Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26166 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26166 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
“Could be. I’m not jumping at anything right away.” I shoot her a careful glance. “I thought if I’m home, we could . . . you know. Spend some time together. Not just snatched at holidays and every once in a blue moon, but real time.”
“That’d be nice,” she says, her expression sobering. “Look, I’ll admit I resented your job sometimes for always taking you away, but I want you to know I respected what you do. It inspired me. You’re kinda my hero.”
I let go of a scoffing breath. “Some hero.”
“Do you really think I don’t appreciate what you’ve done? All the stories you’ve broken? Reported from places, in situations nobody else would take the risk to tell? I do. Why do you think I chose journalism? Why do you think I chose Finley?”
“I didn’t—”
“I chose them because of you, Dad. For myself, yes, but to be like you.”
Even as my throat heats and tightens with emotion, something loosens inside. Guilt? Dread? Fear? I don’t know, but her words bring relief I didn’t realize I needed. Not that I didn’t make mistakes. I know I did. Not that I didn’t sometimes choose work over my family. I did, but that my daughter still wants a relationship with me. I’m here now to give that to her. To give that to myself.
“You’re not off the hook,” Celine says, lips pressed against a grin. “You still have years to make up for. I’ll need a lot of attention and emotional blackmail money wouldn’t hurt. Lemme give you my cash app.”
“If that’s what it takes.” I laugh, pretending to reach for my wallet.
“Keep the money. Instead, maybe we take a trip together after I graduate? We could go to your favorite place you’ve ever been.”
I freeze, scanning her face to see if she means it. “You’d want to take a trip with your old man? For real?”
“I’d make that sacrifice, yes,” she says with fake solemnity. “Maybe once you finish your book?”
I shake my head and huff a short breath. “If I turn in this book. I have a lot to figure out, and it doesn’t even have a title yet.”
“Elsewhere was such a great title for the first one. It was a great book.” She spears a sausage link and tosses me a wide grin. “Glad I don’t have to follow that up.”
I roll my eyes, but chuckle at her sass. It’s been easier this weekend than I thought it would be. I know we have a long way to go, but Celine is more gracious than I’ve ever been. Maybe she got that from her mother. She’s generous and makes room in her heart for you, even when you’ve given her every reason to reject you. It makes me want to shield her from this world. I’ve seen the underside of humanity, exposed in war and genocide and racism and every kind of terror mankind creates for itself. There are times when we need a shell. I believe it’s Annette and Cedric who’ve helped shape my daughter into someone who is so open and gracious. I don’t want to smother that vulnerability, but maybe I’m her shell-maker; the one to help her defend herself against the harsh realities of the world. I haven’t always been around. I won’t always be around, and I want her safe and self-reliant when she has to be. That, I know how to give. That, I know how to do.
“There’s your new girlfriend, Dad,” Celine teases, nodding toward the entrance where Niomi stands, searching the room until she finds us, a smile blossoming on her pretty face.
Maybe Celine expects me to deny the girlfriend label, but I won’t unless Niomi wants me to. Last night was fantastic. Once-in-a-lifetime, blow your mind sex, yes . . .but more than that. We can’t just pick up where we left off on that bench twenty years ago, but last night could be the start of something new. To call it love in such a short time would be to cheat its potential; to belittle what it can become if we take care of it and give it time to mature, the same way we had to mature. In the wake of one of the best nights of my life, I’ll just call it special for now. I want to see where it will go. I hope Niomi does, too.
“Morning,” Niomi says, her smile tentative as her gaze flicks from Celine’s face to mine. “You sure you guys don’t want to—”
“Don’t worry about him.” Celine waves her hand in my direction dismissively. “Sit and talk to me.”
I send Niomi a wryly amused look and gesture to the seat between Celine and me at our round table. “You heard her.”
“If you’re sure.” With her hair scooped up away from her face and her makeup light, Niomi sits. A Kelly-green pant suit makes her appear bright and fresh in the late morning sun.