“We’re not okay,” Angel whispered.
I gave him a tighter squeeze and nodded.
He leaned back until he could stare into my soul, or at least that’s what it felt like. There was some anger there, and pain, and… maybe hope. “Why didn’t you tell me? We could have shared a lot. It makes sense why Mom wasn’t exactly happy. We could have been close, Dad.” His voice climbed higher. “Why did you push me away?”
“I know. Some time… when there aren’t a bunch of people around. You saw the papers. I’ll… I’ll talk to you about it all.”
Angel gave me another hesitant hug. He stepped back, frowning around, almost like he hated the small crowd. His gaze landed on Laken. I caught his attention with a wave and gestured for him to join us, which he did with a grin.
“Who’s this?” Laken asked and stuck out his hand to Angel.
“Laken, this is my son, Angel. Angel, Laken. We were in jail together.”
Laken groaned. “Hell of an intro. You can leave that part off next time.”
Angel actually smiled as he shook his head, and I could have danced for joy. Uhlig stood with his hands shoved in his pockets, nodding at something Drew was saying to him, but he looked like he wanted to stomp over and toss me into the nearest garbage can when he glanced my way. Oddly, that didn’t make me unhappy in the slightest.
I nodded at Uhlig and his frown softened. I didn’t expect him to come say hello, and he didn’t disappoint me in that regard.
“Open your gift,” Angel said softly with the same excitement he’d always had over presents.
My stomach twisted and I tried to stay in the here and now and not wallow in all the things I’d never done right. I couldn’t go back in time with him, but we could move forward together.
Ripping the paper, I couldn’t help the excitement that came over me. I hadn’t had a present in a long time. “It’s a comic.” I frowned at the vibrant cover as it came into view. I finished tearing off the paper and drew my finger under the name at the bottom.Angel Blake Gaffin.
“You wrote this?” Baffled, I blinked up at him.
“And illustrated.”
It didn’t make me embarrassed the way it would have once to swipe underneath my eyes, because pride had put those tears there. “This is amazing. I didn’t… I didn’t know you wanted to do those things. You’re talented, huh?” I glanced down at the cover again. “Boy and His Bear: Falling Through Darkness? This is the second comic in the series?Sounds… uh… well, I’ll read it.”
Angel smiled and rolled his eyes. “Thanks. It’s an early printing for reviewers I got for free from my publisher. Sorry it wasn’t a real present.”
I stepped forward and hugged him again. He was solid and warm against me, and it felt good to have him barely hesitate to return the gesture. “It is a real present. You’re doing what you wanna do, now that you don’t need to worry about me?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s the best present,” I said and kissed his cheek. He let out a whiny groan and rubbed at the spot where I’d pressed my lips as he stepped back. His smile might be there, but it was frail, like it would take the first chance to be scared away. I promised myself, come hell or high water, it would be the work of my life to keep myself from ever making him sad again.
“Thank you, for this chance. I think that’s your biggest gift to me.”
Angel glanced away toward the water and his eyes were extra shiny. “I want to love you, Dad. Just… don’t make that difficult, and…. I never hated you. Not like you think. I just couldn’t take it anymore.”
I nodded. “I am well aware I don’t deserve this.”
He shrugged. “If you don’t ever do that stuff again, you do deserve it.”
Clearing my throat, I stared down at the comic in my hands and turned it around. He poked at my arm, a quick hummingbird movement that made me wonder how fast he would be in the ring if he ever got in one.
“I’m going to a thingy,” I said.
He poked me again and frowned when I glanced up.
“You know.” I sighed and stared out at the lake.
“No, I don’t know,” he deadpanned.
“A shrink.”
