“You’re gonna freeze. You need some insulatin’ up here,” she says. “Thank goodness your hair has grown in. That was sweet of all you boys to shave your heads with Everett, but you need the hair, doncha know.”
I snort. “Thanks, Gran. Let’s hope I don’t go bald then…since you don’t think I have the face for it.”
She shakes her head dismissively but also doesn’t correct me about the face. “You’ve got good hair genes on either side. That hair’s not going anywhere.”
Kevin barks, and we all look at each other. Goldie rushes into the other room.
“They’re pulling into the driveway,” she calls.
“Oh, Dylan, can you help me move the Crock-Pot real quick?” Grandma Nancy asks.
“Of course.”
I hear Dad’s voice as I walk out of the kitchen, and Tully is coming out of the bathroom at the same time.
“Did I hear Goldie say they’re back?” he asks.
“Yep, they’re home.”
We walk into the living room, and I hug Dad hard and then Camden.
“You look awfully happy, Dylan,” Dad says. “Did you have a good flight?”
I remember the last several flights I’ve had with Dahlia and grin. They only know about this trip, though.
“I actually had the best flight I can ever remember having,” I say.
Camden stares at me. “Sounds like you met someone.”
I can’t help it when my smile grows. “You could say that.”
Thankfully, the attention turns to how much better Dad’s looking, so I don’t walk myself into a hole that I can’t get out of.
“You really do look great, Dad,” I say as we walk into the dining room.
“I feel better every time I see you kids,” he says. “The best medicine.” He puts his arm around my waist and studies me. “You’re looking really great too, son. You’re always a little too handsome for your own good, but…” He whistles and shakes his head. “Tonight, you have got it going on.”
I laugh. “Well, thanks, I think.” I make a show of looking my clothes over. “I guess I’ll have to wear this outfit more often.”
“If that’s all it takes, you need to tell me where you shop.” He pats my back and then reaches up to pat my cheek. “Love you, son. Thanks so much for being here.”
“I love you too, Dad. Of course. I’m glad to be home. I miss everyone so much.”
“If only we had bigger waves, huh?”
I chuckle and wait for him to walk in front of me into the kitchen. “Even the waves aren’t enough to keep me there.”
He looks at me over his shoulder and grins. “Now, that is love. I know how obsessed you are with surfing.”
I grin at him. He’s not wrong. My first time on a surfboard felt like I’d finally found my thing—what I was good at, what I truly loved and could see myself focusing on for the rest of my life, in one way or another. But family comes first.
It’ll be hard to leave my shop behind, and maybe one day I can be in both places…but I feel at peace about the move.
It will take time to get here, but the months will go by fast.
And now that I’ve met Dahlia, I know I’ll want to be here even more.
After dinner and hanging out with the fam until Dad’s yawning, I go to bed earlier than usual, claiming I’m tired from a long day of flying. With it being two hours earlier in California, I’m surprised no one’s questioning me on it, but I think they’re genuinely tired.
