When he was a kid, his father would often take him to the movies when they lived in Moose Falls. It was how Caleb had developed his love of all things Hollywood at an early age. Red had been a big fan of classic movies likeThe Wizard of Oz,Blazing Saddles, andChinatown. He had even taken his son to seeThe Godfatheronce, which had become Caleb’s favorite film. They had tried to keep it a secret from Daisy due to the onscreen violence, a fact that made him laugh out loud whenever he thought about it. Like a true bloodhound, his mother had found out anyway and laid into Red something fierce. To this day, he remembered the feeling of sitting in the darkened theater and watching the drama unfold. Red had given him a window into the world of make-believe and he’d loved it.
The classic being shown this evening at the theater was a movie calledCarmen Jones, another gem, featuring Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandridge. They were Black actors from the 1950s who had made a splash in Hollywood with their good looks and talent. Caleb had seen the movie on numerous occasions, but watching it on a big screen like this never got old. It was cool being able to spot new details he’d never noticed before. The movie was based on the operaCarmen, which he’d once seen in New York City, and he’dnever realized that the two main leads had their singing voices dubbed.
“Large popcorn, right? It comes with free refills,” Red asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
“I’ll never say no to movie popcorn with lots of butter on it,” Caleb said. “And a soda. Need something to wash it down with.”
“You and your popcorn,” Red said, chuckling. “I used to have to buy one just for you because you didn’t want to share.”
He laughed along with Red. “Believe it or not, I remember that,” Caleb said. “Those movie outings were the best. Probably some of the most memorable moments of my childhood. That’s when I fell in love with cinema.”
Red looked sheepish. “I’m glad that I could give you that at least.”
An awkward silence stretched between them. Caleb didn’t know what to say. Was this his father’s way of acknowledging his deficits as a father and the fact that he hadn’t been around? He kept his mouth shut rather than disputing Red’s comment. He hadn’t told any lies. Love of cinema was one of the major things he’d passed on to Caleb. They both knew there should have been so much more.
They headed into the theater and immersed themselves in the movie for the next two hours. There weren’t many places on Earth that Caleb felt more comfortable. The reclining seats and the heady smell of popcorn wafting through the theater. The hush in the air just as the movie began to play. Every single time it gave him a rush.
When the final credits rolled, Caleb wanted to stand up and cheer in the darkened theater. As the lights came on, he and Red exchanged a look that signified their deep appreciation of the film. No words were needed between them.When it came to cinema, they had always been on the same wavelength.
“Dinner at my place? I have some chicken, collards, and black-eyed peas that I made earlier. And some cornbread. Enough to feed a small army,” Red said, a hopeful expression on his face.
“Say less. I never turn down collard greens,” Caleb said, his stomach grumbling. Red had always had a way around the kitchen. Bittersweet memories of his parents cooking together flashed in his mind. At one point their home had been a happy one.
Caleb followed his father to his house, which was the same family home they had all lived in during their years in Moose Falls. The ranch-style home had been the perfect size for their family of five. He couldn’t help but wonder why Red had held on to the house all these years. Perhaps he was way more sentimental than Caleb realized. Perhaps he’d built up this image of Red based on his past actions that wasn’t necessarily accurate.
Once they were inside, Caleb helped Red heat up the food and gather their plates and utensils. They sat down in the kitchen, forgoing the dining room, since it was just the two of them. Caleb had worried things would be awkward between them because they really hadn’t hung out alone. Red had hosted him and his brothers for dinner, but Xavier and Landon had helped to make things less tense. So far they were vibing really well together. Red told such interesting stories, and due to his travels, he knew a lot about the world that Caleb hadn’t yet experienced.
“If you get the chance, explore Bali and Ireland and Vietnam. There are so many corners of the world to check out,” Red gushed. His entire face lit up with excitement, to the point he almost resembled a little kid.
“Sounds amazing,” Caleb said. “As soon as I can, I’d love to see the world.”
Sophia would also love an opportunity to travel. She would be over the moon taking pictures of incredible sights like the Taj Mahal or Stonehenge. Maybe an African safari or the fields of lavender in Provence. He could picture seeing the world with her, with Lily in tow. A wistful feeling swept over him. Although it would be nice, was it realistic? She had a life in Moose Falls raising her little girl and doing all the responsible things that came with motherhood. And he had to keep his eye on the prize—a career in show business or bust.
Now that he had Red’s full attention, Caleb needed to broach a sensitive topic with him. Hopefully, his father would be receptive and it wouldn’t put a damper on the evening.
“Can I ask you something?” Caleb leaned across the table.
Red pushed his plate away and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Ask me anything. I’m an open book.”
Caleb hesitated. This wasn’t an easy topic to broach with his father. A huge divide stood between them despite a recent thawing due to their return to Moose Falls. There were just too many things Caleb was still confused about.
“I’ve got some questions that have been weighing on me. What went down with the two of you? Did you cheat on my mother? Is that why she left Alaska with us?” The words tumbled off his lips before he could second-guess the wisdom of bringing up this topic.
Red looked at him with an air of complete bewilderment, his mouth hanging open. “Wh-what? You cannot be serious. Why would you ask me something like that?”
“Because of the way she left with us and never cameback. Plus, she shuts down our questions whenever we’ve asked.”
“I see that you’ve been stumbling around in the dark about this,” Red said, running a hand over his face.
He shrugged. “We’ve had to fill in the blanks ourselves. We were kids, and no one told us anything, although we witnessed a lot of arguments and felt the tension in our household.”
Red splayed his hands on the table. “Listen to me, son. I would never have stepped out on your mother. She was the most magical, brilliant person I had ever encountered in my life. I was shocked she even went out on a date with me, let alone agreed to marry me.” He let out a brittle laugh. “She was like a shooting star in the night sky.”
“So you really loved her?” Caleb asked. Even as he spoke, Caleb already knew the answer. Although the memories had faded over time, he knew his parents had loved each other deeply.
“Absolutely. Madly. Profoundly. There’s never been another.” He thumped his chest with his palm. “I take the blame for all of it. I wasn’t present. I took her for granted, and I didn’t appreciate the beautiful life we’d made and the family we created.” He let out a tortured sigh. “Whenever problems came up, I vanished, physically and emotionally.”
Caleb was shocked to see tears in his father’s eyes.
