“I don’t really get to be the overprotective father and give him a hard time.”
“You can, I don’t mind.”
Again, we both looked at Trooper who stood this time and joined us.
“Looks like I need to be over here to see what y’all are talking ’bout, especially since you keep looking at me with that goofy ass grin.” He kissed my cheek and my father laughed.
“I told her I’m going to give you a hard time about getting her pregnant.”
Trooper laughed and shook his head. The three of us spent the next few hours catching up. I saw a different side of Trooper. The way he interacted with my father helped me see parts of him that he had yet to even expose to me.
The bond they shared was touching. It made me a little jealous because Trooper had something with my father I didn’t have. It wasn’t his fault, so I tried not to let it get to me, but it was clear the two were close and cared for each other.
Seeing it made me want that with my father. In just a few hours of being around him, I missed the life I wasn’t allowed to have with the man who’d helped create me.
“I’m glad you came.” My father smiled admirably at me as we stood to say our goodbyes. “This is no place for someone like you and I don’t want you to come back, but I’m glad you came.”
“It’s no place for you either.”
He chuckled and stepped around the table to hug me. He held on longer than he should have but no one bothered to speak on it. Throughout the day, plenty of people had been threatened about contact, but when my father hugged me, it was as if no one bothered to acknowledge.
“Maybe not, but I have to be here. You don’t. You can call or write, but I don’t want you to come back here.” My father’s eyes left me and went to Trooper.
He wanted Trooper to agree to make sure I wouldn’t be back. I saw him nod as the two silently communicated.
I had no plans of adhering to that, but I would have that conversation with Trooper when we left. I had so much lost time and didn’t care my father didn’t want me to come there and see him. It wasn’t his choice.
“What do you want to eat?” Trooper asked as soon as we entered the city again. I hadn’t even realized we'd spent all day there, and all I had was the banana and yogurt I ate before we left the house that morning. It was almost five.
“You choose.”
“You okay?” Trooper asked, again searching my expression like my answer would be different from the three other times he’d asked since we left from visiting my father.
“I will be if you stop asking me that.” I grinned and he returned a smile.
“I’m just asking because you’re quiet.”
“Today was a good day. Thank you for that, and I’m fine, so stop asking me.”
“Long as you’re good.”
“You’re different when you’re with him.”
Trooper shot me a curious look. “Different how?”
“I don’t know, more relaxed and open. Just different.”
Trooper chuckled as he pulled into a parking space along the curb across from the restaurant where I assumed we would eat.
“I’m always the same.”
“You’re really not, though,” I said after Trooper helped me out of the truck and shut the door. “He’s more your father than mine.”
Trooper stopped before we started toward the restaurant. “Does that bother you?” I could tell he knew the answer even before he asked, but still waited for me to answer.
“A little, but not like you think. It just makes me a little sad.”
“Don’t be. He loved you even when he was away from you.” Trooper kissed my forehead and took my hand to lead us inside.
