Danny snuggled close to her on the couch, and the two of them sat there, happy in the glow of the lights, and each other’s company.
‘Next step, a puppy,’ he grinned, and Holly nudged him playfully with her elbow.
31
The following morning began with Holly and Danny walking briskly to his school. Well, Holly was walking briskly; Danny was lagging behind her. She guessed that most kids got that way around this time of year: they knew time off was on the horizon and simply couldn’t bring themselves to bear another day of school.
‘Come on, Danny, you'll be late and I am not writing you an excuse note.’ She ploughed ahead without turning around; she was running late – again – so he would just have to keep up. She heard his grumbling a bit behind her, but when they approached the entrance to the school, he suddenly let out a whoop.
‘Dad?’
Holly felt all the blood rush to her face. There was Nick, bundled up in a puffy coat from The North Face, sitting on the steps of a building next to the school, a cigarette dangling from his lips.
Her heart pounding, she let Danny run ahead of her to give his dad a hug. Nick looked sheepishly at her over Danny's head, which was now buried in the puffy coat.
‘Really Nick, smoking? In front of an elementary school?’ Holly was not going to waste her time with formal hellos.
‘Oh sorry, I forgot.’ He stubbed out the cigarette and gave her the ‘are you happy now?’ look that she hated. It always made her feel like a nagging harpie.
‘So, what brings you here?’ she asked, her tone even.
‘Came to see my son, of course. Hey buddy!’ Nick punched Danny in the shoulder, who beamed widely. He was trying not to, but couldn't help it. Holly sighed, of course he was happy to see his dad; he always was. Problem was, of course, he'd be angry with his dad later when Nick let him down again.
‘Well, he's got to go in now – the bell rang, he'll be late.’ Holly pointed at the lines of children filing into the school building.
‘Aw, does he have to go today? I have a day off … ’ Nick watched her face darken and added quickly, ‘I know, I know, I should have called, I should have, but it was kind of a last-minute thing.’
Danny looked hopefully at his mother.
‘No way, absolutely not. He has tests this week, he can't make them up, he's got to go.’ She softened as she looked down at Danny. ‘Sorry, honey, but you know you've got to go.’
Nick scratched his head, ‘OK, how about after? Can I pick him up after class?’ His voice was getting a little tense.
‘Fine,’ she capitulated, and Danny jumped up and down, grinning.
‘Thanks, Mom!’ He gave her a kiss, and punched his dad in the arm. ‘See you later, three o'clock OK?’
Nick nodded and Danny sped down the street, just making it to the door as it started to close.
Holly studied Nick, trying to figure out where this newfound interest in Danny had come from all of a sudden.
‘What's going on, Nick?’
‘Nothing, just wanted to see Danny – you know, with the holidays and all.’
‘You know, to a ten year old, a birthday is considered a holiday,’ she replied icily.
‘Right, you're still mad about that, huh?’
‘I'm not mad for me, I'msadfor Danny.’ Holly started to walk away from him but then changed her mind. ‘And I'm sad for you too, Nick. You have no idea how you are going to be paying for this later, when he gets older and starts putting it all together.’
‘What? That I'm a shitty father?’
Holly pursed her lips and said nothing.
‘OK, I admit it, I'm not the best dad in the world, but I'm gonna try a little harder from now on. Is that OK with you?’
‘Why? Why now I mean?’ Holly knew him well enough to guess she was not getting the whole story.
