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Dylan surprises me as he stands up with my daughter in his arm. “Welcome home. It looks like California did wonders for you.”
I nod. “Yeah, thanks. I think so too.” Reaching out, I stroke Madison’s cheek. She grabs my finger, trying to pull it to her mouth. “No, no, baby. I need to shower.” I kiss her hand and then back away “I’ll be back, I just want to shower quick.”
“Wait. Chris, do you have a second?” Dylan hands Madison off to Dad.
I lead him to the French doors, and we step onto the deck. “What’s going on?” I’m almost afraid of what he’s going to say.
“I heard that you were doing some construction in California.”
“Yeah, I started out as a grunt, and found out I had a natural skill in carpentry. I’ve discovered that I love working with my hands.” I place my hands on my hips. I’m not sure what he’s saying, but I wish he’d spit it out.
“We have a new project we’re taking on and I think you might be able to help in two ways. We’re going to start buying houses, remodeling them, and then selling them. If you’re interested, we could use your carpentry skills and your real estate expertise.”
I rock back on my heels. “Why me?”
“I heard you might be looking for work, and your dad got me the letter of recommendation your boss wrote you. I think you’d be a great fit.”
As good as it sounds, this feels like Haddie. “Did Haddie ask you to do this?”
He shrugs. “She may have mentioned that you were looking for work.”
My stomach turns and disappointment fills me. “I’m good. I’ve got a couple of interviews I’m waiting to hear back from. With all due respect, I don’t want a pity job.” They told me in treatment that repairing relationships was going to take work, and some may not be salvageable.
I guess I’m just embarrassed about what I turned into. I’d hate for my daughter to ever find out her dad was an addict and just about ruined his life. Fuck, I need to stop with the pity party. If I take the job, I’ll prove to them that they did right, by hiring me.
* * *
“Listen, I admit at first I only thought about it because my daughter asked me to, and the fact that you’re the father of my granddaughter—after talking to your boss in California, I knew exactly where we could use you. You were a good realtor, and it makes sense that you could help sell them once they’re finished.”
I know I should tell him no, that this is a bad idea, but this is a good opportunity for me. I can get some experience and they have a pretty well-known construction company. This could be a good starting point for me.
“Why don’t you stop at the office tomorrow around noon and we’ll go over everything. Then you can make your decision.”
I nod. “Yeah, okay.” I stick out my hand. “Thank you for the opportunity.”
We step back inside and Dylan steps back into the family room, talking to Dad. I holler as I walk by, “I’m going to take a quick shower.”
I head into my bedroom and strip out of my clothes, then hop in the shower.
Once I’m finished, I grab my towel and drying myself off. In my bedroom, I sit down on the side of my bed and grab my phone. I pull up Haddie’s phone number.
Chris: Hey, tonight can I come over so we can talk?
I stare down at my phone as the little dots start bouncing. I know she’s working, but hopefully I caught her between patients.
Haddie: Sure, is everything okay?
Chris: Yes, of course. Sorry I should’ve said that first.
Haddie: No worries, I’ll text you my address and then just text me when you’re coming.
I have time to think about what I want to say, so I stand up and get dressed.
I pull into the parking space right next to Haddie’s car and climb out. I’m not sure what I want to say to her. I was gone earlier when she came to pick up Madison.
I climb up the stairs and pause in front of her door. I’m nervous but I don’t really know why. I quickly knock before I turn on my heels and leave. The door opens and there she is, looking beautiful in a pair of cut off sweats and a red t-shirt that hugs her willowy frame. “Hey,” she says as she steps backs so I can come inside.
Her place is small but cute. She’ll definitely need more space as Madison gets older. On the wall are some photos of Madison as a newborn. She’s so beautiful. There’s another picture of all the kids in the family. Damn, there are a lot of babies.
