“I love it, it’s so beautiful, so delicate, oh Todd, thank you.” She turned and wrapped her arms around my neck, lifting her lips to give me a kiss but just then there was loud knock on the open door and I turned to see a very stern looking Colton Lyon standing there. “Hands off kid.”
“Daddy…”
“Don’t Caitlin.” I stopped her before she made things worst. I think I understand him a whole lot better than she does when it comes to us, which makes this shit even more interesting.
I put some space between us before he spazzed out, but still kept my hand on her, around her waist. Small steps! “Your wife said it was okay sir…” At least there was no hint of fear in my voice.
“I know, or you’d be ass out on the floor already. You two hurry up and come downstairs.”
His eyes moved up from my hand on his kid and fell on the necklace and he got a strange look on his face before turning and walking away.
“He’s too much, that’s it I’ve had it.” She was strung so tight I could feel the tension all but vibrating through the hand that I had yet to remove.
“Hey!” I’ve never seen her this worked up before, especially not where her dad is concerned.
“What’s going on with you? We both knew he wasn’t going to like me being up here like this. I don’t mind, I’m just happy to be here, and besides, look at it this way, he didn’t throw me out on my ass so don’t get too worked up about it okay.”
“It’s not just this, it’s everything. I didn’t want to tell you before because you were so far away, but he said I can’t go to school again this year. He’s destroying everything.”
She didn’t even sound like my Caitlin and I knew she was just embarrassed a little. She thinks because she’s seventeen that she should be allowed more freedoms.
I should’ve warned her all those times she’d mentioned it jokingly on one of our Facetime sessions that we weren’t dealing with a regular dad. That he’s not like the fathers of her friends that she’s always going on about. Maybe now is as good a time as any.
“Don’t say that, don’t ever let him hear you talk like that.” I squeezed her side gently.
“You’re choosing his side? Aren’t you mad?” I didn’t answer her because the truth is I didn’t know what to feel.
Disappointed was the first thing that came to mind, but I had to put my own shit aside for now and deal with her. She doesn’t get pissed often but when she does, she has a temper almost as bad as her dad’s.
“I’m going to run away, it’s the only way…”
“Caitie, baby stop. You can’t even think like that.”
“And why not?”
“Because it would break your dad’s heart, not to mention that’s not what I want. When I take you out of your father’s house it’s going to be through the front door hand in hand with his blessing.” I brushed the hair back from her face and looked into her eyes. Her pissed off turbulent eyes.
“Now listen to me, no one loves you more than that man, except me. He’s doing this because he loves you more than his own skin. Stop crying, come ‘ere.”
I wiped her tears and pulled her into my arms, not really worried about her dad coming after me. I’ll never watch her hurting and not seek to comfort, not even for him.
“How do you know? That he loves me I mean, why do you say that?”
“Because I’ve seen him with you. Do you remember when you got sick last winter? The doctor said it was just the flu, nothing life threatening, but you had a fever. Your dad sat next to your bed the whole night holding your hand in his.”
“He fell asleep sitting in that chair over there next to your bed and he never let go of your hand. Every couple of hours an alarm would sound from his watch and he’d check your forehead and wet the washcloth and put it there. I remember there was grease on his arm and he was still wearing the clothes he’d worn to the shop that day because he’d rushed home when your mom called.”
“How do you know all this?”
“We never signed off of Facetime, he didn’t even know I was there, his attention was all on you or he would’ve noticed your iPad was on. I watched him watch you all night and I finally got it; for the first time I truly understood him.”
“I used to resent him just a little bit myself for the way he stood between us. But after that night, the look on his face as he watched over his little girl… I’ll never forget it.”