Summer Maintenance

by Jennifer Foor

  “Take care of my daughter, Patty. Even if it’s not for me. Please be there for her. She’s going to need you.” I could feel the bile rising in my throat.

  When I walked away from Patty I figured it would be the last time I ever saw her. Despite my feelings for her, we’d never be able to work out our problems. My plan had backfired. I’d lost everything again, and this time I only had myself to blame.

  Chapter 15

  Patty

  Brice was Jason Thomas. It was still hard to fathom. The painful truth sat next to me on the couch staring at the picture he’d given her as he was explaining. She’d been crying for hours, and I didn’t see it stopping in the near future. Her heart was broken, and she was beyond confused.

  “It’s a lot to take. I can’t imagine what you’re going through.”

  “Did you know?”

  “Only a little, and maybe for about an hour before you. I found the picture from the fire in his cabin. I think he was keeping it so you wouldn’t look at it and realize who he was. Callie, I’m not an expert on judging people. Obviously I have terrible tastes in men, but I think your dad is telling the truth. He seems sincere.”

  “He’s had a long time to practice. I don’t get it. Why didn’t he write? Why didn’t he get word to me?”

  “Maybe he did. From what he told me the family cut him off. They told you he was dead. What does that say about them? They obviously lied to you.” She brought her knees up to her chest. “This hurts so much.”

  “I’m here for you. I want you to know that.” I waited a second to think about how I should respond. “I’m in love with him, Callie. I shouldn’t be now. I know it’s wrong, but it’s true. I love that man, no matter how many lies he told.”

  Callie didn’t say anything after that. She got up and walked into the room she’d been staying in, closing the door behind her.

  Silently I sat there emotionally breaking down in my own way. I knew my pain couldn’t be compared to the two of them. If there was something I could do to make it better I would have.

  The sound of fireworks going off shook the trailer. For the first time in my life I didn’t care to see them. The holiday celebration had been ruined, and there was too much destruction going on around me to appreciate anything else.

  Sometime during the night, I woke up with an epiphany. Maybe there was a way to help Callie and her father. Maybe there was a solution to rectify the turmoil between them and reunite two people who should have never been torn apart.

  With no way to get in touch with Brice, I did a bit of research online, and then awaited for Callie to wake up. Still groggy, she poured a cup of coffee and sat across from me at the table.

  “How did you sleep?”

  “Not good. I keep thinking about how much I wanted him in my life. Did I do the wrong thing by sending him away? What if I never see him again?”

  “I have to ask you something. Don’t get mad. It’s just a suggestion.” I paused and waited her expression to turn to curious. “I think you need to speak to your uncle. Get his side of the story. Find out why they lied about your father. Look him in the eye as an adult and be the judge of his sincerity.”

  “I don’t know if I can do that.”

  “I’m not telling you to forgive your dad, but at least get some answers.”

  After some consideration we made plans to visit her uncle in jail. The long drive was awkward. Callie played on her phone when she wasn’t taking a turn driving.

  Arriving at a jail wasn’t something I was used to. I’d never met her uncle, and frankly I didn’t belong there. Lucky for me Callie told me she could handle it herself. I watched her enter into the gates wondering what was going to happen when she came back out.

  Since we were both aware she’d have to go through security checks and wait for her uncle to be brought out, I anticipated she’d be a couple hours. I grabbed a cup of coffee and sat in a nearby park reading a magazine I’d picked up at a gas station.

  An hour into my wait my phone started to ring. I don’t know how I knew it was him, but I knew it was Brice calling to check on Callie.

  “Hello?”

  “It’s me. Please don’t hang up.”

  “I won’t.” It was a promise.

  “I’m headed to turn in my I.D. badge and explain to Ross while I won’t be returning.”

  I didn’t hesitate. “I think you should stay.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Because I overreacted yesterday. I reacted out of anger. I think Callie is doing the same thing. If you go I’ll miss you.”

  “Patty, I lied to you. I don’t expect you to forgive me for that.”

  “You thought you didn’t have a choice. You did it for Callie. How can I not show you compassion? I care about you, Jason.”

  “I’m not him anymore. Taking Brice’s name was a new start for me. I don’t want to be the Jason Thomas who is a convicted felon. I want to be a good man – a good father.”

  “Stay then. Not just for Callie. Stay for me, Brice. Stay because I’m a part of your new life.”

  “I wanted you to be. You know I care about you. You’re a saint.”

  Tears streamed down my face. I knew he could hear my sniffles. “Go back to the cabin. I’ll come see you tonight when I get back.”

  “Are you at the office?” He asked.

  “No. I’m out with Callie. I’ll explain later. Just go home. Wait for me.”

  “Are you sure this is what you want? I don’t want to push Callie away.”

  “You won’t. Promise you’ll be home tonight.”

  “Yeah. Of course.”

  When we hung up I felt a bit better about the situation. I still didn’t know what would happen with Callie, but it was important Brice was around when she was ready to get to know him. I had a feeling it would be sooner than later considering she’d always felt alone.

