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“You’re right. I am an adult. This conversation is over.” I slam my thumb on the red button and toss it to the bed. The blank screen stares up at me. I’ve never hung up on my dad before.
“Are you ok, babe?” Luke’s voice is soft. I turn to him and the tears fall. He wraps me up in a hug as I struggle to get it together. He says nothing. Just holds me. It’s exactly what I need.
I sit back and swipe at my face when he hands me a tissue. “He’s never been like that before. He’s always supported me. Even when I got engaged to Jeremy. He said his peace and then let me make my own decision.”
“He doesn’t want to see you get hurt again. I can respect that.”
I shake my head. “It’s my mom.”
His eyebrows move closer together and the space between them crinkles.
“It sounds crazy, but I have a bad feeling about her. I think she’s saying bad things about me to him.” If I’m about to lose my dad, I have to do whatever I can to keep John. I would never recover if he abandoned me, too.
The thought brings more tears and Luke holds me again. “Your dad loves you. He would never listen to anyone talk shit about you. Not even your mom.”
“I’m sorry. You must think I’m so childish.”
He cups my face. “You’re dealing with a lifetime of hurt. I think you’re so strong and brave to stand up to your dad. I know how much his opinion matters to you. Once he meets me, he’ll see how serious I am about you.”
My lips quirk up. “Sounds like you want to keep me around or something.”
He chuckles and hands me another tissue from the box on the nightstand next to him. “The thought has crossed my mind.”
“Oh yea? You sure that’s something you’re ready for?” My tone is teasing, but my question is real.
“Absofuckinglutely.” He leans down and kisses me before wrapping me up in his comforting arms. I close my eyes with my head on his chest and listen to his steady heartbeat. The calm he always gives me sinks into my soul. He holds me like that for a few minutes.
“Thank you for being so amazing,” I say.
“Ditto.” He pulls me to my feet for another sweet kiss before I follow him to the kitchen. We talk and enjoy each other’s company, and my heart swells as we move around the kitchen, making dinner together. I see us doing this every night for the rest of our lives. He stops mid-sentence when he catches me staring at him with a half smile and my chin resting in my hand as I lean on the kitchen island. He kisses me before continuing on with the conversation. Everything will be ok.
