“No, Selene. Nothing like that. He’s never used drugs as far as I know.”
Well, at least there were some small virtues among the sea of flaws that, in just a short time, I’d already identified.
“He has much bigger problems, problems that go beyond a hangover or a habit. Fortunately, Neil’s been smart enough not to fall into that sort of thing, but I still want you to be careful with him. Don’t make me tell you again,” he warned, sipping his tea as he leaned against the marble counter.
I didn’t ask him any more questions and instead just let the subject drop. I had already figured out the kind of guy Neil was, and my father’s warnings only fortified the iron shield I’d need to face him someday. Especially now after everything that had happened between us.
Halloween.
Me. Jennifer. Him.
I was fixated on that perverse scene. I just couldn’t accept it.
All at once, anger rushed over me, and I hoped I’d never encounter him again. If tomorrow came and he hadn’t changed his mind, I probably wouldn’t ever see him again. There wouldn’t have been any further opportunities for us to come into contact with each other because I would be living in Detroit with my mother, and Neil would be in New York with my father.
Technically, we might have been required to see each other if our parents got married, but there were no plans for that. Thus, he and I were nothing; we led two separate lives, far away from each other.
Knowing that only made me more miserable, though, because deep down I really wished things were different. In my dreams, there was still the possibility of a second chance out there for us.
After we finished our tea, Matt and I decided to rewatch a movie I’d practically grown up with:Notting Hill. We’d actually found the DVD by chance in Grandma Lizzie’s old things, and it was my father who suggested we put iton because he knew that Julia Roberts had always been my favorite actress.
“You’ve been a romantic since you were a little girl,” he teased me, stretching out on the sofa.
“Or maybe I was just drawn in by Hugh Grant’s charm?” I made myself comfortable on the other sofa, curling up under a plaid blanket. My father had said that the heating system was fine, but, earlier that day, we’d discovered that it actually was barely hanging on. We’d have to bundle up with woolen blankets and heavy pajamas.
“Julia Roberts is also quite charming. People say she has the most beautiful smile in the world, but I think that’s crap,” he grumbled with a silly look on his face. I regarded him, tilting my head slightly to one side, and gave a thoughtful frown.
“Why is it crap?” I asked.
“Because the beauty of a smile is a subjective thing. For me, the most beautiful smile in the world belongs to my daughter,” he answered seriously, and I looked down before shifting my gaze to the movie. I tried to hide it, but the corners of my mouth curled up, and Matt must have seen because he immediately threw one of the pillows at my face, hitting me square in the nose.
I sat right up and glared at him while he pasted on an innocent look that made him seem more like a mischievous little boy than a man who was turning fifty.
A moment later, we both burst into laughter and then went back to watching the movie, only occasionally commenting on a scene. Matt dozed off about a half hour later, leaving me alone to thrill over elegant Anna and gentlemanly Will.
When the movie was over, I got up from the couch and took a look at Matt. He was fully dressed, but his shoulders were contracting involuntarily with little cold shivers. He’d left the blanket for me, so I picked it up and slowly draped it over him, careful not to wake him up. Matt grumbled something in his sleep, but, thankfully, he didn’t wake up.
I checked my watch: It was eleven-thirty, and, at the stroke of midnight, his birthday would be over. I hadn’t wished him happy birthday, nor had I given him anything beyond the gift of my company.
He’d said that was good enough for him, but, in that moment, I had awild idea.
I went into what used to be my grandparents’ bedroom and took a small wooden plaque out of one of the drawers. I grinned, knowing that I would find it there along with the wood-burning pen that my grandfather used for his hobby.
I moved to the kitchen and positioned myself at the kitchen island, then I thoroughly scrubbed the surface of the wood with a cloth so I could engrave words for Matt upon it. Maybe it wasn’t a grand gesture, but it was the sincerest gift I’d ever given anyone in my entire life.
So I tried to focus as I imprecisely drew three simple words: “Love, Life, Family,” along with my initials in the right corner of the plaque. Aesthetically, it wasn’t the best result because I’d never etched wood before. I’d done my best to mimic the technique I’d seen my grandfather use, but it would have taken a lot more experience before I reached his skill level.
I was sure, however, that my father would understand the symbolism of the gift. So I went over to him and put the little wooden plaque on the coffee table in the living room. He would find it when he woke up.
I was careful not to make any noise and, when Matt groaned something sleepily, I flinched and whirled around to look at him, hoping I hadn’t woken him up. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that he was still sound asleep and leaned in a little closer so I could adjust the blanket around his shoulders.
“Happy birthday,” I whispered into his ear, then I pressed a soft kiss to his cheek before fleeing back to my room, embarrassed by my own actions.
***
The next morning, I lingered in bed, curled up under the warm blankets.
I rubbed my closed eyes with the back of one hand and yawned noisily. I was just about to fall back to sleep when strange sounds started filtering in from the living room, and I realized that Mia had arrived.
