Page 35 of The Love of My Next Life
“See you tomorrow, Leonard,” he answers with a smirk, then he turns on his heel, walks across the street and heads down the block toward the supermarket. I know he parks his car there, since everyone thinks that’s where he works, but I don’t know what his plans are for the rest of the night.
Is he going to get high? Will he at least be safe if he decides to drink? Is he meeting with Sam?
The last one bothers me the most, and I hate it.
On the drive home, I listen to “Sisters of the Moon” three times and tell myself that what I feel for Macon is platonic. My concern is that of a friend.
Maybe Macon and I are becoming friends.
And I’m not at all jealous.
* * *
“Good morning, Dad,”I say cheerily. He sits at the counter drinking his coffee with a tablet in front of him, no doubt reading some sort of news source. It’s so nice to see him here after two weeks filled with the niggling reality that he could not return.
“Morning, Pumpkin.” He smiles at me over his coffee cup. “You driving yourself or is Claire coming to scoop you up?”
I grab a glass from the cabinet and the OJ from the fridge, filling my glass to the brim.
“Claire will be here soon,” I tell him before taking a drink. Then I smile. “She knows you’re home, so she’ll probably come in to bother you.”
“She’s no bother.” He chuckles. “With as much time as you’ve spent together growing up, she’s like a daughter to me.”
I smile at the thought, but then reconsider.
“You know, Dad,” I say, “I love Claire and all, but I’m glad she’s my friend and not my sister. I don’t know if I could handle living with her 24/7.”
Before Dad can reply, I hear the front door open and flash him a grin.
“Speak of the devil,” I joke, just as Claire comes barreling into the kitchen and tackles my dad in a hug. He grunts and acts like he’s lost his balance, but we both know he’s faking it.
“Sir, hello, Sir,” she greets when she pulls away. “You an admiral yet?”
She raises an eyebrow at him as she walks to me and steals my juice. When Dad doesn’t answer her, like usual, she shakes her head and pretends to be disappointed.
“Slacker.”
Dad barks out a laugh and his eyes crinkle at the sides, drawing my attention to the other fine lines on his face, the silvering of the hair at his temples.
My dad is still young, but this life has aged him. Sometimes I forget that.
He and my mom got married young and had me younger. But even after becoming a single father in his twenties, my dad still managed to complete his master’s degree in international affairs and excel in his military career. He’s technically a reservist, now, but I know there’s more to it that he doesn’t tell me. Six-month deployments are difficult on any family, but they’re almost impossible for a single parent. After Mom, Dad had to take a giant step back from the career that he loves.
Claire teases him about being an admiral all the time, despite the fact that he’s far too young, but I think, deep down, it bothers him that it’s an honor he’ll likely never achieve. Maybe if it weren’t for Mom...
If it weren’t forme.
I pull myself out of my thoughts and tune back into Claire and Dad’s conversation. She’s telling him about school and how she needs me to go to an in-state college with her. My dad laughs her off.
“Has Lenny told you about Eric yet?” Claire blurts, and I widen my eyes in shock at her as Dad whips his attention to me.
“Who is Eric, Lennon?” he asks, his voice curious and his eyebrow raised.
I send Claire a scowl. She sends me a very Macon-like smirk.
“He’s just a friend, Dad,” I say, and before Claire can out me anymore, I come clean. “We went on one date last weekend, and he asked me to wear his away jersey to the home game on Friday. He’s kissed me on the cheek. The end.”
“Hmmm.” He studies me, and I brace myself for what I know is coming. “I want to meet him.”
