Chapter Thirteen: Clean-Up
Smoke
Gavin was using up the last of his quarters when Naomi excused herself to use the bathroom.
I watched as my son walked around with the last of his money, trying to decide what to play.
He stopped beside a car racing game with two plastic seats and steering wheels side-by-side and looked over at me. “Hey, Dad, do you want to play this with me?”
I was speechless. Did he really just call me Dad? It came out of nowhere, and I almost couldn’t believe it. My heart leapt and I was moved by the sentiment attached to that word. He was accepting me as his father. All the years I’d missed with him, the things we didn’t have in common—none of it mattered. I was his dad.
“Uh,” I cleared my throat to get rid of the lump there. “Yeah. I’d love to.” I joined him at the machine, cramming myself into the space obviously designed for someone much smaller than me.
Before we started playing, Gavin turned to me with a serious expression on his face.
I might have still been getting to know the boy, but I recognized that look as similar to one I’d seen on Naomi’s face when she had something important on her mind. It was wild to see the ways that he was like us. I gave him my full attention. “What’s up, little man?”
“I think you should hang around more often.”
I grinned. “You do?”
“Yeah, and I don’t think Mom would mind it.”
This was interesting. There was a slyness to the way he said it, like he was trying to smoothly slip it into the conversation. “What makes you say that?”
Gavin shrugged. “I just think she seems happy with you around. Like her face is brighter.”
“She lights up?”
“Yeah, that’s it.”
I couldn’t deny that I liked hearing that.
Then Gavin was already turning back to the game, putting quarters into it. He’d said all that was on his mind.
We started playing, and I found myself getting into it so much that I didn’t notice when Naomi came back from the bathroom.
She was standing behind our chairs as the race finished, with Gavin kicking my ass by coming in first while I trailed behind in eighth place. “Good job, buddy,” she said, giving him a high five.
“Where’s my good job?” I asked teasingly.
She shook her head. “I reserve those for winners,” she said with a shit-eating grin.
“Ouch.” I winced as I chuckled.
We left the arcade, and when we got back to the house that contained their basement apartment, I knew I should stay in the car, just drop them off and go. It would be the right thing to do. It kept the pressure off Naomi to decide anything. I had kissed her last night, but there were no promises between us, no expectations, and she’d been reluctant to start anything up at the bar when we’d almost kissed that first time. She’d said it was complicated and I understood that she worried about how the two of us becoming an item might affect Gavin.
But Gavin didn’t seem to sense my hesitation from the back seat. “Are you going to come inside?” he asked.
I glanced over at Naomi, but she didn’t object. So, I turned off the car and followed the pair of them inside. They both kicked off their shoes at the door, so I followed suit, even though I didn’t want to imply that I expected to stay for long.
“Would you like some coffee?” Naomi offered, even though it was nine o’clock at night.
I suspected she was just looking for something to do with herself. It was a natural hospitality thing. “No, I’m good.”
“Well, feel free to take a seat.” She gestured to the couch. “Gavin, do you want to get changed into your pyjamas? It’s almost your bedtime.”
“I’m going to go to bed now,” Gavin replied.