Page 78 of Bringing Home the Bacon
“I think so.” He squints as he thinks. “Richard and Joanne?”
“That’s right.” I nod. “Richard and Joanne. And their kids Trent and Autumn too. They’ve been there for me since I was fifteen years old. They took me in when I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”
“I’ll have to pay them a visit sometime and thank them,” he says.
“Richard just passed,” I tell him. “But he was a good man. A ‘family man’ to use your words.”
A flash of hurt—or maybe just acceptance—flashes across my father’s face. It’s not my intention to hurt him. But after all these years, these things need to be said.
I continue, “Richard’s son, Trent, was the one who encouraged me to reach out to you. To get some of these things off my chest. He didn’t want me going into fatherhood with the past still dragging me down.”
“You’re going to be a father?” he says in surprise.
“I am.” I smile. “Next month. Two babies, actually. A boy and a girl.”
“Wow. Congratulations, kid.” His eyes actually well up. “Do, uh—Do a better job than I did, will ya?”
“I will.” I nod resolutely.
“Well…” Harold Senior says after a moment of silence. He gets to his feet with some effort. “I’ve taken up enough of your time for one night.”
I stand and follow him to the door. I open it for him.
“Thank you for coming to see me tonight, Dad. I imagine it took some courage on your part.”
“Maybe one of these days we’ll see each other again,” he says hopefully.
“Yeah, maybe.” I extend a hand to him. “Be safe out there.”
He shakes my hand, gives me a wink, and heads toward a beat-up truck parked a little way down the road.
As I watch him drive away, I don’t feel angry. I don’t feel resentful or lost or any of the other feelings that used to arise when I think of my father. I feel… peace. I think of Colleen and the family we’re creating together, and I’m more determined than ever to make things right.
Chapter 25
Colleen
I’m sitting in Gran’s kitchen with my laptop, dressed as nicely as I can manage in my uber-pregnant state.
Bacon never showed up at my apartment last night.
He said he’d be over in five minutes, and he never showed.
When I woke up this morning, all I had was this simple text:
Bacon
Something came up tonight. My head is spinning. Will talk tomorrow.
I came to Gran’s an hour ago to walk over to Bacon’s restaurant opening together, but now I’m wondering if he even wants me there. I’m not going to let that deter me from my plan, though. His head may be spinning, but mine is crystal clear now. We belong together. And today, I’m going to show him why.
I just need a very important package to arrive first.
Perhaps it’s telling that I forwarded my mail to Gran’s house this month instead of directly to my rental apartment. I couldn’t bring myself to make this living arrangement official in any way.
I check the shipping status on my book order for what has to be the hundredth time this hour.
The message still reads: Shipped. Due to arrive today by 4 p.m.
