The Surprise Holiday Dad

by Jacqueline Diamond

  “Mommy always went with me,” Reg said.

  Wade hesitated. “You mean your aunt?”

  “No, my mommy.”

  Wade’s impression was that Vicki had been an erratic mother at best. However, he saw no point in arguing. “One more bite and I’ll be done.”

  Reggie sank down in his seat without replying. However, when Wade accompanied him, he washed his hands meekly.

  The testy mood resurfaced after they reached home. The little boy ran ahead of Wade to the front door and, instead of using his key, punched the doorbell.

  “Hey!” Wade ran to catch his wrist before he could do it again. “Your aunt’s sleeping.”

  “She should get up.” Reg’s lower lip stuck out.

  More puzzled than ever, Wade took the boy’s key and let them inside. “Why?”

  Instead of answering, his son ran upstairs. “Don’t bother your aunt!” Wade shouted before realizing he’d no doubt awakened her by yelling. “Oh, hell.”

  A few minutes later, Adrienne descended the stairs, a soft green bathrobe bringing out the shade of her eyes while dark blond hair fell in disarray around her shoulders. Sleepy and invitingly tranquil despite the interruption, she held her nephew’s hand.

  Seeing Wade, she gave a start. “Oh, you’re still here.”

  “Yep.” Although that might be his cue to leave, he wasn’t ready to. “He’s been a real handful. I can’t believe he’s tired of our mornings together already.”

  Reg perched on one of the lower steps. “I’m not tired of them.”

  “Then what’s wrong?” Adrienne sat beside him.

  “Nothing.” He sounded angry, though.

  How was a parent supposed to react when a child refused to communicate? Wade clenched his hands in frustration. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “When did this behavior start?” Adrienne probed.

  Wade thought it over. “At the restaurant, he talked about his mother. I don’t recall him doing that before.”

  “Other kids have their mommies,” Reg muttered. “I miss her.”

  Drawing him close, Adrienne rested her cheek atop her nephew’s head. Her gaze touched Wade’s, and suddenly he understood. Despite Vicki’s flaws, a mother was a mother, and seeing other kids with their happy families had hurt.

  “We should go visit her today,” Adrienne said. “It’s been a few months. Too long.”

  “Can we?” Reg straightened.

  “Sure.”

  “Can Daddy go with us?”

  “If he’s free,” Adrienne said tactfully.

  Although not thrilled by the prospect, Wade welcomed the fact that his son wanted to include him. Guess I didn’t screw up with him after all.

  “I’d be glad to join you.” Wade had never been able to visit his own mother’s grave, because she didn’t have one. A few days after she’d died in the small-plane crash, her remains had been cremated and the ashes scattered at sea, as per her will. Because he’d been only sixteen, her adult stepson had taken care of the arrangements. While the idea of visiting a cemetery aroused painful recollections of loss, he understood why it was important for Reggie.

  “You guys can pick flowers from the garden while I get ready,” Adrienne said. “The calla lilies are in bloom, and I saw a few roses with buds opening.” She gave details about the length of the stems and how to prepare them for the brass vase on the grave. They were to cut bunches for Reg’s grandparents, too.

  Eagerly, the little boy scrambled to his feet. “I’ll cut them!”

  “With your father’s help.”

  “I’ll fetch the clippers.” Off he darted.

  Wade was about to follow when Adrienne said, “Are you sure about this? You have no reason to mourn my sister.”

  “I mourn her for my son’s sake,” he responded truthfully. “And by the way, I’m impressed with your detective work about his mood.”

  Her mouth quirked. “Kids can be a mystery.”

  With her hair loose and her robe opening to reveal the lacy edge of her nightgown, she seemed different from her usual brisk self. Sensual, alluring and unguardedly female. The kind of woman who belonged in a man’s arms, being kissed at length.

  Wrong place, wrong time. And, given the circumstances, wrong woman. “Thanks for inviting me.” Wade strode in his son’s wake.

