When the Boston game ended, Nick and I took that as our que to leave.
Sav promptly got up to walk us to the door, and Mr. Callahan nodded his head at Duke and whispered, “Follow them.”
I was kind of relieved about that. Nick wouldn’t get a shot with Savannah if Duke was standing right there. With just me, I was sure Nick would still try to snipe an opportunity with her… But Duke would shut that down.
_______
When we got back to our apartment, it felt much smaller and quieter than usual after spending time at the Callahan’s. It hadn’t felt like our place was missing anything up until then. But now I was realizing that the little family pictures showing the Callahans at various ages placed around their house really meant something. Our place was missing the homey touch that their place had.
When we flipped the lights and laid down on our beds that were across the room from each other, I was still wired.
I stared up at my ceiling, wondering how much different life would be if I had a dad more like Mr. Callahan than mine.
“Hey, Nick…that was weird right?” I asked him.
I heard his bed creak as he turned to face me from across the room. “It was wild, man, I’ll tell ya that. Guess that’s how the other half lives, eh?”
That was true. I couldn’t fully speak for him, but that was definitely the nicest house I’d ever been in. But that wasn’t necessarily what my brain was stuck on… I couldn’t get over how Mr. Callahan talked to his kids.
“How bad is it that it made me kinda jealous?” I asked him.
He let out a chuckle. “Ah, Griffy Boy, well, if it’s bad, then fuck me too. I felt the sameway.”
I paused a beat before asking my next question. It’d been on my mind a lot lately, and Nick was the only one I’d talk to about it. He always had good things to say about our futures. “You think you’ll have kids?” I asked.
He moved to lay on his back and folded his arms behind his head. “I mean, I want ‘em. But I don’t think wanting guarantees anything. I also want to play in the NHL. I also wanna go skate at that cool outdoor rink in Vienna…Doesn’t mean I’m gonna get to. Hope I do though.”
I sighed. That wasn’t the optimistic answer I thought I’d get from him, but it madesense.
“I want kids. I think I’d want girls,” I admitted quietly.
“Really?” His eyebrows shot up as he looked at me. “Why?”
I smirked. “I dunno. Girls are more special than us,” I relented.
“Aw Griffy! You’re special; you’re special to me!”
I threw my water bottle at him. “Dumbass.” I was trying to be serious, of course he would make fun of me. It was a soft thing to say I guess, but that’s how I really felt.
“They just are. I can’t explain it,” I told him.
But maybe I could explain it- maybe it was just that Sav was special. Not girls in general. Another thought crossed my mind then though…
“Like what if my dad had a daughter? That would suck for her so bad.” All he cared about was beer and hockey. I guess she could’ve played too, but something tells me that my dad, being the chauvinistic ass that he was, wouldn’t have even supported her.
No. Girls were special. And they needed good dads.
Like Savannah’sdad.
He seemed like a solid dude.
Maybe one day I’d get the chance to ask about math tests…
“I think I’d be a good girl dad. Maybe. I dunno. I’d like to be,” I said in the dark, more to myself thanNick.
We were both quiet then.
“I think I’m in love,” Nick sighed.
