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“You’re taking a video,” she scolds, and tries to swipe the screen. “That’s recording. You want a still picture. A photo.”
My mother pulls the phone out of her reach. “I can do it, if you’ll just give me a minute. Don’t hover, it makes me nervous.”
“Oh, for crying out loud.” My father picks up his phone in a huff and points it at us. “Look this way.”
His command is stern but not combative, and it throws me for a second. I guess he can see the alarm written on my face, because he lowers his phone to look at me.
“Gram’s right,” he says, making direct eye contact with me. “You two look nice.”
“Oh, Edward…”
He gives my mother a dismissive wave and lifts his phone again. “For heaven’s sake, let’s not get emotional over nonsense.”
The flash goes off in our faces, and I blink my way through the stars that pop in my line of sight. Unable to fathom what has just happened. Cara and I share a look, but don’t say anything because we can sense my family’s attention on us.
But my curiosity gets the better of me. For no other reason than the fact that my father’s been a complete asshole to me for most of my life.
“Are you dying?” I ask him, point blank. He glares at me with confusion. “Do you need a kidney from me, or something?”
“Edward!” my mother exclaims. “What’s gotten into you?”
But I ignore her and keep my focus on the man in question. “So, are you?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Edward,” he replies. “If I needed a kidney, yours would be no good with the lifestyle you lead.”
“Edward!” my mother exclaims, at him this time. It’s like a full time job for her.
“Here we go,” Cara mumbles under her breath and rests her hand on my leg beneath the table. Reassurance, nothing else. Just to let me know that she’s there and we’re a team.
“I only ever wanted you to be at your best,” he says then, dropping his gaze from me for the first time. He fiddles with his fork as he considers what to say next. I know there’s more, so I wait. “This award you’re getting tonight, for your work with the theater… You did a good job.”
He clears his throat and looks up at me, his face still as unreadable as ever. But there’s something softer behind his eyes. I’d forgotten he had it in him.
“Thanks, dad.” And with those two words, we share an understanding that the constant fight is over.
Or at least, it’s the beginning of being over. We’ll have to navigate through decades of learned reactions to each other, but it’s heartening to realize that all isn’t lost with him. Up until this moment, I didn’t know how badly I wanted that to be true.
It’s as if me coming to terms with my growth has sparked progress everywhere else–with Cara, my dad, work…
“How are your New York plans coming along, Cara?” Gram asks.
I feel her tense up beside me and I place my hand over the one still resting on my leg. Give it a gentle squeeze as I look over at her.
“You have to take it, you know you do.” I give her an encouraging smile. “In fact, call Gio right now and give him the news.”
Cara’s eyes mist over with tears that don’t fall. “Are you sure?”
“There’s a reason I had them put your name on the east wing, Cara,” I say, pulling her close so I can speak into her ear. “Everyone’s going to know your name some day, and it starts here.”
She gets up from her seat, a slight flush in her cheeks. “If you’ll excuse me, I have an important call to make.”
I watch her run off with her phone and when I turn back, my family’s beaming at me, dad included. He gives an approving nod and I feel like I’m ten feet tall.
25
Cara
“If you guys keep this up, Suave will become the next hangout for couples,” Zach says with a laugh.
