“I know, baby, I know.” He kisses my forehead. “But I’m fine. I’m doing okay. Please don’t worry about me. I got a second chance—I could be pushing up daisies, you know, but I’m not. Life’s good.”
“Dad!” I wince. “Please don’t talk like that.”
He shrugs. “We all die sometime or another; it’s just part of life.”
“Yeah, but—”
“No buts. That’s why every day is precious, and we’ve got to make the most of it while we can.”
“While we can?” My voice splinters. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
He shakes his head. “No. Your mother and I just want you to be happy, that’s all. Everything else will work itself out. Don’t worry, dear.”
I can’t stop smiling. God, I love Dad so much. So, so much.
“Look at you two,” Mom giggles. “Where’s the camera?”
“Please, not now,” I sigh. “Look at me. I’m a complete mess.”
She chuckles. “Well, I don’t know how you timed it so well, but I was just about to serve up some dessert. Do you want some?”
“Do I?” I laugh, walking arm-in-arm to the table with Dad.
“So where’s the big man? We can’t tell you how happy we are that you worked it all out.”
I pull a face, crossing my legs as I slip down into my chair. “He sends his apologies.”
“Where is he, then?”
“I dropped him back at the apartment and then came straight over.”
“Too good for us, is he? What with all his flashy suits?”
I roll my eyes. “No, nothing like that, Mom. It’s just that he sweated a lot on the flight home, and he wanted to take a shower.”
Mom doesn’t look convinced. She’s always been able to read straight through my tales. “Is he a nervous flyer too? Surely there’s a shower on that thing?”
I pull a face. “Yes, but he’s a bit persnickety about sweat, and he said he wanted a ‘proper’ shower.”
“He’s too spoiled—that’s his problem,” Mom grumbles. “Whoever grows up with a private jet? It’s not like he’s the President.”
“Leave the poor boy alone.” Dad smiles, taking her hand in his. “He’s been very good to us.”
My throat tightens. “So he’s truly sorted everything?”
“Don’t look so worried, honey. Yes, he’s doing all he can.”
I exhale, a massive pressure lifting off my heart. “I’m so pleased. I don’t know what I would do if anything ever happened to you both. You’re my life.”
“Nonsense.” He smiles. “You’re ours.”
“I wanted to thank you both for forgiving him over, you know, what he did.”
Dad shrugs. “We thought it was nice he felt like he could come and talk to us about it, but honestly, when he told us you’d stopped speaking to him over his addiction, I have to say we were a little surprised.”
“Addiction?” I pause. “What addiction?”
“His fascination for, you know, honey, the er … female body.”
I’m seriously missing something here. What the heck is Dad talking about? “His fascination for the female body? Were those his exact words?”
“No, he told us how it was, Laura. He was very frank with us.”
“Do I look lost to you?”
“Yes!”
“Then, please, tell me what his addiction is because I didn’t know he had one.”
“Porn!”
I just about fall off my frickin’ chair. “Porn?” I squeal. “Porn?” I’m sure my face is flushing red, and there’s not a darn thing I can do about it. Is that all he actually said? No wonder they forgave him.
“I know you don’t want to talk about this sort of thing with your old fuddy-duddy parents,” Mom chuckles, “but honestly, it’s quite normal. You know what men are like.”
“No.” I cover my face, exhaling. “What are they like?”
“Horny as rabbits!” Dad butts in. “They’ll hump until they’ve got no fur left.”
Mom laughs, giving me a wink. “He should be neutered. That’d fix him! Good and proper!”
“Urgh,” I groan, “can we stop talking about this, please? I’m so embarrassed right now.”
“We won’t say another word about it, promise,” Dad chortles. “But we can say that he loves you very much and that he promised he’s burned all the discs.”
“There will be no more porn!” Mum cheers loudly. “He gave us his word, honey.”
I don’t have the heart to tell them what really happened. How can I? She had her issues with him from the start, and I don’t want to rock the boat. Mom’s eyes drift across to my hand. “Are my eyes playing tricks, or did that thing get bigger?”
I exhale, quickly shoving my hands under the table. “It got bigger. You know what he’s like.”
“Extravagant?” Mom frowns. “Imagine what that sort of money could do for the local community.”
I purse my lips. “Yeah, I know, but it’s really none of my business telling him how he can and can’t spend his family’s money, is it? Dad? Are you okay? You’re not saying anything.”
“How can I?” He pauses. “When you two get together it’s like two parrots stuck in a biscuit tin.”
“How rude!” Mom laughs. “I don’t think we’re that bad, Daddy.”
“Are we, Dad?” I giggle.
Tiredness washes over his face as he pushes his chair back from the table. “Do you mind if I leave you and your mother to it? I’m going to go and lie down. It’s been a big day.”