  Two hours later, she rang me to come pick her up. Her makeup had washed off from crying, her eyes puffy and red. She was quiet and still when she first climbed in, and then, out of nowhere, she began to weep. I reached over and touched her shoulder, not knowing what I could do or say to make it easier. “What happened? Are you okay?”

  “Everything I’ve ever known about my past is a lie. They kept us apart.” She cried harder, making it impossible to understand what she was saying after that.

  On the way home I let her sob without pushing. She needed to come to grips with what she’d learned before she could begin to express her feelings.

  “My uncle lied at first. He acted like I didn’t know what I was talking about. Then, when I was ready to walk out, he called me back. What Brice said was true. He was high the night my mother died. My uncle said they had a physical altercation leading with the gun going off. He broke down when he talked about it. That wasn’t even what hurt me the most. I think I could have lived with the fact that they’d all kept it from me. It was the lie that my dad was dead. He said they moved shortly after my dad was sentenced. They unlisted the address so he couldn’t have a place to mail to. My grandparents showed up at every hearing to make sure he didn’t get out early to come get me. Apparently they didn’t have full custody since my father wouldn’t sign over rights. They knew if he got out he’d be able to take me away from them, and I’d of course know they’d lied. I swear, I never suspected they were lying. I never thought they’d do something so horrible to keep me from my dad. He may have been using recreational drugs, but years in jail has obviously got him clean. Can you imagine what it was like for him? I was too young to know what was going on, but he went to jail knowing my mom was gone and I was being torn away from him. How could they keep me from my own father? My God, how could I send him away without finding out the truth? My uncle accidentally pulled the trigger that night. He took them from me. He took my dad. Now he’s gone and I have no way to get in touch with him. I have no way to tell him I was wrong.”

  I pulled over the car and turned to look at her. “Callie, I talked to Brice, your
dad, earlier. He’s going to be at the cabin by the time we get home. He didn’t leave you. I don’t think he could.”

  “What?” The shock in her eyes, the sheer realization that he hadn’t given up on her, left her so relieved she buried her face into her hands and cried in relief. I rubbed her shoulder and waited until I knew she was okay before getting back on the road.

  She fell asleep shortly after, I figured from the stress of the day. When I pulled into the development I started to go to my place. Callie sat up and looked around. “I need to see him.”

  “You don’t want to wait? You have to admit, it’s been a long day. Why don’t you wait until morning?”

  “No. I need to do this. I already know what I want to say to him.”

  I couldn’t persuade her to change her mind. These two people had a second chance, and if she was willing to take a step toward reconciliation I refused to stand in her way.

  Chapter 16

  Brice

  I hadn’t gotten far before calling Patty. My heart wouldn’t let me leave either of them. I knew I’d have to remain local in order to make sure they were okay.

  I never expected her to ask me to come back. Keeping my job would solve so many problems. I had a roof over my head, and a steady income, not to mention a few people I’d consider friends.

  Pacing around anticipating Patty to return was nerve-wracking. I had no idea what it would be like to face her and hear about all the reasons I’d hurt her. I felt bad enough.

  Then there was Callie. How in the world would I ever be able to walk by her without it being brutally difficult? She didn’t want anything to do with me. I didn’t know it was possible, but I’m pretty sure I’d made things worse.

  Several hours later I heard someone knocking on the door. I went to greet Patty, prepared to pull her into my arms and reassure her that I hadn’t faked the way I felt about her.

  Standing on the other side of the door was Callie. She was alone, and it was obvious she’d spent a lot of time upset. Her eyes were blood shot and she looked so sad. “Callie.”

  “Can I come in?”

  “Of course.” I moved out of the way to give her room. “Is Patty with you?”

  “No. I asked her to stay behind. There are some things I need to say to you in private.”

  I had to prepare for the worst. As far as I knew my daughter blamed me for the loss of her mother. She was probably here to set boundaries so we didn’t cross paths very much.

  “Whatever you have to say, you need to know everything I did was to get back to you again. I know I went to extremes, but I don’t regret it. Knowing you were out there somewhere made me want to stay focused when I was away. Callie, I know you barely know me, but I’ve loved you from the moment I found out your mother was pregnant. Looking into your eyes reminds me of your mother. You’re everything she wanted you to be. You’re beautiful and smart, and even though you don’t think you’re good enough, baby you are. I’m so proud of the woman you’ve grown up to be.”

  My eyes were stinging, though I remained strong.

  Callie looked away, and then finally back to me. “I saw my uncle in jail today. I know they lied to me about you. I know he brought the gun into our house that night, and as I sat there listening to him I remembered something.”

  “What?” After all this time she remembered something about that night. I was almost afraid to ask.

  “You kept telling me it would be okay and that you’d fix it. They took me away, but I remember you saying that.”

  It took a lot for me to break down. This however, prevented me from having restraint. I reached out and touched her cheek to wipe away more tears. When she didn’t turn away disgusted I smiled. “Please forgive me for taking so long to get back to you. It wasn’t easy, but I never gave up.”

  Callie fell into my arms. She clung to me, crying against my chest. I kissed the top of her head and swore I’d never let go.

