While they rarely, if ever, spoke about either her mother or father, she did like to hear stories about his family. About growing up with a younger brother, and of two stable parents. The fact that it all occurred in England and he told it in that lovely accent of his that she completely adored, it always seemed more like a fairy story than real life.
All in all, it was likely that the family member she had spent the most time with over the years had been her Aunt Elphie. Although, when the truth was plainly laid out, that time was taking into consideration large meetings at Forster Advertising. That their actual one-on-one interaction had been rather limited over the years, well, that was left unsaid for the most part.
That her parents and aunt had been devoted to their work rather than to her had never even been thought of in her mind, even as a small child, to be anything unusual. Up until she had been a teenager, she had been sure that was how all families were, except in fiction.
Besides, she might not have ever even seen her father until she had been six, but he had never missed a birthday or Christmas with a card for her. That had to count for something, right? Each of those rather impersonal notes was nonetheless saved in a box somewhere deep in her closet (and she had a massive closet), from childhood up until the most recent Christmas immediately before they had left. The checks that usually came enclosed within the envelopes had begun being signed over to various charities as soon as she had figured out how. Az might not have ever been the charity function fanatic, but seeing the money off to some such cause felt a good deal better than it would have if she had kept it.
"You," Az told him, leaning up for a kiss. "Are a brilliant man, it must be why I love you." Really there were about a thousand reasons, if not more, but this one would do for an excuse. Oh, and those flaming blushes of his were certainly among the top ten. Her smile was both coy and impish then, "Come on Jeb, take me to bed?" Wherever he would go, she would follow. Likely checking out his fit of his pants the entire time.