He exhaled on the other end, like he was choosing his words carefully.
“I did what I felt I had to do in that moment. Not because I wanted to hurt you… but because I couldn’t let that stand. You might not get it right now. But one day, you will.”
His tone softened slightly.
“I can’t be there tonight. I can’t explain everything the way I want to. I gotta lay low for a while until things settle. That’s just how this has to go.”
I still said nothing.
“But you need to know something, Rory.” His voice dropped, “I love you. Everything I do… even when you don’t agree with it… it’s for you.”
Silence.
“You hear me?”
I swallowed hard, my throat tight. “Did you…”
The words stuck and I couldn’t even finish the question.
Not over the phone.
I closed my eyes for a second, steadying myself before asking the only thing that mattered.
“Did you… tell Marlon goodbye?”
There was a pause on the other end.
“…one day,” he said. “When you have kids of your own, you’ll understand. You think you got it all figured out, but you don’t. But when you do, I’ll be waiting for you with open arms.”
Oh God.
“I don’t give a damn why you did what you did!” I yelled. “I don’t care about what happened in the past or before I was born or anything like that! All I care about is being happy.”
I took a breath before it all broke in me.
“And I was…very…very happy.” My grip tightened on the phone. “And if you took that from me?—”
“Princess.”
“No,” I cut in. “We all have to live with our mistakes and decisions, Dad.”
I swallowed, my chest tight but my voice not breaking.
“I hope you can live with yours.”
And then I hung up.
By the timethe last guest left, I didn’t even remember saying goodbye.
I just moved through the motions.
Thanks for coming!
Hope to see you soon!
Safe drive!
We’ll be in touch!
