Page 7 of Point of Contact

Trevor could see Tori looking over at them, her face anxious, and he forced himself to step away, giving Riley’s cheeks one more hard pat. Like it or not, he had to share Riley’s time, and he should go before he fell apart.

“Go say goodbye to your friend,” he said firmly. “And keep me posted as much as you can. I gave you those calling cards, right?”

Riley nodded. “Yeah. We’ll be in Italy until we get the word we’re going downrange. It could be a week, could be a month, don’t know. I’ll call when I can. I promise.”

Trevor swallowed, his voice sounding hoarse as he said, “Take care of yourself, Riley. I love you.”

“Love you, too, Dad,” Riley replied, his own voice husky with emotion. “See you.”

“See you.”

Riley walked over to Tori and put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him, crying, and a wave of sadness moved through Trevor, replacing the resentment. A fledgling relationship with no chance to get off the ground, one that would wither under the strain of separation and silence. In different circumstances, would he be looking at his future daughter-in-law right now?

Riley had an air of tender protectiveness about him as he soothed her, and Trevor couldn’t help but think how mature he seemed, a boy on the verge of manhood. Maybe the Army was doing him some good after all, honing off all those rough edges.

He really was a good kid. An indifferent student who would rather socialize than study, he’d barely squeaked through high school, after that working a series of dead-end jobs in fast-food restaurants and mall stores. One failed community college class followed, and Riley had broken that particular news to him one night, visibly bracing himself for Trevor’s anger.

“What are you going to do with your life, Riles?” he’d demanded. “You’ll never be able to support yourself working in fast food, for God’s sake! You want to live at home with me for the rest of your life? I’ll tell you what, son, I’d totally cramp your style!”

“Speaking of that, I see it’s okay for you to have your new boyfriend over, but I can’t have anyone spend the night?” Riley yelled, in an obvious attempt to deflect attention from himself. “Unfair as fuck, Dad.”

“I’m a grown man,” Trevor rejoined, his voice low and furious. “You don’t have any say in how I conduct my life.”

“I’m an adult, too, you know. I turned eighteen last month!”

“Then act like an adult, goddammit! Get your shit together. It’s obvious that school—college—isn’t for you, and that’s okay, Riles. I’m tired of fighting with you about it. But you’ve got to do something. Learn a trade. Go to technical school to learn a specific trade, and I’ll pay for it. But that’s it, Riley. I’ll pay for trade school, but what I won’t pay for is you partying your life away, squandering the opportunities you’re being given. When I was eighteen years old I was working three jobs to support you, giving up friends and parties, and I didn’t do that to see you half-assing it somewhere and drinking up your measly salary along with a never-ending succession of girls!”

Riley had flinched, the color draining from his face.

“Riley—”

Trevor’s shoulders slumped as Riley stomped away, the argument over. A week or so of cold silence, and one night he’d come to Trevor with the news he’d enlisted in the Army.

“While we’re at war, Riley? You’re going to be deployed to the Middle East!”

Riley nodded. “Yes, most likely. I hope so.”

“You hope so?” Trevor’s voice was high-pitched with shock. “Why?”

“Because I want you to be proud of me.”

Trevor hadn’t known what to say. “I am—”

Riley shook his head. “When we were fighting the other day, when you said you’d never gotten the chance to party and be a kid, it’s true. And I know it’s because of me. It hit me so hard when you said that, Dad. You never got to be a teenager because of me. You’ve worked hard your whole life to make a home for me, to give me things, and you’re right. I hate school and I’m never gonna make it through college.”

Trevor had taken Riley by the shoulders to shake him. “Jesus, I never meant to imply you’d ruined my life or something, Riley! You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I’ve never regretted having you. Not for one minute. Not one minute!”

Riley reached up and gripped Trevor’s wrists. “I know. I know that’s not what you meant. But things could have been so different for me, if I hadn’t had you for a dad. When my mother didn’t want me anymore—” He looked away, and Trevor grasped his chin and turned it so that Riley was looking into his eyes.

“She wanted you, Riley. She wanted you so much. But she was a kid, with a messed-up, shitty home life, and a newborn baby was too much for her to cope with. You were wanted, honey, so much, by both of us. Never, ever doubt that.”

Riley’s eyes were sheened with tears. “But if you hadn’t taken me, what would she have done? Left me in a Dumpster?”

“Riley—” Trevor had tried to take him into his arms, but Riley pushed him away.

“You gave me a chance, Dad, and when you were my age, you put your entire life on hold for me. I can’t ever repay you, but what I can do is make you proud.”

Trevor pulled him close, not letting Riley resist. “You don’t have to repay me, son,” he said thickly. “I love you, and I’d do the exact same thing again tomorrow, the exact same thing. I don’t regret one minute of my life with you. I just—I want more for you than where I’m seeing you heading. If I’m hard on you, it’s because I care, Riley.”