“Do you still love Mom?” She needed to know if their love had survived without the woman.
“Yes, I love that she gave me you. I love the life we had. I will love her for the rest of my life.” He leaned back in his chair.
“Do you love Faith?” She had to ask, to see if he would admit it. Or if he would lie about the relationship.
He raised an eyebrow and chucked. “Yes, I have for a long time.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You weren’t ready when we started seeing each other. I don’t know if you remember, but you were very opinionated in high school. Then the accident, and that took years to get over. By that time, Faith and I had settled into a pattern. Her kids were getting older, and they didn’t want a dad,” Patrick rambled.
“How old are her kids?”
“Ten, eleven, and thirteen. All boys.” He shrugged.
“I think it’s time for you to take the next step with her. You should ask her to move in with you or you move in with her. You deserve happiness, Dad, and they would be getting a great dad.” Natalie leaned forward and took her dad’s hands in hers. “If you need a reference, I will give you a great one.”
“I don’t know.” Patrick squeezed his hand.
“Just talk to her. I’m going to move out. Ruth has to have a place I can rent. I should let you have your time.”
“I don’t want you moving out.”
She shook her head at him. “I don’t want to live with a bunch of rowdy kids, but you do.”
“I don’t,” he argued, but he was smiling. He was great with kids, and those kids would be lucky to have him in their lives.
“Of course you do, and maybe you could have a few of your own. I could have a baby sister.” Natalie watched her dad’s eyes light up a little at the thought.
“I don’t think that will be happening,” he informed her with a grin.
“If I remember correctly, she just had her fortieth birthday last month. Still young.” She wanted her dad to have a family and love big enough that she would stop feeling guilty.
“Maybe you will have babies soon,” came his hopeful response.
Natalie dropped his hand and leaned back. “The doctors don’t think so. Too much damage.”
“No, they said that it would be a high-risk pregnancy, not that it wouldn’t happen, Natalie Hart.” He always used her mom’s nickname when he was trying to make a point. He had been in on her appointments, embarrassingly almost all of them. He knew it all, even something as personal as her reproductive system.
“A lot happened down there, Dad. I don’t want you to get your hopes very high.” Or hers, for that matter.
“My hopes are always high for you.” He leaned back in his chair with a smile on his face.
“Are you mad about Sam?” she questioned him.
“What about him? That he took you home?” Her dad looked at her.
“That I stayed at his place last night.” Not saying that she had slept with him on his couch for most of it.
“No, I know Sam. He’s a decent guy. Did something happen?” He sat up straight, and a flash of worry crossed his face.
“No, he was great. He saved me when I needed him the most.” Even to her, it sounded dramatic.
“Again.” Patrick smiled at her and rubbed her leg.
“What do you mean, again?” she questioned.
“He did chest compressions on you after the accident until the ambulance came. He saved your life that day,” her dad explained.