Free The Ex-Wife by Candice Dow Page A

air, while these vent.” He pointed to smaller vents. “They blow cold
     air out.”
    “OK.”
    “The largest intake should be at the highest level in your house. They have a small little intake up there, so that’s going
     to be your hottest area.”
    “Daddy, you’re literally over my head.”
    “Upstairs will absorb the heat from not only this level but from all the levels underneath you. And this big vent needs to
     be up there.”
    “So can you fix it?”
    “Man, that would require ripping out a bunch of ductwork and you never know what you’re getting into when you do that. At
     this point, you’re going to have to leave it that way.”
    My lips curled with disappointment. He put one arm around me and said, “It’ll be OK. What did you plan on putting up there
     anyway?”
    “My office?”
    “Yeah, I don’t think you’ll want to be there on hot days.”
    My mom interrupted, “Alan, don’t get her all worked up right now.”
    “Well, it only makes sense that she knows what’s going on. Knowing is half the battle.”
    Aaliyah proceeded to set everyone’s food out and said, “C’mon, y’all, let’s have lunch and celebrate Ayana’s new place.”
    I sat down at the table and Daddy jokingly said, “And Lord, don’t let my baby melt up in that loft.”
    We all burst out laughing. Aaliyah said, “Daddy, stop.”
    He finished grace and we started eating. We chatted about minor things and watched the girls run in circles. Daddy never failed
     to mention how much they were like Aaliyah and me. In the middle of lunch, the doorbell rang. Everyone looked shocked and
     their responses forced my heart to plummet into my lap. I smiled. “That’s my Realtor.”
    Aaliyah raised one eyebrow at me and I shook my head. She was so obvious. When I opened the door, Cam smelled so enticing
     that I had to take a deep breath before saying anything. He had an edible arrangement in one hand and a bottle of champagne
     and a large envelope in the other. Passing the champagne and arrangement to me, he said, “Congratulations.”
    “Thank you so much.”
    He walked in and I introduced him to my parents. “You sold my baby this piece of crap?” Daddy said with a smile.
    “I’m sorry, sir. That would be me,” Cam responded, seeming like a good sport.
    Dad stood and shook his hand. Laughing, he said, “Good job, son.”
    “Thank you. And I must tell the both of you good job, because Ayana was a pleasure to work with. Women like this can only
     come from great parents.”
    Dad chuckled. “Now you’re going too far.”
    My mom looked at him out of the corner of her eye. She hated when he picked with people like that, but Daddy was the same
     whether he’d just met you or if he’d known you all his life. Aaliyah came over and shook Cam’s hand.
    “Aaliyah. I’m Ayana’s little big sister.”
    Cam nodded. “OK, I get it.”
    My mother chimed in. “They are only fifteen months apart and when kids are that close, it’s really easy for the younger one
     to take on the role as the oldest.”
    Aaliyah had always wanted to be someone’s mother, which is why she had taken on that role, not because she was more mature
     than me. She was just bossier than I was. I rolled my eyes. By Cam’s smile, I could tell he got the message.
    My dad said, “Seriously, I think this condo is ideal for my butterfly. She’s fluid.”
    Cam squinted. Dad raised his eyebrow, insinuating that Cam was slow. Cam said, “No, I get it. She goes with the flow.”
    “OK, I got a little concerned,” Daddy said, laughing. “I’ve always told her that she didn’t know where her career would take
     her, especially because it all happened so fast. One day she’s a struggling doctoral student and the next she’s a bestselling
     author, talk show host, and running her own practice. I advised her not to buy anything because she could get a call anytime
     to, say, move to New York or LA.”
    Cam said, “I hope not.”
    That comment got