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Or maybe it will when I tell Daniel about it later.
“Daniel,” I whisper and nudge his shoulder. When he grunts and peers out of one squinty eye, I tell him, “Julia and Leslie are leaving now.”
Daniel sits up clearing his throat. After a couple of heavy blinks, he stands. “What time is it?”
“A little after one,” Julia says wrapping her arms around Daniel’s shoulders. “Goodnight, Dad. Thank you for dinner.”
“Don’t thank me. This was all Riley.”
“Thank you, Riley.” Julia takes me off guard wrapping her arms around me next. “We need to do this again. At our place.” Julia looks back at her dad. “You still haven’t seen it.”
The tension grows between them. The air thinning with every breath. “Of course. Pick a day. We’ll be there,” Daniel says and the tension fades.
Julia’s face lights up with a smile that sparkles in her eyes. Her dad’s eyes, I realize.
After seeing Julia and Leslie out, Daniel and I do a quick clean-up in the kitchen.
“So, you want to tell me what was bothering you earlier?” he asks.
“Oh, it wasn’t anything to worry about. I was just sad I’d missed seeing you and Julia make up.”
“Are you sure that’s all it was?”
I think about it a moment. A few things pop up I push down as quickly as they come. After all, there’s nothing that can be done about it. I need a job. I have one of the best jobs in my field. I just have to get over not liking it.
“I’m sure,” I tell him.
“I don’t believe you but if you don’t want to talk about it yet. I’ll give you time. But just know…” He holds my chin in his hand keeping my eyes locked with his. “I want you to tell me. Everything. Always.”
“You know, Julia warned me about how stubborn you can be. I feel like this is a low-level stubbornness.”
“What else did she tell you?” He lets me go and uses the dishes as an excuse to shrink away.
“That she doesn’t blame you for you and her mom splitting up.”
Daniel slumps over the sink. “She didn’t tell you what happened, did she?”
“She thought you should be the one to tell me.”
Daniel turns around leaning back against the counter. Refusing to make eye contact, he says, “Julia might not blame me, but it was my fault. I pushed her away. Not just with my actions. I…” he sighs and pulls his hand through his hair. “I told her to go. She was miserable with me. I told her to go be happy with someone else.”
“Oh.”
“I don’t think she would have left if I hadn’t said it. But I don’t know that we ever would have worked things out either.”
“I’m so sorry.” I take his hand and squeeze it just enough to let him know he isn’t alone. I’m here for him.
“It’s ancient history. She moved on and is much happier for it.”
“And what about you?” I ask him.
He pulls me into his arms and buries his face in my neck. “Have I moved on?”
“Now that I think about it, it’s pretty obvious you have.” I shudder as he kisses and nips my pulse. “But are you happy about it?”
“Riley.” He lifts his head and looks me square in the eye. “Besides the day of my daughter’s birth, I’m not sure I’ve ever been happier in my entire life than I am with you.”
I don’t wait for him to come to me. I throw my arms around Daniel and meet him in the middle kissing him with my whole body. With all the love in my heart.
And there’s another thing I’m not sure I’m ready to tell him.
