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“Melanie said it’s my turn to raise our daughter. She needed a break. I don’t blame her. I was gone for most of her upbringing.” I hated that for Kendall, though. She needed both of us in her life.
“That’s shitty if you ask me. I didn’t have a choice but to raise these girls on my own.”
Travis’s wife died when she was far too young, and the girls were in their formative years. From what I remembered, she’d died of breast cancer, but Sophie had never discussed it with me. I’d learned that information from my mother.
“Sophie really stepped up, and I feel selfish for letting her.”
“You were doing the best you could.”
“It’s also why I pushed her out of here at twenty-four. It was time for her to find her own way. Follow her dreams.”
“If I’m half the dad as you, I’ll be happy.”
Travis briefly touched my shoulder before he stood to check the grill. “You’ve got this. The number one thing Kendall needs right now is love.”
I don’t know what I’d expected him to say, but that wasn’t it. I immediately relaxed, my muscles loosened, and the ever-present tension between my shoulder blades dissipated. If all Kendall needed was love, then I could do that.
“Everything flows from that feeling. If you tune into it often, you’ll be okay. Trust me, she will test you through the teen years.”
I was grateful for Travis’s advice.
“You need anything—you’re welcome anytime. With or without Sophie.”
“Thank you. That means a lot to me.” His advice and his words had me choked up. Travis had been the father I’d always wanted as a kid.
Even now, the tension between me and my father was thick. Maybe it was because Travis was someone else’s dad, but there was no awkward tension or stress. I could take in his advice without worrying about censure or judgment.
Footsteps thundered down the wooden steps. I stood, turning just as Kendall reached the foyer. She held out her arms for me. She wore a summery-looking green dress with tiny flowers. But then she did a little twirl, and I realized how very short the dress was.
I sucked in a breath as she came to a stop, the end of the dress fluttering, then falling down. It covered her butt but fell high on her thighs. I should be thankful. This was a win.
“What? It covers the important parts, doesn’t it?”
“It does.” Barely.
I sighed as I followed her out of the house. She bounded down the steps and toward my SUV. At least she was excited about something to do here in town. I was so grateful for Sophie and her family. I didn’t know what I’d do without them.
At the arcade, Kendall disappeared into the dim, cavernous room as soon as we entered. There was bowling on the left, a restaurant on the right, and the arcade game noise was coming from the back. A sign advertised a rooftop deck for drinking and ax throwing. Was that a thing?
“If you have things to do, you can go. I’ll keep an eye on Kendall. Drew invited a bunch of his friends, a mix of boys and girls, so he could introduce her to them,” Ellie said.
“I don’t mind sticking around.” The only thing I had on the agenda was building Sophie’s shelves, and it was Saturday, so it was too busy to be in her kitchen.
Something had been bothering me since I had dinner at the Hendrixes’ house on Sunday. Drew was almost the same age as Kendall. That meant Ellie was pregnant at sixteen, around the end of Sophie’s senior year. Had Sophie known that when I proposed? Had it factored into her decision, and if it did, why hadn’t she said anything?
Ellie nodded. “How are you?”
“I’m hanging in there.” I’d always respected Ellie. She was the one who’d helped Sophie as much as she could. It was the younger two girls who didn’t have as many responsibilities.
“I can’t imagine getting Kendall full time at her age. It must be an adjustment.”
“I’m just so happy to get this time with her. I’m sure it puts me at a disadvantage. I had to make her change her outfit this morning. It’s tough setting rules and expectations.” I resisted doing the latter because it was my father’s go-to parenting style.
Ellie gave me a pointed look. “But you have to.”
“I made some mistakes when I first returned, but I think I’ve got it now.”
“Is her mother gone permanently?” she asked, and then winced. “Sorry, I couldn’t think of a better word.”
