Page 23 of Going the Distance
“I hope when you say ‘we,’ you mean ‘they,’ because we all know you can’t bake, bud.”
“I mean ‘they.’ ” I smiled. “But, yeah, anyway, it was all really good. Becca—that’s Levi’s sister—she was telling me all about his ex-girlfriend. And then Levi told me that his dad had prostate cancer.”
“Oh, Christ. Is he okay now?”
“Levi said he’s in remission, but his dad lost his job and stuff, too.”
“That’s gotta be tough on them.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m guessing this is why you’re thinking about your mom a lot, then.”
I nodded, and Dad said, “Sounds like you two are becoming good friends. I’m glad to hear it, too—Lee hasn’t been around much lately.”
There was a note of reproach in his voice I didn’t fail to notice.
“He’s got Rachel now. And football.”
“And Noah’s not around either.”
I was never really sure if my dad completely approved of Noah as my boyfriend. But he never said too much about it—he said he was just happy I was happy.
Although, I’m not sure “happy” was exactly how I felt right now. I’d still barely heard from Noah all day. I was trying not to think about the missed call and texts he’d not returned, telling myself he had to be asleep.
Dad sighed heavily, with a concerned frown behind his glasses. “Is everything okay, bud?”
Not really.
But I couldn’t handle thinking about that right now. Things with Lee were…well, they’d go back to normal, or this would start to feel normal at some point. Noah would be home for Thanksgiving soon, and maybe even for the Sadie Hawkins dance, if I could work up the courage to ask him. College would work itself out, and so would a job. It’d all be totally fine.
“Sure it is. I’m just tired. I’d better get to bed. Night, Dad.”
“Good night, Elle.”
Instead of hearing him leave the office, though, I heard the cabinet door opening and the rustle of pages as he took the old photo album back out. And I was pretty sure I heard him sniffle.