My heart breaks. “You’re okay though, Dad, aren’t you?”
“Yes, poppet. More than okay. We’ll catch up later.”
I can’t help but watch as he slowly walks down the hallway and disappears out of sight. He’s not even that old. I don’t even know how this could have happened to him. He was supposed to be fit. He was supposed to be healthy. And then out of nowhere, just like that, he collapses at work and is rushed to hospital. No warning. No nothing. Just like a gunshot—bang, and he’s on the ground. Almost taken from us by a heart attack no one saw coming.
“He’s getting there,” Mom whispers, rubbing over the top of my hand. “He’ll be fine, promise.”
I pull my hand out from under hers, getting up from the table before she sees my eyes. “I have to get something out of the car,” I mumble.
“Okay, honey,” she whispers. “You take your time.”
ELEVEN
Even though Mom told me to take my time, I’ve taken her suggestion to a whole new level. Why am I taking so long? Laura, get your New York hustle on! All I needed to do was get my suitcase out of the trunk. That’s it. One ugly suitcase—check. One giant heave and huff, and I would’ve been done. But there’s no check next to the task. And I’m still standing out here!
And don’t get me started on my mind. Mercy. The thing is whirring so fast, I feel like I’m in the middle of a major exam! Which, if I don’t nail, will result in instant flunkage of my entire life. But there’s no exam. Just complete bewilderment. I feel like I’ve been slapped across the face with a wet fish. A really smelly one. We’re talking stink city. Man, reality bites. How could Dad age so much in such a short amount of time?
The heart attack happened a week after I walked in on Hugo, and I was so caught up in myself, I hardly even noticed the effect it had on Dad. So what if my fiancé cheated? My dad just about died! Hello… Earth to Laura, anyone home? What was I thinking? I feel so stupid right now, like I missed everything that really mattered. Of course, I rushed into hospital the moment I got the call, and even though I sat next to Dad, I wasn’t there. I wasn’t conscious for any of it. I was caught up in myself. Stuck inside the walls of my mind.
They probably suggested I move to New York to give themselves a break from all my drama. They’ve always said I was a gift to them, but thinking back to when it all happened—I so wasn’t. I was pitiful, like a human vessel filled with endless tears, wasted on things t
hat didn’t even matter.
Someone hand me the stinky fish! I want to slap myself for my past behavior, but there’s no time for that now. Right now, I have to get my stupid suitcase out of the trunk and heave the ugly bastard inside. There’s no more time to waste. I’ve wasted enough already. With a giant grunt and puff, I lift the case up and drop it to the ground. It’s heavier than I remember. A lot heavier. I drag it behind me through the gravel and up the back steps to the door.
Crunch-thud. Crunch-thud. Crunch-thud. Phew, made it.
“I thought I was going to have to send out a search party,” Mom laughs, her arms covered in soap bubbles.
“Same,” I gasp, resting against the doorframe as I watch the silly case wobble back and forth and then fall to the floor with a clunk.
She glances back over her shoulder, her eyes dropping to the offender. “What’s this all about?”
I smile weakly, giving a little shrug. “You shouldn’t be doing those. Let me.”
She raises her brow. “If you insist, honey.”
“I do,” I exhale. “I need to do something productive to slow down the monkey.”
“Still bothering you, is he?”
“He’s pretty furry,” I smirk.
“And the suitcase?”
I try to put on a brave face, but after seeing how slowly Dad walked up the corridor, I’m struggling to put on a show. I blink several times, trying to ease my stinging eyes, but the water pipes burst the moment I stepped out the back door, and the sting lingers on.
“Laura, honey, talk to me.”
“Do you mind if I stay here a few nights?”
She drops her head to one side and smiles at me. “No, of course not.”
“Then why are you looking at me like that?” I grizzle.
“I’m just curious,” she laughs. “Why would you want to stay with your old fuddy duddies, when you could be with Romeo?”
I throw my arms in the air. “Does there have to be a reason?” Oh great. Why couldn’t I keep it together? Now Mom will definitely know something’s up.
“Laura,” she sighs, picking up my case and leaning it against the wall, “there doesn’t ever have to be a reason. I’m just asking, that’s all—is everything okay with you and Hugo?”
“Of course,” I mumble, looking away from her eyes. “Sorry for snapping. It’s been a long day. I’m really tired.”
“I just thought you two would’ve been wrapped up in each other back at his mansion, that’s all.”
“Apartment.” I giggle, sticking my hands into the bubbly water.
“Same thing.” She smiles. “Well then?”
I shrug. “He’s getting a lot of renovations done at the moment, and I swear, there’s enough sawdust and drilling to drive a monk to insanity.”
