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As we prepared to leave, I found myself face to face with my dad by the front door. The tension between us was almost palpable, but he reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder, saying, “Listen, kid.”
There was that word again, that reminder of simpler times when I was still his little girl.
“I’ll never be able to undo the mistakes I’ve made or the moments I’ve missed,” he continued. “All the pain I’ve caused for you and Jamie. It’s my deepest regret. I hope you know that. You being here today has just been—” He stopped to swallow. “It’s been the highlight of my entire year. And I hope you come around again, because this has been really nice.”
I stepped forward to put my arms around him, and he enveloped me in an embrace that was nothing at all like our awkward hug when I’d first arrived. Everyone else standing around fell silent. With a shaky deep breath, I brought my mouth close to his ear and said, “It’s going to be hard for me to fully forgive you, but just give me time, okay?”
He squeezed me harder. “Take as long as you need.”
“I think I would like to come around more often.”
We let go of each other and my dad wiped a tear from his eye. “It would be wonderful if you could come for Christmas. You and Jamie both. We’ll have stocking for you regardless—it would be great if you’re here to open it.”
I nodded, pressing my lips together. Jamie wouldn’t go for that, but maybe I could. Maybe.
My dad turned to Mason. “We’d love for you to come, too—and your daughter.”
He and Mason shook hands. “Bringing her might be a little tricky, but I appreciate the invite.” He thanked my step-mom for a nice meal, even accepting a hug from her with a smile on his face.
And that was that.
The second we got in the car, I stared at Mason in stunned silence. “That went pretty well, huh?” he asked, shifting the car into drive and pulling away from the curb. He reached over and rested his hand on my thigh. “I’m so proud of you.”
“I’m just grateful you were there with me,” I said, letting out a deep exhale.
“Me too,” he said. When we pulled up to a stop sign, he lifted his hand to grab my wrist. I stared at him in confusion as he fiddled with my charm bracelet, twisting it around until he found a certain one. The mountains. “Hmmm.”
“What?”
“‘For the aesthetic,’ you told me.” And that was all that was necessary for him to say to get his point across. Goddammit, he was too good at figuring me out.
I jerked my wrist away from him and crossed my arms against my chest, hiding the charm I’d once tried to downplay the significance of. “Shut up.” Mason just laughed.
It was dark by the time we reached my house. Mason walked me up to the porch and wrapped his arms around me so tight I couldn’t lift my own arms to return the hug. All I could do was lean against him and let him have this. “Thank you, again, for being there for me today,” I whispered.
“Of course.”
“Can you stay for a little while?”
He pulled out his phone to glance at the time before turning back to me with a sorrowful look on his face. “I really can’t. I need to be home to tuck Finley in tonight. I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay.”
“It’s always going to be like this. I’m always going to have to run home to her. Fuck, I hate this. I’m so sorry.”
“Mason.” I grabbed the open flaps of his suede jacket and gazed into his eyes. “Don’t ever apologize for putting Finley first. I understand.” I kissed him on the cheek, just below his eye. Was it frustrating that we couldn’t be alone together that night? Of course. But it wasn’t like he didn’t have a good excuse. I couldn’t think of a better one, actually.
“You’re perfect,” he told me, his hands sliding down my hips. He rested his forehead against mine and we stayed on the porch just like that for a moment, enjoying each other’s silent company. And we would have held each other even longer if it hadn’t been for Daya yanking the front door open.
“Oh, sorry,” she said, moving past us with Titus tucked beneath her arm. “Didn’t know anyone was out here.”
Even in the darkness, her eyes looked red and blotchy like she’d been crying. “It’s fine,” I said, taking a step back from Mason. “Are you and Jamie okay?”
“There is no me and Jamie,” Daya muttered over her shoulder. And with that, she stepped down off the porch and got in her car before peeling away from the curb with Titus in tow.
I watched her car disappear down the street and turned to Mason, who was staring down at the porch with his hands in his pockets. “Yikes. Sounds like you probably need to go talk to your sister.”
“Yeah, I do,” I said, already feeling sick to my stomach. I hated it when Daya and Jamie fought, and this seemed like it might be more than that. This really could be the end.
