AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Why weren’t you there?” he asked, pulling at the chair and sitting down.
Dad scrubbed a hand over his face as he sat on the other side of the table. “If I tell you that I was, you get to ask me two questions, and two questions only.”
Nick gaped at him.
Dad put two slices of French toast on his plate.
“But—I want—you can’t just—”
“Two questions, Nicky. Make ’em count.”
His father was amazing. Gruff, but kind. He was good at what he did. When he laughed, his eyes crinkled, the lines around his mouth deep, and that made Nick happy, though it didn’t happen as often as it used to. He was courageous and just, and sometimes, Nick didn’t know what he’d do without him.
But he could also be the biggest jerk. Like right now. “Seven questions.”
“No questions,” Dad replied, handing Nick the butter.
“Six questions!”
“I’m bored with this.”
“You’re terrible at negotiating. How am I supposed to learn how to adult when my parental figure refuses to work with me?”
“Life sucks, kid. Take what you can get.”
“Fine.Two questions.”
Dad pointed his fork at Nick. “While you eat. You took your pill. You need food in your stomach.”
“I’m supposed to wait thirty minutes before—”
“Nicky.”
“What did they want?” Nick asked through a mouthful of French toast.
“I don’t know. I didn’t talk to any of them before they were taken downtown. Cap told me to go home because he knew it was your first day of school. Said to remind you there’s an empty cell with your name on it if there’s a single grade below a B minus on your report card at any point this year.”
“I wonder if the mayor knows that officers in his police department are threatening minors.”
“He does,” Dad said. “And he supports it completely. You get one more question.”
Like he didn’t know what Nick was going to ask. “Did you see him?”
“Yes,” Dad said, mopping up a disgusting amount of syrup.
Nick waited.
Dad said nothing.
Nick could play this game.
On second thought, he absolutely couldn’t.“And?”
“Is that another question?”
Nick barely stopped himself from throwing his fork at Dad’s head. “Why are you like this?”
Dad grinned at him. “Because your adolescent angst brings me joy as a parent.”
