I get up right away and drag Allison by the wrist.
“Hey, I was asking you-”
“My dad is carrying a bouquet of flowers.” I tell her, and she shuts up immediately.
We catch up to him pretty quickly without him noticing. He turns several times and scratches his head, like he’s nervous.
“Do you think he has a date?” I ask Allison, my gut feeling horrible.
Poor man, he deserves it, especially a good woman after the trainwreck that was my mother. My sister and I never saw him go on dates, and he rarely had female friends he talked about. Of course, I want him to be happy, but he’s my dad, you know? My only parents, and selfishly, I want him to stay mine and my sister’s secret super dad.
“I don’t know if we should be following him. If he has a date, he’ll tell me when it’s time.”
“Mads.” Allison stops in her tracks and points to an entrance. “Are your grandparents buried here?”
“No! My grandpa is buried in Jersey, and my grandma is very much still alive, you know that!” What a dumb question.
“Then why is your dad going to the cemetery?”
My eyes glue themselves to Mailview’s Cemetery entry, and my heart drops.
Deep down,I know. But I don’t really want to believe it.
40
It Can Get Worse
I walk in the cemetery, Allison glued behind me, creeped out by all the graves.
My eyes are glassy, and it doesn’t take long to find my dad, even though he doesn’t see us. We’re behind a small storage building that overlooks the grave where my dad is.
He starts talking, and I can hear it well enough.
“I miss you.” He exhales, putting the flowers down. My throat starts closing. “You don’t even know what has been happening lately. It’s like a story coming from Maddie’s romance books.” He chuckles, his voice unsteady. “She’s dating now. Our little girl.” Dad sniffles, taking his fingers to his eyes, and my head sticks to three words that he just proffered, confirming it.
Ourlittle girl.
No. That’s not possible. I shake my head, back to reality, repeating all over again in my head that there must be a logical explanation.
“She’s in love with Jake. Yes, Joey’s kid. I know, I didn’t believe at first, too.” He talks as if she is right there next to him and not beneath the ground. “That smartmouth did it.” He chuckles again, and his voice is broken. “He took my little princess, leaving me only with Lindsey, one of the most important girls in my life.” Pause. “Luckily, there’s not another Jake West to steal her from me, or I would be done. That boy knows what he’s doing, you know.”
My eyes aren’t focusing on anything anymore. He looks up and gulps, letting a tear fall down his cheek, and the silence takes hold of us, until.
“I really wish you were here, Sky.” His head falls forward, and my knees get weak.
Mom.
41
loml
John
1998
“Johnny!” I turn around to see Joey calling me, his arm around a pretty blonde. “Thought you’d never get here!”
I nod at him, and I can’t help but look around.
