Page 152 of Eleanor & Grey

“Greyson?”

“Yes?” I rotated around to look at him.

He brushed his hand under his nose and cleared his throat. “You’ll take care of her?”

“Yes, sir,” I promised. “For as long as we both shall live.”

59

Eleanor

On the anniversary of my mother’s death, I found a moment to give thanks to her because I knew she probably had a lot to do with bringing Greyson and me back together. I knew she always had a way of showing me her love.

“We should go to Laurie Lake,” Greyson suggested as he walked up and wrapped his arms around me. “You know, to celebrate her memory.”

“I’d really love that.”

The girls were at Claire’s house, so we made the drive to the lake, and as we approached, I felt calmness. It was as if I could sense her being there. As we began walking through the trees to our hidden oasis, my heart came to a halt as I looked up to see my father standing there with his back to me.

“Dad?” I asked, stunned and confused.

He turned and gave me the saddest smile. “Hey, Snickers,” he whispered. Surrounding him were wrapped boxes and a stack of card envelopes. In his hands was a novel and he waved it. “I finally got around to reading this Harry Potter thing you were always talking about. It’s pretty good.”

I tried to speak, but my voice cracked. When I tried again, it came out as a whisper. “What are you doing here?” I looked over at Greyson, who gave me a knowing grin. It was clear he’d had something to do with it.

“I think I left something in the car. I’ll be back,” Greyson said. I reached out to him, nervous and unsure of what to do, but he gently squeezed my hand. “You don’t have to forgive him, Ellie, but it’s okay to listen. You’ll be okay, and I’ll be around the corner at the car, ready and waiting for you, okay?”

I nodded. “Okay.”

He left us alone, and Dad kept alternating between looking at the water and looking at me. I moved in closer but still didn’t say a word. I had so many things I’d wanted to say to him, but nothing was coming out.

He coughed a little and brushed his hand against the back of his neck. “I think I’m a Ravenclaw, based on all the details. I’m guessing you’re a Hufflepuff, based on what I’ve read and what I know about you.”

“What is all this stuff?” I asked, looking around, as confused as ever.

“Oh, it’s…um, well, it’s…” His thoughts were jumbled, and I didn’t blame him. My thoughts were in the same state. “It’s sixteen birthday cards and sixteen Christmas gifts, for all the years I missed. I, um…” He scratched his head and then pounded his fist against his mouth. “I missed out on so much, and I know you aren’t going to forgive me for that, but I just wanted you to know that, I…I’m so sorry, Ellie.”

“You abandoned me,” I whispered. “You abandoned me for years, and you think some cards and gifts are going to make up for that? I didn’t want your gifts, Dad. I wanted you.”

“I know, I know, and I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I don’t know if I will ever get it, but I want to work at it. I want to do my best to earn you back into my life. Ellie, after your mother passed away, something inside me snapped. It completely broke, and I didn’t want to figure out how to put it back together. Seeing you…your smile, your eyes… Every part of your mother lives in you, and I wasn’t strong enough to deal with that. I wasn’t strong enough, and I screwed up, and I’m sorry. I know it doesn’t change all these years, but I am sorry for being a shit father. You deserve more than me.”

“Yes,” I agreed, “I do.”

He lowered his head, stung by my words.

“But, regardless of that fact, you’re still the only thing I’ve ever wanted.” When he looked up, tears were streaming down his cheeks, which in turn, made me cry.

“I’m a mess, Ellie.”

“I know you are. I’ve been a mess, too, and I’m not going to lie; I’m still really mad at you. I’m still hurting, and it’s going to take a long time for me to get to a place where I feel as if I can forgive you completely.”

“Yes. I understand.”

“But if you’re willing to try…” I offered.

His eyes lit up. “Yes, I am. I am more than willing. Anything it takes.”

“If we do this, we do it together,” I told him. “If we fall, we fall together. If we break, we shatter as one, but we don’t leave each other anymore, okay Dad? We fight for this. We fight for our family. We fight for us.”

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