  The cemetery lay in the town’s northeast section, near the freeway. On a Saturday afternoon, quite a few families were visiting loved ones, he noticed as Adrienne parked alongside the curving drive. They’d taken her car since it was larger.

  “Mia’s daddy is here,” Reg announced as they got out. “So are Mommy and Grandma.”

  “And your grandfather, although you never knew him.”

  The graves were close together. A plaque marked Vicki’s burial place, engraved with her name, birth and death dates and Dearly Loved Mother and Sister.

  Solemnly, Reg positioned the flowers in the vases and added water from a bottle. It was peaceful here, Wade thought, gazing at the expanse of green.

  So this was the final resting spot of the woman who’d turned his life upside down. Hard to believe all that exuberance, temperament and youth lay here quietly, forever.

  “I wish she didn’t die.” Reggie wiped his eyes. “She used to laugh all the time. Except when she was sad.”

  “During her upbeat periods, she sparkled.” The ache in Adrienne’s voice reflected how much she, too, missed her sister. “Remember when she brought home a bunch of old Halloween costumes she’d spotted in somebody’s trash? We couldn’t believe people threw away perfectly good outfits.”

  “We wore them all day.” Reggie smiled at the memory. “Even though Halloween was over.”

  “What kind of costumes?” The anecdote reminded Wade of how much fun Vicki had been while they were dating. She’d charmed him with her spontaneity, her ability to stay up all night without tiring and her enthusiasm in bed. He hadn’t known until later that these might have been signs of the hyperactive phase of her condition.

  “I was a panda,” Reg announced.

  “I took the witch costume,” Adrienne recalled. “Vicki was a fairy princess. She looked beautiful.”

  “Take any pictures?” Wade would like to see those.

  Reg scuffed his shoe on the grass. “Mommy threw them out.”

  “All of them?” What a bizarre thing to do. “Why?”

  “She flew into a rage a few weeks later and deleted a whole bunch of photos from the computer and our backup.” Regret and a hint of anger colored Adrienne’s words. “Reg, I’m sorry. Your mom could be wonderful, but she suffered from an illness.”

  “Polar-bear disorder,” he said earnestly.

  About to correct him, Wade caught Adrienne’s meaningful glance. They shared a moment of sorrow for what this boy had lost, and of joy for his dear innocence.

  “Mia says angels watch over us,” Reggie went on. “Do you think Mommy’s an angel?”

  Wade didn’t answer. Even if he believed in such things, he hadn’t forgotten Vicki’s cruelty in separating him and Reg.

  “Your mommy didn’t deserve to suffer from a mental illness,” Adrienne said. “If there’s any justice, she’s an angel now.”

  That was good enough for Wade. And as they left, Reggie began to hum “Teddy Bears’ Picnic.”

  His son’s good mood had been restored. And being there made Wade feel, just a little, as if he’d visited his own mother’s grave, too.

  * * *

  THE DAY BEFORE Thanksgiving Wade left the office at 11:30 a.m. He intended to grab a quick bite and then stake out a position outside a motel where a client’s husband was suspected of trysting with his girlfriend. According to the wife, her husband left his workplace for lunch about 1:00 p.m.

 
; That gave him plenty of time to get into position. Better early than late.

  He turned his key in the ignition. A clicking noise, then nothing. Cursing under his breath, Wade tried again. No response.

  This morning, it had taken several attempts before the engine turned over. He’d attributed the difficulty to leaving the coupe outside in the early-morning cold.

  Just what he needed: a dead battery. He’d have to wait for the auto club to send someone out.

  He was about to call when Mike Aaron strode down the walkway. The tall sandy-haired man stopped by Wade’s car. “Problem?”

  “Dead battery. If you’ll jump-start me, I’ll be on my way.” Wade explained where he was headed.

  “You’ll probably get stuck again.”

  No big deal. “Once the job’s done, I’ll have time to wait for the auto club.”

  Mike jiggled his keys. “I’ll jump you, but please go straight to a mechanic. Places close early today and you could be without a car over the holiday. If lover boy has to wait till Monday, so be it.”

