatened his girlfriend. It’s possible you’re the one in danger here. What do you want to do?”
    Maggie leaned back. “Frankly, I want to stay with Levin. I’m not going to let whatever this is dictate how I live. It could turn out to be nothing at all.”
    “Mom,” Levin said, “you have to stop communicating with the Project. And we need to move, at least to another city. That’s just a start.”
    “Levin, it’s not that simple. I signed an agreement. If I stop communicating, I lose the money. And I seriously doubt they will leave me alone.”
    He leaned forward in his chair. “That’s why we should prepare to stand our ground. Even if we move, they can easily find us. But we can’t let this organization, or whatever it is, control our lives. They have no right to make me do what they want.”
    Walt surprised Rana by adding to the argument from the grill. “Liz, you know I can protect you. We have enough money between my disability and your job. You should do what Levin is asking.”
    Liz glared at Walt, apparently speechless, so Rana took the opportunity to interject. “Mom, do you think the Project owns us?”
    “No, of course not. That’s ridiculous.”
    “Then the choice is easy. Levin should be able to choose a partner. I should be able to do what I want for a career. If they think they can control Levin like this, why would they stop there? No. You have to stop communicating with them.”
    Her mother sat in silence for a moment. “You’re right. What do I do? Write a letter?”
    Silence covered the group until Levin offered a solution. “Yeah, I guess. Like a resignation letter. Say you’re surrendering the money in exchange for our privacy. We’ll hope that’s enough.”
     

Chapter Twelve
     
    The rest of the evening went smoothly. Rana and her family enjoyed Maggie’s company, and Brent grew so comfortable his stammer occurred less frequently, though he talked noticeably less than anyone else, including Walt. Rana made sure to exchange email addresses with Brent before he left.
    The next day, Liz wrote and sent both electronic and paper copies of her resignation letter to Project Renovatio. During the following weeks, everyone stayed highly guarded: they closely watched their surroundings for strange people, made sure to keep the doors locked, and Liz took time off work to monitor her daughters. When nothing suspicious occurred, life returned to what they called normal, aside from Walt being more engaged with the