“So … ?”
“Well, what with my sinuses and everything, I just thought it would be easier if I stayed with you for a little—if that’s okay?”
Her pale blue eyes narrow, and I know she doesn’t believe a word I say, but she lets it slide. “Of course you can stay, honey; your room is exactly how you left it.”
“Dark and full of tears?” I groan, shaking my head. “I know I was a drama queen back then. I’m really sorry for what I put you both through.”
“That’s okay, sweetie. Love is complicated.”
My insides twist. “It sure is.”
“But everything’s okay with you two now, isn’t it?”
I nod, busying myself with the remaining dishes.
“So tell me about the wedding. Are you excited? Have you almost got everything sorted?”
“Almost.” I roll my eyes. “But I tell you, if I had known what a big deal it was all going to be, I never would’ve started in the first place. I guess I should have hired a wedding planner like he suggested.”
“Cold feet?”
“Freezing!” I laugh. “I really should get myself some fur lined boots! All jokes aside, though, it’s coming together.”
“And how is Mel? Has she found herself a nice boy?”
“Hardly,” I snort. “She prefers boys—plural.”
Mom’s eyebrows shoot up to the ceiling, but she keeps her thoughts to herself.
“Well, with her looks and bust line, she can get away with just about anything. You know what she’s like.”
Mom frowns. “Mmm.”
“She’s not lacking confidence, that’s for sure.” I grin, pulling the plug out of the sink and listening as the water rushes down the drain. “It’s definitely been an experience, living with her.”
“I guess it would be,” Mom mutters. “And soon, you’ll get to experience what it’s like to live with a man 24-7.”
I pull a face. “Rather gross, I imagine.”
“Gross?” She laughs. “You’re not eleven anymore. Why would you say that?”
“You can’t even see his bedroom floor! It’s like his entire wardrobe exploded, and wherever his stuff landed is where it’ll stay for eternity.”
“For better or worse, remember?”
I groan, shaking my head.
“If it bothers you so much, you could always tidy things away. Your arms aren’t painted on, you know.”
“Oh ha-ha.” I roll my eyes. “I wouldn’t even know where to start. Seriously, it’s too big of a mess. And it smells.”
“Of what?”
“Feet, rats, moldy food … God knows! I’m scared to pick up anything in case a rat scurries out.”
“Sounds just like your room!” she laughs. “You’re like two peas in a pod.”
My heart sinks, hearing her words—if she only knew.
“How long do we have before you leave us?”
“I’m staying.” I smile, leaning my back up against the sink.
“No …” Her eyes widen as she sits forward on her chair “Really? I get to keep my baby?”
“Yes,” I nod. “Hugo’s connections are here, and I miss you both, and it’s just easier if we stay put for the moment. It probably won’t be forever, but it will be for at least a year, if not two.”
“Oh, Laura,” she coos, “you’ll be able to come over for dinner every week, and we can talk all about grandbabies.”
“Grandbabies?” I squeal. “I don’t know about that!”
“You don’t want children?”
“Not right away,” I giggle. “Let me try being a wife first. Looking after him is going to be a big enough learning curve as it is.”
She smiles, leaning back against the chair. “It’s all about compromise—you know, give and take. You two will figure it out.”
If she knew how much I was giving and how much he was taking, she’d dislike suits even more. “Enough about me,” I pause. “What about you? How are you getting on?”
“What with, honey?”
“Dad being home all the time? Finding a second job?”
Her clear blue eyes cloud over. “What are you talking about?”
“It’s okay, Mom. Hugo told me everything. I just don’t know why you felt like you couldn’t tell me. I know I’m only a student and all, but honestly, you mean the world to me, and if I could’ve done anything to help, you know I would have.”
“Laura dear, honestly, what are you talking about? Hugo insisted that he and his family pay for half the wedding, but we are happy to foot the bill. We knew our little girl was going to get married some day, so we’ve been putting money away since you were sixteen.”
“Since I was sixteen?”
“Yes, sweetie.”
“But what if I hadn’t wanted to get married?”
“Don’t pick at things that don’t need unpicking—you know what I mean.”
I smile. “Yes I do, and I’m so grateful to you both.”
“So what’s worrying you then?”
“It’s just that …”
“What? What’s wrong?”
“I’m not talking about the wedding.”
“Well, poppet, you’re going to have to spell out
exactly what you are talking about because I don’t have a clue!”
My stomach twists. Darn it. I should have gone to bed and slept on everything before trying to have this conversation. What would be wrong with tomorrow anyway? Right now, I can hardly keep my eyes open, let alone think straight, and yet I barged ahead, opened my big mouth, and now I’ve got to talk about it.
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