I put her on a pedestal and I was determined to keep her there.I'd graduated from a good university with a degree in accounting. That was the only exa...ple of my mother I ever wanted to follow. I got a good job with one of the big accounting firms and had just gotten my CPA when Jenny and I finally got married. Jenny was a very high maintenance woman, and even before we married, I knew my salary couldn't keep her happy. I took a job with a company that wanted to make use of creative accounting. Would that be good for you?” he said.I looked over at Lana and she shrugged.“Okay, sure,” I said. “Noon?”“That would be good,” he said. Well, it was 10:30 a.m.I need to clarify here that Abigail and I had not made up; likely never would in any true sense. But, we did share kind of an armed truce. We did talk if but in short terse sentences from time to time. We did see each other around. It was what it was.It had been some months since the big man had made the unilateral decision, and without. Held, but you could see it breaking free.“Fuck,” you breathe as you turn and run further down the road. Your eyes dart to the left. Before the bombs, this would have been a pleasant suburb. But five years after the mists had changed that. Massive trees and vines grew across the ground; into houses and into chimneys. You can hear the chitter of carnivorous monkeys above, but you can’t be fucked with them right now. The cat is after you again.You skid left toward a house; ignoring the front door. We had spent the day unpacking boxes, deciding on furniture placement, choosing paint samples for certain walls, and generally preparing the love nest. By the time we had eaten some takeout, sitting cross legged on the bare floor of our new home, we were too exhausted to work anymore. You leaned back on your elbows and looked across the floor at my beautiful smile. My blond hair was charmingly messy from the day’s work. From beneath it, my eyes peered at you. “I think we deserve a reward, don’t.