I nod. “Yeah, let me take my bags upstairs and rinse off some of the travel grime. Then I’ll be ready to go.”
“Sounds good,” he says. “Just let me know when you’re ready.”
Burgers and bowling is something that my dad and I always used to do together. I don’t even remember how the tradition started, but it always ended up that if we ever want to spend time together, then that’s what we did.
Some of the kids I grew up with made fun of me for it. They didn’t like hanging out with their fathers at all, so the idea that I would do something as embarrassing as bowling with mine kind of blew their minds. But I love bowling, and whether or not it was because of our tradition, it’s always held a special place in my heart.
Given the way I am feeling right now, I have the urge to just go to sleep. But going out and bowling—doing something I know I love—makes me smile. And I really need to smile right now.
I take my time. Washing my face and refreshing my make-up before changing my clothes. I want to be comfortable, but I also don’t want to be in the same outfit that I just drove five hours in. When I finally come downstairs, my dad is right there waiting. He stands. “Ready to go?”
“Yep.”
I give my mother a hug, and she hugs me back. “Have fun,” she says. “I’ll be here when you get back.”
That makes me laugh. “I certainly hope so.”
As soon as we get into the car, my dad is pestering me with questions. He works in the stock market—the same kind of work that Bryce used to do before he left to start his consulting firm. Despite being in Massachusetts, there are some big private brokerage firms in the suburbs, taking advantage of the lower overhead in order to do business at a higher margin.
“So,” he asks, “how’s the business going?”
“It’s going okay,” I say. “We are in the black, but not by much. Not that that’s particularly weird. Bookstores operate at a very close margin.”
“But your making enough to get by?”
“Yeah,” I say. “I am.”
My dad nods slowly. “I was really nervous about the whole thing when you started,” he says. “But you’ve done such a good job with the whole business, I never should have been worried.”
“You’re my dad. It’s your job to worry about things like that.”
He smiles. “True. How’s everything else?”
“What do you mean by else?”
“The rest of your life. Social, romantic, whatever. There’s more to life than work, you know.”
That’s not a question that he would normally ask me, and despite the fact that I don’t want to talk about my personal life at all right now, it makes me curious. “Did Mom tell you to ask that?”
“No,” he laughs. “Well, yes, but I brought it up first. We just want to know that you’re happy.”
“Yeah,” I say, swallowing the lump in my throat. “I know. I appreciate it.”
He sighs. “Your mother and I miss you. I hope you know that.”
“I’m really not that far away,” I say. “It could be worse.”
His chuckle is a welcome and familiar sound. “Yes, it definitely could be.”
We pull up to the bowling alley and I’m overcome with memories. I spent a lot of good times here. This is exactly what I need. Or I think that it’s exactly what I need, until we walk in and my dad shouts in recognition, making the object of my thoughts and pain turn around and see me.
Here.
Bryce is here.
What the fuck?
He’s surrounded by a group of people, men and women that all seem to know my father. Glancing at me, I can see the question in his eyes. “Go say hi,” I tell him.
Bryce hugs my father and greets him warmly, but he only has eyes for me. His gaze bores into mine over my dad’s shoulder, and I come closer slowly.
Dad turns and gestures. “Come say hi, Katti.”
“Hello,” I say, giving a small wave.
“Hello, Katti,” Bryce says. His voice makes every hair on my body stand up on end. God, it’s good to see him, and I’m having a really difficult time not reaching out to touch him.
My dad looks around at the assembled group. “What are you guys doing here?”
“Impromptu get together. Since I was in town for the baby. You both should join us,” he says.
“No, that’s all right,” my dad says. “We’re on father-daughter date.”
I cut in. “I don’t mind, Dad. I’m not going to keep you away from your friends. Besides, bowling is more fun with a group. And you know you’d keep walking down here to talk to them anyway.”
He gives me a searching look. “Are you sure?”
No. “Definitely.”
The smile on his face lets me know that I made the right decision. “Great. I’ll see about getting two more people added to the lane and grab our shoes.”