Page 90 of Until August
“I don’t know. I guess…” He chewed on his lip, unsure. I gave him a smile, encouraging him to continue, and schooled my features so it wouldn’t show how much the answer mattered to me. “Would it be okay if I call you… Dad?”
His voice was so quiet, not much louder than a whisper, but even so, I heard it as loud and clear as if he’d shouted it.
My chest expanded, and my heart was so full it felt like it might burst, but I tempered my excitement. He’d sounded hesitant, and I didn’t want to come on too strong, so I kept my tone casual. “It would be more than okay. As long as you feel comfortable, I think it’s a good idea.”
“Okay. Dad,” he said, testing it out. “Dad. Dad. Dad. I just have to get used to it.”
I laughed. “Say it as many times as you want. I’m cool with that.”
“I mean, I might not say it right away. I have to practice first.”
I nodded, keeping my expression as serious as his. “Practice makes perfect. You’ll get the hang of it.” And man, did it feel good to have my son back. Being called “Dad” was a privilege that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Like so many privileges I’d lost in the last five years, I vowed to never take it for granted again.
“Can I get tattoos like yours?” he asked a little while later.
What I heard:Can I be just like you when I grow up? Maybe he didn’t mean it that way, but that was how I chose to see it.
This kid had no idea how much his words meant to me, but I didn’t want to scare him by attaching too much meaning to it, so I kept it simple. “When you’re older, sure. If you still want them.”
“How old do I have to be?”
“Eighteen.”
“Eighteen? But that’s like a million years from now.”
I chuckled. To a seven-year-old, it probably seemed that way. “It’s only ten and a half years.”
“It’s still a long time,” he said glumly.
“You’ll be surprised how fast time flies. Speaking of time, I have to get you home now.”
“Can I stay over at your house sometimes?”
“Sure, you can. We have a whole summer ahead of us.”
“Yeah. I’ll havelotsof time. Will you take me camping?”
“You want to go camping?”
He nodded vigorously. “I want to sleep in a tent. And I want to go out on a boat and see dolphins. And…”
All the way to his house, he named the thousand and one things he wanted to do during his summer vacation. I was preoccupied with figuring out how to make every one of his wishes come true when Sasha answered the door and dumped an ice-cold bucket of water over my head.
Not literally. But it felt like it.
“Sage, say goodbye to your dad now. I have to talk to him.”
At least she was referring to me as his dad. A step in the right direction.
I ruffled Sage’s hair, and unable to resist, I pulled him into another hug. “I’ll see you soon.”
He smiled when I released him. “Yeah. We’re gonna make burgers.” His eyes widened. “Hey. Maybe we can make them on a campfire.”
“That sounds like a good plan.” No idea where the hell I’d get a tent or the time off to go on a camping trip, but I’d figure it out.
“Go on inside and brush your teeth,” Sasha said. With a wave of goodbye, he did as he was told. When Sage was out of earshot, Sasha pulled the door closed behind her and turned to face me. “You’re late.”