  When she finally pulled away she wiped her face as she spoke. “I don’t even know what to call you. Brice or Jason.”

  “Dad works for me.”

  She nodded and let out an air-filled laugh. “Okay.”

  I took her hand and squeezed it tightly. “Does this mean you’re going to give me a chance?”

  “You’re my father. For a long time I thought I was alone. I grew up thinking you were dead. If I watched you walk out of my life I’d never forgive myself. I’ve spent time with you since you’ve been here, and you’ve bent over backwards to keep me safe and make sure I was cared for. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so safe before.”

  “It’s my job. It’s what daddies are made to do.”

  She looked around the cabin before responding. “So I guess we’ll take one day at a time?”

  “Yeah. That sounds great.”

  “Oh, there was one other thing I remembered today. I guess I’ve always known, but today I felt it when I remembered you.”

  “What?”

  “I remember how much I loved my father. I remembered I was your special girl.”

  “You still are. If you want me to bounce you on my knee it will be awkward, but I’ll try it.”

  We both laughed. “I’ll pass on that, but I will require dinner a few nights a week, and every single holiday from now on.”

  We shook on it. “You’ve got a deal.”

  We hugged one more time before she stood up. While she was in my arms I reminded her of my promise. “It’s all going to be okay now, Callie. I promise.”

  I think she believed me. Nonetheless, I had my daughter back in my life. I didn’t know what my brother-in-law said to her. Maybe Callie remembered more of it on her own. It didn’t matter, because finally I wasn’t the criminal. I was the dad.

  Epilogue

  One year later

  Brice/Jason

  “Brice, you need to hurry up. Callie’s going to be here any minute.” Patty had worked all day cooking up a storm in honor of Callie graduating from cosmetology school. I’d helped her out with the cost, so she didn’t have to work while being in the program.

  The past twelve months seemed to go by so quickly. Before I knew it our time apart seemed like a distant memory. In the beginning it was hard to imagine us being the way we were when she was young. I couldn’t carrying her around on my shoulders and tell her bedtime stories. Callie didn’t need that kind of relationship, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t in desperate need of her father.

  I’d like to think we’d changed each other’s lives. Where we’d both lived apart for too long, now I saw her every day; told her I loved her as much as possible, and appreciated each time she said the same back to me. I’d like to think my ex-wife was looking down on us smiling, knowing we’d found our way back to each other. At last, it was something I was proud of; a promise I’d made to her each night while I’d been locked up.

  Patty had been a big part of mine and Callie’s transition from friends to family. She was a companion to me, and a friend to my daughter. For that reason I loved her, among others. I was lucky enough to have her love me back, flaws and all. She even overlooked the man I used to be, which happened to be very similar to the brother she’d walked away from. It took her a while, but she had reached out to her brother Joel. They visited a few times, but remained distance despite her efforts.

  I think, for Patty, being around me and my daughter helped mend a wound for her. The three of us had been alone, and now we had each other. We were a family.

  I never thought I’d be able to have that again.

  I walked over and kissed my girlfriend who was busy putting the finishing touches on a cake she’d baked. It was red velvet, Callie’s favorite. “Can I taste the icing?”

  “If you so much as stick a finger in the side I’d take you down, buster.”

  I laughed and backed away, taking heed to her warning. “Calm down. I can wait.”

  I stared at Patty from across the kitchen, admiring how sexy she looked in her jean shorts and little cooking ap
ron that tied around her back. With little precision needed, I latched onto the bow and pulled, releasing the back of it. She twisted around wide-eyed. “We don’t have time for that.”

  I kept pulling her by the fabric until she was in my arms. “There’s always time, babe. Come on. You know how much it turns me on when you set me in my place.”

  We’d been living in her trailer together for about six months now. Callie had taken over the cabin to give us more privacy. I still had the rent taken out of my check, so nobody was complaining about it.

  I’d be lying if I didn’t mention us having ups and downs. Callie didn’t blame me for what happened, but I think in some ways she ached for all that we’d missed. I understood, because it was the same for me. We’d been robbed.

  Patty giggled, placing her hands on my chest and lifting her lips to mine. “As much as I’d like to follow you into the bedroom and get you naked, I’m going to take a rain check, and you’re going to be okay with it, because it will be worth your while.”

  I stuck my hands into her back pockets. “I love it when you make me wait.” Taunting her made our playful banter even more interesting.

  A knock, followed by the door opening let me know my little girl had arrived. Patty and I separated to greet her, each one giving her a hug. “Hi, dad.”

  “Congratulations. How does it feel to have a career?”

  “I haven’t gotten the job yet. They said I’d know by the end of the week.”

  “You’ll get it. I know you will.” I didn’t doubt her skills. She’d been cutting my hair for the past year, and I had to say I was pretty impressed.

  “You’re my dad. You have to say that.”

  “Yeah, well, I mean it.”

  I watched her peek at her cake. She snickered and looked to Patty. “Is this what I think it is?”

  “Yep. Red Velvet.”

  “Oh my gosh. Can we skip dinner and just have dessert?”

  “No,” I replied. “Patty worked hard on dinner.”