  “I’d rather do both. And I happen to know a good mechanic.” If Daryl’s garage stocked the right battery, he could fix it in a jiffy. If not, Wade would borrow his father’s vehicle.

  “You’re resourceful. Good.” With that, Mike went to move his silver sedan into the space beside the black coupe. “Nice wheels,” he commented as he lifted the jumper cables from his trunk.

  “Seemed like a great car when I had only myself and the occasional lady friend to transport.” Wade opened his hood while Mike did the same with his car. “It seats two comfortably and three uncomfortably.”

  “Not too practical with a kid.” His boss clamped a red cable end to the positive terminal on Wade’s battery and the other end to his own battery. Then he checked to ensure he’d done it right. There was a slight risk of an explosion if anything got screwed up. Wade had seen that happen once in his high school parking lot, although luckily not to his car.

  “Speaking of which, how’s the fatherhood bit coming along?” Mike clamped a black cable end to the negative battery terminal on his sedan.

  “Even more fun than I expected.” Wade hadn’t been prepared for Reggie’s lovable nature. Nor for his aunt’s tantalizing presence. “I’m glad he’s old enough for us to do things together.”

  “That’s a common misperception.”

  “What is?”

  “That babies are boring.”

  “All they do is babble, cry all night and poop in their diapers, right?” Wade was only half joking.

  Mike regarded him pityingly. “You missed the best part. There’s nothing more fascinating than a baby.”

  With a smack of embarrassment, Wade recalled that he was talking to the father of an infant. “I meant the average kid,” he amended. “I’m sure your daughter is a genius.”

  “That’s a given.” Mike broke into a fond smile. “They pull you into a new world.”

  “Yeah?” Wade had never seen this side of his boss.

  “It’s a real high, watching them.” In his enthusiasm, Mike momentarily forgot his task. “Each week—each day—brings something new. Rolling over. Sitting up. Giggling as they play with you. Drinking out of a cup.”

  Giggling and drinking from a cup? An ironic remark sprang to Wade’s lips. Recalling how much he hated his grandfather’s sarcasm, he restrained it.

  “They’re cunning little creatures,” Mike added as he attached the other negative cable end to an unpainted bolt on the coupe. “They develop a startling resemblance to the woman you love, to you and maybe a few other relatives. They make you feel a part of generations in a way you never thought of before. Like, who had those eyes a hundred years ago? A thousand years? The DNA goes all the way back to the beginning.”

  Wade wasn’t interested in Reggie’s resemblance to Vicki. Now, if he had a baby with Adrienne, what a thrill it would be to see her knowing light green eyes staring up at him from a tiny face. Holding their baby in his arms, looking over and sharing Adrienne’s joy—that would be special.

  “We’re set.” Sliding behind his steering wheel, Mike switched on the sedan and let it idle. “See if that’s enough juice.”

  Wade tried his ignition. After a brief grumble, it sprang into action. “Perfect.”

  Leaving his car on, Mike disconnected the cables. “Straight to the garage. I don’t want this happening again.”

  “Me, either. Thanks.”

  Phil’s Garage, where Daryl worked, was a couple blocks from the hospital. Wade was glad to see one of the bays empty and pulled into it.

  The owner, Phil DiDonato, left the SUV he’d been working on and wiped his hands on a rag. “What’s up, Wade?”

  The guy had a good memory. Wade hadn’t seen him since he used to bring his car there years ago. “I need a new battery. Is my dad around?”

  The mechanic, a pleasant-faced guy in his mid-thirties, tugged on his blue coveralls. “Hasn’t showed up yet.”

  It was nearly noon. “Is that normal?”

  Phil ducked his head. “He’s been pretty good since you came back to town, till today.”

  “What about before that?”

  “It’d happen once, twice a week.”

  Wade hadn’t realized his father was missing work. In fairness, Daryl might have been detained by a tenant’s emergency. “When he comes in, is he hungover?”

  Another pause, and then Phil said, “If he’s not here by noon, he’s not coming in.”

