Page 42 of The Rules Of Attraction
Preston polished off the last bit of food on his plate, pushed his chair back and stood.
“I got to run,” he said.
“Okay.” Dad answered without looking up from his plate. He’d barely touched the food.
“Hey kid.” Preston said referring to me. I didn’t know why he still felt the need to call me that. He was only two years older than me. It wasn’t as if there was such a massive age difference. “Don’t stress the old man out.”
I watched Preston place his plate in the dishwasher then leave.
With him gone I returned my gaze back to my father. I watched him cut his food up in several pieces in a mindless fashion.
“Penny for your thoughts.” I stated breaking the silence. Mom always said that.
He looked at me with a flicker of appreciation in his eyes. “I’m not really in the talking mood, Alex.”
“I can see that. But we gather every Thursday to spend time with each other. Mom would have told you off by now for your sour mood.” I smiled. “She’s not going to like that you wasted a perfectly good evening in a bad mood, and I will tell her how you ignored me.”
“I miss her,” Dad said.
It wasn’t often that he showed his feelings. What he presented to the world was this bad ass lawyer. Few people saw this side of him.
My father didn’t, and wouldn’t connect with Preston this way, although he thought the guy was perfect.
“Me too.” I agreed.
He poured himself another glass of wine taking the bottle down to half.
“I miss her presence, and having her here.”
“But she’ll be back in approximately seven weeks.”
“Seven weeks, three days and ten hours. Her plane lands at ten am on the fifth of June.”
“Okay, you win, you miss her more than me.” I chuckled.
I expected a laugh or something but all he did was tap the bottle and looked at it with sadness. He did really miss her.
Thirty five years of marriage and I’d never known my parents to act any other way than in love with each other.
My mother was an art professor who also had her own art work she indulged in. She did the most amazing oil paintings but what was more breathtaking were her sculptures. We had a garden here that was alive with them. I used to play in it when I was a kid and pretend that her fairytale like creatures were part of some adventurous world.
She taught the Bachelor of Arts program here at the University of Illinois, but travelled to France every year for the last three months of the program with her students. Since Mom was originally from France she always looked forward to this time of year.
My father on the other hand always got soppy from the minute she said goodbye at the airport.
I didn’t think I’d ever seen him like this though.
Tonight there was a lost look in his eyes that I didn’t like.
“Dad geez, she’ll be back soon. Cheer up garcon amoureux.” I laughed.
“You’re calling me lover boy?” That made him smile.
“You should see your face. You look like you lost your foot.”
“Wait till you fall in love son.”
I had to laugh at the absurdity. I couldn’t imagine falling in love. I could imagine having a family maybe but I didn’t think the part about being in love was possible.
