Page 21 of A Better Place

“Sounds ominous,” Barrett says, but he’s smiling in my direction all the same.

I decide to mess with them a bit. I nod my head and cast my eyes downward. I sigh heavily and shake my head, as if what I’m about to say is really hard to get out. When Tess notices, she puts down the knife she was using to chop peppers and onions and looks over at me with concern. I should feel bad because I think she’s probably thinking the worst, but I can’t help myself.

“Yeah, I guess it might be,” I tell them with a quiet voice. I’m an ass.

“James, what’s going on? Are you alright?” Tess quickly makes her way to my side and rests her hand on my arm.

“I really don’t know how to tell you all, so I guess I’ll just get it out there, rip it off like a Band-Aid, right?” I say, my head down. My shoulders rise and fall as I take a deep breath.

“Dad, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?” my daughter, Lily, says with tears forming in her bright blue eyes, so much like my own. She could be Tess’s daughter, for as much as she looks like her aunt, though Lily’s hair is a little more… wild. With streaks of color on every strand, she tells me her hair is unicorn, whatever the hell that means.

I blow out a breath and look around the still-and-too-quiet room and notice I have everyone’s eyes pinned directly on me. “Like I said, I have news. And it’s going to change a lot of things. I’m not sure how to tell you… but you need to know because I’m gonna need your support over the next twelve months. More than I ever have before.”

“Just spit it out, dammit!” Barrett yells.

That makes me lose it completely. I start to laugh, which only earns glares from the family surrounding me. “Sorry. Okay, so you know how Tony’s Diner is shutting down?”

“Yeah, that place was scary,” Maggie says, speaking truth.

“I bought it,” I announce, like I said — just rip the Band-Aid off.

Tess’s eyes bulge almost completely out of her head before she squeals and runs and jumps into my arms. Lily’s right next to her, and they’re both hugging me tightly. My two favorite girls. Which could be weird because one is my sister, but we’ve always been close. In fact, for the past several years, she was more friend to me than sister.

“Dad!? Are you serious? You finally did it!?”

They know this has been my dream since, well, forever. Growing up with a southern father, the love of food was ingrained in me from an early age. Before Lily came along, my dream was to open my own restaurant, but we just didn’t have the money. Then Nicole left, and I put my dreams on the back burner. I never once minded, though. Giving my entire focus over to my daughter wasn’t a hardship by any means. I would do anything for her. She’s been the center of my universe for twenty years now.

Somehow, by the grace of God, she turned out amazing. She’s not a spoiled, selfish brat that many people assume when they hear only child — especially one raised by a single parent. She’s giving, respectful, loving and kind, everything that I wanted for her and from her. And most of all, she’s always encouraged me to find my happiness. So, this restaurant isn’t only for me. It’s for her. It’s to show her that no one’s ever too old to chase their dreams. That it’s never too late.

“I did.” I nod my head. My excitement over finding this place for sale can’t be contained. I’m smiling like an idiot, but I don’t care. I’m happy. It took a lot of years for me to be truly joyful and content with my life.

Sure, I had Lily, and I’m so thankful I did. If Nicole would have left me and taken her, I would have completely lost it. But that doesn’t mean that it was always easy, or fun, if I’m being honest. Being a single parent to a girl was and still is hard.

“I’m so happy for you!” Tess shouts. I wince and cover my ears. She playfully punches me in the shoulder, and gives me a big hug then steps back with her hands on my shoulders. “I’m so proud of you, big brother. This is amazing.”

“You ass, I thought something was wrong with you!” Barrett shakes his head.

“Yay! Another place to eat in town!” Maggie dances around, clapping her hands.

“That rocks, Uncle James! Can I get free food?” This from Grady with Cole, Tess and Barrett’s oldest son, nodding his head in agreement. Typical boys… or men, now.

“Boys!” Barrett commands, but he’s all smiles. He knows his kids. He knows they’re happy for me. “Seriously, man. This is great,” he says as he walks over and gives me a hug, nudging his wife out of the way only to hear her scoff at him.

“What’s happening?” Harper says, apparently completely oblivious to our entire conversation as she played with the dogs on the floor.

“Daddy,” I hear Lily say.

I look over at my baby girl. So grown up, no longer girl, but woman — but always and forever my girl in my eyes. Her eyes are filled with tears, but her smile shows me that her tears are only of happiness. Of pride that her dad is still willing to go after what he wants.

“I’m so proud of you. I know you’ve wanted this forever. Sacrificed everything and now…” She starts to full on cry, and standing next to Grady, he looks to the ceiling before pulling her into his arms like the awesome cousin, but more like big brother even though he’s four years younger. She cries on his shoulder for a few moments before I’m by her side, pulling her into my arms once again. She hugs me tighter than she’s ever hugged me before, and I relish in the moment of holding my favorite constant in my arms to celebrate this.

“Thank you, my sweet Lily Bug. Thank you,” I repeat to her, because it’s worth being said. Her happiness for me almost brings me to tears, but the sounds and noises around us of everyone talking and asking questions all at once has me brought back to reality pretty quickly.

I turn to Harper, who is still looking around the room completely confused. I bend down and crouch on my knees in front of her. “Harper. I bought a restaurant. It’s something I’ve wanted for a very, very long time. Has there ever been anything you wanted for as long as you can remember, and you finally got it?”

“Uh-huh! I wanted that bright pink Hula Hoop that had lights in it for-ev-er! And I still want bunkbeds for my room, but daddy said until I actually sleep in my room, I can’t get them.”

“Well, do you remember what it felt like when you finally got the Hula Hoop? Or what it will feel like when your dad builds you that set of bunkbeds you’ll get if you keep sleeping in your own room?”

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