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“I’m good. Are you free to talk?”
“For you? Always,” I say.
She passes by me, gives me a gentle smile, and goes to sit on the sofa. As she crosses, the familiar scent of her perfume washes over me, and I realize how much I’ve missed her. “It’s so good to see you,” I say. “About me and Tanya—I need you to know I ended things. I don’t know if you got my text.”
“I got it,” she says, looking at her feet.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” I say, again. “I need you to know that you’ll always come first.”
“That’s what I came about, Dad,” says Diane. “There’s something I need to tell you. Can you please come sit here?”
I go sit on the couch beside her. Diane pulls out her phone, and I watch her scroll through social media, liking and commenting on various posts. An awkward silence stretches between us, heavy with unsaid words.
Finally, I ask gently, “What’s up?”
She looks up from her phone. “I have something to show you.” Her cheeks flush slightly. “I came across this video online. It’s of a couple with an age gap, and people are arguing over their age difference in the comments.”
I try to keep my expression neutral and say, “What does the video show?”
“Here, see for yourself,” Diane passes me her phone.
On the screen is a video of me and Tanya sharing a kiss over dessert at our favorite Italian restaurant last weekend. My heart pounds in my chest at the idea of some random person happening to catch us on video and posting it online. I feel sick at how my daughter has witnessed this intimate exchange. Diane takes the video and pauses it.
“Dad…” Diane’s voice trembles. “Why didn’t you tell me about you and Tanya from the start?”
I rake a hand through my hair. I’m at a loss for words. “Diane, I’m so sorry you had to find out about us the way you did. I should have been honest with you.”
“You were dating my best friend,” she says in a quiet voice. “How long has this been going on?”
“A few months—” I hesitate, then add, “We were planning to tell you, but we didn’t know how you might react. Tanya was worried it might damage your friendship.”
“You should have trusted me enough to tell me the truth.” Diane stands up and walks to the window, staring out at the garden below. Her shoulders are stiff with hurt and betrayal.
“You’re absolutely right.” I approach her slowly, hating myself for putting that look on her face. “I’m sorry for keeping this from you. You deserved the truth, and I was wrong not to tell you.”
She turns to face me, her eyes bright with tears. “I just don’t understand why you didn’t think you could confide in me. I thought we didn’t keep secrets from each other.”
I pull her into my arms. I feel a flood of relief when she doesn’t push me away. “We don’t, and we shouldn’t. I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I was afraid, and I handled this all wrong. But that doesn’t excuse what I did. Can you forgive me?”
Diane’s silent for a long moment, then she nods against my chest. “I forgive you. But you have to promise to never keep secrets from me again.”
“I promise,” I say fervently. “No more secrets. I should have trusted you, and I won’t make that mistake again.”
She pulls back to look up at me. “Does Tanya make you happy?”
I smile, thinking of Tanya’s smile, her laughter, and the way she fits perfectly in my arms. “Yes, very happy.”
“Then I’m happy for you both.” Diane smiles tremulously. “But don’t think I won’t give Tanya a piece of my mind for not telling me either!”
I laugh in relief, drawing Diane close again. The ache in my chest has eased now that Diane and I have found our way back to each other.
“So, what’s up with the change of heart?” I ask, curious to know what’s gotten into my daughter.
“Here,” she says, returning me her phone with a new video in place. “Finish watching this on Lizzy Earheart’s account. She’s a popular social media influencer. An astrophysicist too!”
“Really?” I ask, taking the phone.
I see the same paused video of Tanya and myself sharing a kiss over dessert at our favorite Italian bistro last week. Before I can say a word, Diane hits play, and I’m confronted with a close-up of Tanya and me locked in a passionate embrace. The camera angle then widens to show the significant age difference between us. I brace myself for the vitriolic reactions and comments sure to come.
