Part 66

Zander was driving from the courthouse to Alexis' office. Alexis was in the passenger seat fumbling with a file. She was always looking for papers in those files; they were full of papers, but the one she wanted at a particular time never seemed to be at hand. It amused Zander to watch her and hear her talking about where it should be, but never was.

"You don't have to move back to Jake's," she was saying, her search failing to take up all of her attention, "I'm fine with you being with me again. Don't worry about it. Who else can I send out for tampons? You don't want to be there, either. Your parents could visit you any time!"

"Them visiting me! Is there a legal proceeding for an order of non-visitation on Oksana?"

"There should be, shouldn't there? How was it meeting the admissions counselor at PCU?"

"OK. It's not so impossible as it used to seem to me." He explained what he had learned.

"I know you'll say no, so I won't bother telling you to let your parents get you the tutor."

"You still did!"

"I know! It'll speed things up, and what's it to them? Costs them hardly a thing compared to what they are worth!"

"But what does it cost me, that is the question."

"What could they do? Have you untutored if you won't follow them to some end of the earth?"

"I've gotten used to not having to answer to them."

"Let's ask them what strings are attached. I can't imagine there are any."

"I know I come off paranoid."

"No, not really. You didn't find it hard to trust me. It's not all pervasive to your life. It applies to those two and there are reasons for it."

"I know it's been a long time. Sergei almost seems easygoing. I can't imagine what Oksana would want, but then, that's been my trouble. I never see it coming because I can't imagine it. Maybe to go live in her house or something. I seem to get into an argument with her every time I see her."

"You've argued back. She's not walking all over you."

"Do you really think so? That would be a new thing in life. To me, anyway."