I laughed, and it felt so good. My brother and his growing family had moved to the DMV area months ago and I’d missed his face. I glanced over at my parents, who were huddled together on the couch, giggling like they were newlyweds and not getting ready to celebrate forty years of marriage next year. The example they’d set for us had been invaluable. My father was proof that redemption was possible, that a person could rise from the ashes and thrive. And my mother had taught us the importance of forgiveness. Dad’s addiction could have destroyed them, but they’d overcome the adversity and were happier than ever. Good thing, because I wouldn’t be here if they weren’t able to make it work.
I walked over to my parents and squeezed in between them. My mom giggled. “Babe, what are you doing?” She patted my thigh. “Shouldn’t you be preparing to throw your next gutter ball?”
“Oh!” I said. “You got jokes too, Mommie?” How are you gone do me like that?”
Dad chuckled. “Girly-girl, I don’t understand how you’ve been bowling your entire life and can’t even knock down eight pins.”
I rested my head on my father’s shoulder and watched Courtney pick up a spare. “I just think the awesome bowler gene skipped me.”
“You just need to practice. After the holiday, we’ll come back. Just me and you.”
I kissed his cheek. “Thank you.” My watch buzzed and I glanced at it. My seventh date should be arriving momentarily. According to Courtney, he was her colleague’s brother and a pilot, which was kind of intriguing. This time, she’d sent a pic and I approved. Still, I couldn’t help but wish it would be Maddox. Yesterday at the coffee shop, I realized I liked being around him, even when we were just sitting next to each other, even if he was teasing me. He made me laugh. And, damn, he made me horny. His mere presence sent my body into overdrive.So why can’t I accept his invitation?
“What’s wrong, babe?” My mother asked, brushing a hair from my forehead. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I lied. “Just thinking.”
“About your date?”
My eyes widened and I glanced at my mother. “You know about the date?”
“We know about all ten of the dates?” Dad replied.
I bit down on my bottom lip, curious what they thought of this experiment. “Any advice?”
Dad chuckled. There was something about my father’s laugh that made me feel safe, secure. Growing up, we’d spent a lot of time doing fun things—impromptu trips to the amusement park, drive-in movies with buttery popcorn, swimming lessons. Sometimes we’d just sit on the patio drinking his favorite pop, Dr. Pepper. When he’d shared his story with me years ago, I couldn’t imagine him as an addict because he’d always been so strong, so confident, so dependable. But he’d been very candid about his shortcomings, and because he’d always been truthful with me, I’d vowed to return the favor.
My mother stood. “My turn. A kiss for good luck?” She winked at my dad.
Dad pulled her down on his lap and kissed her. “You don’t need it, LaLa. You’re actually good, unlike someone we both know and love.”
“Hey!” I nudged him with my shoulder.
They kissed again and my mother stood and went to take her turn. My father wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “Want to know what I think, Girly-girl?”
I peered up at him and nodded. “Of course.”
“I think you have to let go of your pain before you can find your forever.”
The tears welled up in my eyes fast, and before I could stop them, they fell. “Oh damn,” I cursed.
He dabbed my cheeks with a handkerchief. “It’s okay to cry. You’ve spent a lot of time holding it in.”
“Why did…?” My voice cracked. “How do I do that?”
“Open your heart, purpose to forgive—him and yourself. You’ll be surprised how good it feels to be free of that burden.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and more tears spilled onto my cheeks. “I knew he wasn’t right, Dad. Everyone told me not to marry him. And I thought I knew best. How can I trust that I won’t make the same mistake again? How do I know I won’t fall for some man’s bullshit all in the name of love?”
“You won’t,” he said. “And it’s okay. Baby girl, your experience shapes your future. Without the hurt, without the disappointment, you wouldn’t be Sloane Wilson of Sloane Interiors. You wouldn’t have worked so hard to get where you are. I’m proud of you. I’m proud of the woman you are. You should be, too, because you’re amazing.”
I groaned. “See what you did.” I wiped my eyes. “Why are you like this?”
He barked out a laugh. “Time, Sloane. I wasn’t always this introspective. I hurt your mother so much. But what I came to realize? The true test for me was being able to forgive myself for hurting her. Once I’d done that, I was able to love her the way she deserves to be loved. You’ll get it eventually. I will tell you this, though… You won’t figure it out in twenty minutes—and a shot.”
I sucked in a deep breath and stood. Dad had given me great advice, and I loved him for it. I kissed his brow. “Thanks, Daddy. I should probably fix my makeup before my date.”
“I say you cancel the date and work on your game.”
I giggled. “Not a chance. Right now, it’s more about the principle than the actual date.”
He shook his head. “Whatever you say.”
I squeezed his shoulder and made my way toward the restrooms, replaying the conversation in my mind over and over. A huge part of me knew this date would be a bust too. I didn’t want to meet the pilot. I didn’t want to have a shot with anyone else. I wanted to havedinnerwith Maddox.
I did a quick touch-up in the restroom mirror, fixed my clothes, and headed toward the bar intent on getting this date over so that I could text Maddox. But when I rounded the corner, I stopped in my tracks because not only was the pilot sitting at the bar, so was Maddox.Perfect, albeit peculiar, timing.
