Page 78 of Once Upon A Player
Dad strolls down the driveway toward me, and before I can get out of the car, he opens the door.
“Everything all right?”
I haven’t told him or Mum about what happened on Thursday night, so I just nod.
“Look.” I show him the documents, and he frowns at them as though he’s bemused. “I’mfinallylegally changing my name, so I’ll be a legit Henderson.”
He gives a strange smile, as though I’ve just hurt him, and brushes a curl off my cheek, the way he used to when I was a little girl.
“You’ve always been a legit Henderson to me.” There’s a catch in his voice that makes my heart ache. “You probably don’t remember, but I tried to adopt you when I married your mum.”
Of course I remember…
“But I didn’t need that bit of paper, Vi. You’re my daughter in every way that counts. You know that, don’t you?”
I sniff back the stupid tears that are clogging my throat. “Yes, I know.” I get out of the car and wrap my arms around him, and he holds me close. It’s been way too long since we hugged like this.
My dad.
We’re watching TV in the sitting room after dinner. Not that Mum managed to eat anything, although she pretended to.
Three more days…
I swallow and focus on the TV.
“Not going out tonight?” Mum’s subtext is clear.Not seeing Lucas tonight?
Or is that me being oversensitive?
“No.” I still haven’t decided whether to call him or not. Every time I waver, I remember the way he said it.
Like he expected an apology from me.
“I see Lucas is doing a press conference at the King’s Crest Hotel tomorrow,” Dad says, as he scrolls down his tablet.
“Violet, I hope you’re not staying in tonight because of me.” Mum has a pinched expression on her face, and before I can stop myself, the words are out there.
“No, of course not. I’m meeting him after the press conference tomorrow.”
I sound so convincing, even I almost believe my lie.
“Oh, that’s nice.” She relaxes and sighs. “You want to spend as much time together as possible before he leaves.”
“You’re still together?” Dad gives me a quick glance.
“Yes, of course we are.”Are we?Even if we’re not, I’m not telling them right before Mum’s due to go in for her surgery. She doesn’t need to worry about me, on top of everything else. “Things are, you know, hectic.”
Is that why he hasn’t called me, then? Because he’s been too busy?
If he wanted to find the time, he would’ve.
“He seems a nice bloke,” Dad concedes. “Genuine.”
I really don’t want to talk about Lucas, but it’ll be suspicious if I change the subject. “Yes, he is.”
My whole chest hurts, and I wrap my arms around a cushion and hug it hard, but it doesn’t help ease the ache in my heart.
Nice. It was the first thing I thought about him after we got to know each other.
