Page 134 of Freefall

“Then fix it.”

A cynical laugh bursts out of me. “Like you did?”

The words land between us, sharp and ugly, but that’s usually how the truth looks. Isn’t it?

“I’m trying, Nate. Maybe it’s too little too late, but…I’m trying to make up for lost time with Emory and Rowan.”

What about me? The question rises in my throat, but I swallow it down.

“After your mother died, I fucked up a lot,” he continues. “I don't have to tell you that. I buried myself in work. Left you kids with Gram when I should have been there. I told myself I was providing for you, but the truth was I didn't know how to come home to a house without your mother in it.”

His voice stays steady, even as his fingers grip the edge of the desk.

“You’re ten times the man I was, son. You won’t walk out on your kid.”

My entire body goes still. “You know about Daisy?”

“Gram spilled the beans on that one.”

“You…” Emotion threatens to leak through my voice, so I clear my throat. “You visit her?”

I’m still having a hard time with all the other confessions, but somehow that one is the most surprising.

“Of course I do.” His lips thin like the question offends him. “She raised my children when I couldn’t.”

Something long and jagged twists in my chest.

“I hurt her,” I say suddenly. “Harper. I betrayed her trust, and now she wants space. I don’t know what to do.”

This may be the first time I’ve ever admitted anything real to him. It’s certainly the first time I've been vulnerable in his presence.

Dad stands and picks up the frame. “All you can do is show up.” He holds it out to me. “Tell her how you feel. Then let her decide what to do with it.”

I stare at the picture before taking it from him. “What if she decides she doesn't want me?”

“Then you respect her decision.” His blue-gray eyes hold steady. They’re the same shade as mine. The same as Daisy’s. “But you don’t make it for her.”

I nod.

A second later, I'm out the door.

By the time I pull into Harper’s driveway, the sun has nearly disappeared behind the trees. Her green Jeep is parked in its usual spot, but the guesthouse porch light is off. As I walk closer, I realize that every window is dark. It’s too early for them to be asleep. A cold thread winds through my stomach. Something feels off.

I knock on the door, but no one answers. Maybe that’s for the best. I was so focused on getting here that I never even thought about what I was going to say. I only know I can’t keep hiding behind her request for space because I'm terrified we’re right back where we were in college.

I’ve barely sat down on the front step when a light spills from the main house. Harper’s mother fills the doorway.

“Nate.” Her voice is pleasant but questioning. I wonder if Harper confronted her about the lie. I hadn’t planned on coming face to face with the woman whose actions kept me from knowing my daughter for the first eight years of her life, but here we are. I force my anger down and walk toward her.

“Is Harper home?”

The words barely leave my mouth when déjà vu crashes into me. How can she act so normal, knowing she kept us from each other?

“No,” Laura says. “She has a photo shoot tonight.”

“At night?”

“I guess some wealthy family wanted holiday pictures somewhere up north. Something about the golden hour.” She gives me a small shrug. “She should be back soon. Daisy is inside if you want to see her.”