I had a snappy comeback about how he got to keep his favorite son, but I had to meet the man halfway. “There was no way I could continue on like nothing happened. I couldn’t sit across the table from them without wanting to choke them both.”
Dad took another long drink of water. “I know, and I had no right to ask it of you.”
“Why the change? Why apologize now?”
“I know you think it’s because of the cancer, and it is in part, but I’ve always known I was wrong. I’ve always missed having you here and hearing your voice.” His chin wobbled, and a tear slid down his face. I rubbed a hand over my face to keep from doing the same. “I was a stubborn fool who thought you’d miss us and make the first move. How stupid is that?”
“I did miss you and Mom.”
“Staring down death made me realize how foolish I was, and I didn’t like the person I saw in the mirror. I don’t mean because I’m skinny and bald now, I’m talking about my soul. It was ugly and mean. If my time was up, I didn’t want to meet my maker without trying to patch things up between us. If nothing else, I wanted to give you the apology you deserved.”
“Dad, I don’t know what to say.”
“You just said a lot right now.” I looked at him in confusion for a minute until I realized I’d called him Dad. “If you ever call me Jack again, I will take a switch to your ass.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Tell me about your life, Elijah. I want to hear about your new job as a detective in a small town. Your mother and I hated you working as an undercover cop in Columbus. We worried about you every damn day. Tell me about your Freckles. That’s what your mother said you call her.”
I spent the next ninety minutes talking to my dad about my life and all the ways it had changed over the last six months. I told him about Adrian, Gabe, and the rest of the police force. He got a big kick out of the missing chickens and my idea for a sting operation. He laughed until he coughed then laughed until he cried. Mostly, I talked about Maegan. He got a twinkle in his eyes when he heard about how we met. Dad had always liked feisty women, and Maegan was the feistiest I’d ever known.
Mom called us into dinner, and I wasn’t sure if I should offer to help him up. I didn’t want to step on his pride, but I hated to see him struggle. I waited patiently while he pushed against the armrests of his recliner, but it appeared as if the chair didn’t want to relinquish him. I extended my hand, and he stared at it for a few seconds before accepting my offer. I gently closed my hand around his and helped him up. His frailty and bony hands made me want to cry, but I held it together for him.
Dad sat at his usual spot at the head of the table and Mom sat at the foot like normal. Maegan and I sat between them on one side, with Maegan next to Mom and me beside my dad. Mom’s pot roast was every bit as delicious as I remembered, and I asked Maegan if she found out why my mom’s roast tasted different than everyone else’s.
“I sure did,” Maegan said. “I also got her recipe for these homemade dinner rolls.”
“I can’t wait to be your guinea pig while you try the recipes,” I said, tucking into another bite.
“Maegan,” my mom said. “Elijah told me you bought a historic home with a resident ghost.”
Dad snorted. “Elijah doesn’t believe in ghosts, Bren.”
“I do now, Dad.” That got his attention. “Tell them all about Anthony, Freckles.”
“I’m not sure what I’m allowed to reveal right now,” Maegan said. “The story might appear onThe Paranormal Whisperer,and I’ve signed a non-disclosure agreement.”
“Oh my,” Mom said. “We wouldn’t want you to tell us anything you’re not allowed to.”
“Why don’t I tell you what’s already been made public then you can see the conclusion for yourselves on the show.”
“That sounds fair,” Dad said, leaning forward and propping his elbow on the table. Mom never permitted any of us, including him, to prop our elbows on the table. It was a sign of how much they’d been through the last few months while he underwent chemo treatment.
Maegan wove the tale of Anthony Bliss establishing the town and starting a new life, hoping to outrun the curse on the Bliss family. She talked about how progressive her hometown used to be, and how Anthony and his good friend, Wallace Bennington III, helped make it happen. My mom and dad held onto her every word as she talked about Anthony’s sudden and unexplainable disappearance.
“The other fella disappeared too?” Dad asked.
“Well, he sold all of his holdings and moved to San Francisco. I don’t think anyone in the town ever looked for him after that.”
“I have a theory,” my dad said. “I bet those two fellas ran away together.” I nearly choked on my hunk of roast. “What? You think I’m out of touch. You think I wasn’t aware I served in Vietnam with men who were attracted to other men? It never bothered me beyond they had to pretend to be something they weren’t. That’s the unnatural part if you ask me.”
“I’ve never heard you talk like this,” I said. Had I mentioned to Mom that Maegan’s twin was a gay man? I was certain I hadn’t.
“Did you ever hear me say mean or nasty things about gays and lesbians while you were growing up?”
“No,” I admitted.
“Parents didn’t talk openly to their kids about things like that back then.”
