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Oliver Thompson was as stubborn as the day was long, and I knew he wouldn’t answer the question. “That’s not proper talk for fathers and daughters,” he admonished with a frown.
“It is when they are both adults, so tell me about all these women you entertain while I’m busy working.”
“I can do my own shopping these days, Augusta.” Avoidance had always been one of his favorite strategies to get out of difficult conversations, and this time I let it slide.
“I’m well aware of that, Dad. But I also know you’ll end up with a fridge full of frozen meals, chips and every flavor of soda the grocery store has to offer.”
Dad rolled his eyes and folded his arms while he fixed me with a glare only a father could produce. “That was one damn time, and only because they were on sale, five bottles for five bucks. That’s ten liters of pop for a fiver, little girl and where I come from that’s considered a deal.”
Not when you factor in the dental costs that will come later, or buying bigger pants. Or diabetes medication.”
He waved off my concerns. “You worry too much, Gus.”
“Maybe you worry too little. It’s a known fact that single men don’t take care of themselves and married men live longer.”
His green eyes, just a smidge lighter than my own, went wide and he let out a loud, guffawing laugh. “Now you’re trying to marry me off? What the hell, girl?”
“I’m not trying to marry you off, Dad. I just want to keep you healthy.” I put a few items in the fridge and groaned. “I’ll stop doing groceries for you when you start buying things like fruits and vegetables.”
He scoffed. “Damn things taste like cardboard.”
“They do not! You ate three helpings of broccoli mac & cheese last week.”
He smiled. “Yeah that was good, even with the broccoli in it.”
“Then this discussion is over.”
He grumbled his disapproval and reached inside the fridge for the apple juice I just put in there. “You staying for lunch today?” He asked the same question each time I stopped by with groceries, and every time, without fail, I felt a little warmth in my chest that he actually wanted me around now.
“Yep. I thought we could try something new today.”
Dad dropped down onto one of the wooden kitchen stools and sighed. “What is it this time? Raw butterfly stomachs with a ketchup aioli?”
“Ew, gross.”
“Well, I dunno with all the strange foods you force me to eat these days. You on some kind of cleanse?”
“Strange? Is that why you eat until your belly aches?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t say it wasn’t good, I said it was strange.” His lips twitched again and I shook my head.
“It’s called char Siu.” I had saved Antonio’s step-by-step video from last week and bought all the ingredients today. It looked simple enough, I was confident I could manage. “It’s Asian and it’s pork, but what you’ll love most is that you get to fire up the grill.” I couldn’t help but smile when Dad jumped up and smacked his hands together with excitement.
“Then consider me on board and in charge of manning the grill.” He shuffled towards the back door and his small back yard that was mostly filled with a picnic table, bench seats and a whole area dedicated to the fine art of grilling. This was the version of my dad I’d dreamed of, and wished for all my life.
It was better late than never, that’s what I told myself every time. There was a time I didn’t think Dad would ever put the bottle down, so I hadn’t hoped for it, didn’t wish for things to be different. But it had happened, and without any pushing from me, so I took every good moment we had together and I cherished it.
With Dad busy in the yard tinkering with the grill, I set my phone up on the little stand I bought for dad so he could listen to music or sports while he worked in the kitchen.
“Let’s see if you’re as good a teacher as you are a brooding bad boy,” I told the thumbnail and then pressed play.
Antonio
“You two are disgusting. Think you can stop pawing each other for at least a few minutes?” I shook my head at the twosome that was supposed to be my guests for today’s video shoot.
Cal flashed a smile as he took his lips off my sister and shrugged. “You said this was for a romantic dinner, so we’re setting the scene.”
“The scene is about the food. All I need from you is some hand holding and loving smiles, not a porno re-enactment.”
Teddy snickered. “I thought you were happy for us.”
“I am, but that doesn’t mean I want to see you suck face right in front of me. Or feed each other. Or lick each other’s fingers. Have some restraint, yeah?” It was hard enough to watch my kid sister fall in love even though I knew it was going to happen eventually. I was happy it was a guy as good as Cal, but it was awkward as hell to see them all lovey-dovey together. “Now, do you think you two can act like adults and not horny teenagers for the next twenty minutes?”
