“Okay, you need more beer, and I sense a voyage of sorts,” Aaron declared in a hearty voice. He’d come to the rescue like the cavalry when I’d called him and told him what happened.
He’d been here since the previous night, had stayed with me just like every other time I’d needed him in my life: the time I stole my next-door neighbor’s car and crashed it, both times after I went to juvi…the night Olivia told me she was pregnant, the night of Aria’s birth…the day I realized Olivia would die, and the day it happened.
Here was my best friend again, helping me the best way he knew how.
“Voyage?” I replied, trying to sound enthusiastic but failing.
I stared ahead through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the sitting room, just looking at the sea. Evening was approaching again. The scenery was painted with those soft colors the onset of sunset brought, the ones Brooke liked so much.
“Yep. What if we took a week off and went somewhere?”
“Where?” I was simply talking and not really knowing what I was saying, just responding to his questions. It was better than sitting in silence.
“Mexico. We don’t have to sail there. That would be awesome, but it would take forever. We could just go on vacation. Heck, we could go somewhere in Europe.”
I looked at him and realized he was just talking too, throwing ideas at me to see what interested me the most.
“Maybe we should focus on the new cases first then go somewhere after that.” I was trying.
“Don’t think about work.”
“It’s better if I do, bro.”
Work was the only thing that would keep me sane right now—the prospect of the busy period Christmas would bring, people stealing stuff and all kinds of shit like that. The station was always busy in December, guaranteed.
If I said that to Brooke, she’d definitely make some joke about me being a cop. I needed to forget that she would do that. Like she’d said, it would be better if I did.
“No. Look, I’m gonna grab more beer, and some wine, maybe that stuff we knocked back at my sister’s wedding.”
The poor guy must have needed a break from me. “Okay, get the beer and wine.”
Aaron got up and gave me a look of encouragement before he left.
I thought I was by myself until I heard the shuffle of footsteps. I looked behind me and saw Aria coming into the room, bringing me a mug of hot cocoa.
I smiled when I saw it. The thing was covered in whipped cream and marshmallows with chocolate sprinkles.
“Yay, you smiled.” She beamed.
I’d told her what had happened with Brooke the night before.
“I am smiling.”
She sat in front of me and held my gaze. “Have you ever thought of asking her to stay? Or maybe just telling her how you feel?”
I laughed at that. “It wouldn’t make a difference, and I respect that.”
“Dad, I appreciate and respect that you’re saying what you think you should say, but I’m old enough to know that’s not how you feel. I’m seventeen now.”
Seventeen. I’d only just gotten used to her being sixteen, and then she’d gone and turned seventeen.
“How do you think I feel?”
“A hundred times worse than me.” She nodded. “But me seeing Brooke is different than you seeing Brooke.”
“It sure is.”
“Will you get her a gift?” she asked tentatively.
