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“Tell me!”
“I saw everything vanish—our people, our history, our languages—everything gone, and then I saw you gone, along with Jake, because of my malice. It was all my fault, and like Tara, I died alone with your nihú?’s soul damning me to an eternity alone, too.”
His breath hitches, shame and grief warring across his face.
He stares at me with pain etched in his dark gaze, and I want to ease his suffering.
“Até, you’ve never failed our tribe, but you did fail. By not supporting me unconditionally, I’ve been left to navigate this world on my own—alone. What you and Tara fear was my reality. Bash and Jake are the only ones who accept me. They are the sunshine to my darkness.”
My vision blurs with tears, and my father’s shoulders shake.
Before I can react, he pulls me fiercely into his arms, his proud form wracked with gut-wrenching sobs.
“Forgive me, please forgive me, chu?kší.”
Chu?kší—my daughter.
After a long moment, we separate while até wipes his cheeks.
“I forgive you.”
“You’re just like nihú?, as beautiful, too. You have her smile.”
“So does Jake.”
“He’s pretty spectacular. Perhaps I can prove myself to you—that I can be the father you need—and in time, I can be Jake’s thu?kášitku.”
My gaze travels across the room to my son, and my heart squeezes at his sweet courage.
“Chi?kší, this is thu?kášitku —your grandpa.”
“Is he the one who told you about Iktomi?”
“Sure is.”
“Oh wow, can he stay for dinner and then tuck me in to tell me more stories?!”
Até stares, his eyes round in shock at the innocent invitation.
It occurs to me that my father is far from our home on the reservation.
“Do you have a place to stay?”
“I’ll get a hotel. Don’t you worry about me. You need your space, but maybe…maybe I can come for dinner tomorrow night? I want to learn more about you and Jake.”
“Ooo, can we get a cake—please?!”
Laughter bubbles up inside of me, and I reach over to give him a quick hug.
“Why do we need a cake?”
“To celebrate our family! I got a grandpa and a daddy now! Oh, and your lady friend?”
Tara bites her lip.
“I’m just an old acquaintance of your mom’s. I’m not sure she wants me to come to dinner.”
Her gaze drinks in Jake, and I realize she’s internalizing that this is her son.
