I knew he was talking, but I wasn’t listening to what he was saying. Dad didn’t look at me, either, like he was just speaking out loud to himself, so I didn’t pay attention, either. Instead, I was busy thinking about what to do with Ben.
Maybe it would bring unnecessary trouble onto myself, but I didn’t want to deal with his shit, so even if there were repercussions, I had to knock that kid down a peg. Ever since the last time that he walked out of my class, I couldn’t help but think about him at the oddest times, and I got irritated every time I did.
Aside from Ben, I’d been thinking about the mystery man I’d been sexting with recently. He’d sent me a message that surprised me. He wanted to meet up, so I wondered if he’d finally figured out he’d been texting the wrong number. I was cautious about it, but I was also curious.
Who could it possibly be?
So far, all I knew was that they were someone in the same area. It might have even been a prank all along. I couldn’t even say for sure if it was a guy or not, or their age. I hadn’t asked for the details, because there wouldn’t be a way for me to confirm it unless I met them face to face, and what if they asked about my details, too? I didn’t want to tell some stranger all about my life. I wasn’t that lonely yet.
He’d asked to meet, and I’d tentatively agreed. I hadn't received another text from him, since then, though.
Then, my phone vibrated in my pocket.
I startled, surprised. I was in casual clothes today, and I’d decided to wear jeans, so I could keep the phone in my pocket. I quickly pulled it out and checked under the table. The text was from my mystery man.
“I’m going to be getting married again.”
I blinked and looked up at Dad. My mind was preoccupied, but this statement caught my attention.
“Getting married again?” I repeated in surprise, distractedly putting my phone away. “What do you mean?”
Since Mom’s death, I’d wondered if he’d meet someone new, but Dad had never mentioned remarrying, so it was a shock for him to say it now. Not that he was too old, or anything. He and Mom were young when they had me, so while I was in my mid-thirties, Dad wasn’t too old at fifty-four.
He chuckled. “Yes, married. It’s only been a month since we met again, but we both feel it’s the right thing for us. After all, neither of us is young anymore.”
“Why so soon, though?” I asked. “You still have a lot of years in you, Dad. How can you know you’d want to be with this woman for the rest of your life after one month?”
I dated Stuart for a couple of years before the actual wedding, and I regretted it in the end.
“I know,” Dad said. “I didn’t pursue anything with her back then because I had your mom and she had a boyfriend. It was nothing more than a moment of interest that quickly disappeared. I don’t regret marrying your mother, nothing can replace the years I spent with her, but I’m not going to let this opportunity at happiness go again.”
Finally, he looked at me, and the light in his eyes was something I hadn't seen in a long time. His gaze wandered away quickly, but I didn’t mind. Dad and I had always been awkward. It was fine when there was Mom between us, but now that she was gone, it was always there. There were times I didn’t know how to talk to him, and when I visited, we would spend the entire time in silence, besides a few words like ‘dinner is ready,’ or ‘please pass the salt’ at the table.
“Fine, I guess,” I murmured.
I wasn’t interested, not really, though I had been surprised for a moment. I’d spent my life trying to get my dad’s attention, but at thirty-five, I was far past that phase. I never really got it before. The whole reason I even became a business professor was to please him, and I hated the job. I did love my dad, he was my only remaining family, and I would worry if something happened to him, but we might as well live separate lives.
“Listen, Angela,” he said, turning to me with a serious expression. “I know I wasn’t always there for you like I should have been as your dad. Especially after your mother died. But even though I’m remarrying now, I still want us to be close. I know… it’s what your mom would want, and you are my only daughter. If I ever made you feel like I didn’t care for you, I’m sorry.”