Dad squeezed my shoulder. “I’m almost done. I’ll do the dishes if you make the tea.”
“Okay.”
I made us a pot of Genmaicha and we settled onto the couch for “Family Business,” which is about Quark’s mother earning profit even though it’s against the law for Ferengi females to do so.
“What do you think would happen if I started calling Mom ‘Moogie’?” I asked.
Moogie is what Quark called his mom.
Dad snorted. “I wouldn’t try it.”
When it was over, we sat on the couch together, drinking our tea. Dad had his arm wrapped around me.
“How’re you doing? Really?”
“Okay.” I chewed on my lip for a second. “Miss you.”
Dad nodded and sighed. He looked like he hadn’t shaved for a couple days, and now that I was sitting right next to him, I could see dark crescents under his eyes.
My father looked rumpled.
I didn’t know people could look rumpled.
“Dad? Are you okay?”
“Me? I’m fine. Tired.”
But there was this thing in his voice, this unquantifiable timbre that sent a chill down my spine.
I scratched the back of my neck.
Dad sighed again.
Stephen Kellner never sighed.
“It’s rough being on the road.”
He squeezed my shoulder.
“Being away from you all... it’s harder than I thought it was going to be. I would’ve turned this job down, but we need the money.”
Dad drummed his fingers against his teacup.
And then he sighed again.
“Sorry. I just... I’m having a bit of an episode right now. It’s going to be okay.”
“A depressive episode?”
He nodded.
“Can I help?”
Dad squeezed my shoulder again.
“No. I’ve got it under control, and I’ve been talking with Dr. Howell about upping my prescription.”
“I could ask Mr. Edwards for more hours. Or get a second job.”