  That was even worse. Well, there was nothing Wade could do about it now. “Any chance of you replacing my battery? I realize you have extra work with my dad gone.”

  “It’s a slow day. Let’s see if I have the battery in stock.”

  Through his open window Wade inhaled the oddly reassuring scent of machine oil. He supposed he could grab a bite to eat at the hospital cafeteria while he waited. Then, double-checking the location of the Harbor Suites Motel in his phone, he realized it was right around the corner. That made sense. The place, which offered weekly suites as well as single rooms, probably catered to the families of hospital patients.

  Along with a few marital cheaters.

  Phil returned. “Yep, there’s one left. I can switch that out for you inside of an hour.”

  “Great.” Wade explained that he’d be back in an hour or two.

  After retrieving his camera gear, he handed Phil the keys, provided his phone number and signed an estimate form. He also made sure his phone was on vibrate. Nothing like ruining the perfect shot because your phone drew your subject’s attention.

  He decided to skip lunch since he was behind schedule. En route to the motel, Wade wondered where his father was. At home, drinking?

  Maybe once the job was done, he should swing by there. But Daryl wasn’t a child, and no one had appointed Wade his guardian.

  He’d assumed his father was functioning, despite the occasional beer. Daryl had reinforced that impression, but a month of moderate restraint was apparently as much as he could bear.

  It isn’t your responsibility. Still, Wade hoped he could figure out a way to help his dad face up to his disease.

  Chapter Nine

  The cheating husband, better dressed and groomed than in the photograph his wife had provided, showed up shortly after one, carrying a shiny gift bag, no doubt an attempt to pacify his girlfriend for his upcoming absence on the holiday. Wade caught excellent images of the man and the logo on the bag. That should help identify the purchase on the man’s credit card.

  He disappeared inside. Too bad. That meant no steamy embrace in public.

  A second man, even more smartly dressed, strolled up to the room and tapped several times in a pattern. When he glanced around, Wade—lounging behind a tree—ducked back then captured the man’s face thr
ough the branches.

  The client was in for a shock. Maybe she’d feel some sympathy for a husband trapped by his fear of coming out about his sexual orientation. However, since he was betraying her trust and possibly putting her in medical jeopardy, Wade doubted it.

  Half an hour later the second man stalked out, scowling. The husband emerged, still carrying the gift bag. Clearly, they’d quarreled. People who led double lives often destroyed both of them, in Wade’s observation.

  He walked to the garage, collected his refitted car and drove to the office. After writing the report, he forwarded it, with pictures, to Mike for review.

  Time to go home and face what might be an unpleasant confrontation with Daryl. On the way Wade stopped at the Suncrest Market for some last-minute purchases, including a freshly baked apple pie.

  Near the checkout counter a keepsake basket filled with yellow roses, orange lilies and red daisies caught his attention. Adrienne would love those. However, Wade doubted they’d stay fresh until Saturday, when he was scheduled to pick up Reggie. Also, she’d have lots of flowers left from Friday’s wedding.

  In the line, carts were piled high with turkeys, yams, stuffing mix and other goodies. The shoppers must be expecting large crowds for their meals, or else love leftovers. Or both.

  Once again Wade was on the outside looking in. After his mother left, he used to take walks on Thanksgiving to escape the gloomy apartment. Delicious cooking smells would fill the air. Later, in December, Christmas trees twinkled through the front windows while colored lights and lawn displays turned the neighborhood into a fantasyland. His sense of longing had cut like a razor blade.

  Finally, it was his turn to unload his groceries. He was buying a lot of food for two people, he reflected. Overcompensating, no doubt.

  At Daryl’s apartment the sour smell of beer struck him in the doorway. Carrying the groceries to the kitchen, Wade passed his father, who was sprawled on the couch watching a reality show.

  You’ve been in denial. His father might have limited his drinking for a few weeks rather than show weakness in front of Wade. Now he’d returned to his normal habits. If the man didn’t get a grip, he’d soon find himself jobless and possibly homeless, as well.