揇ude. You抮e such a dad. Maybe it抯 an old people thing桰 don抰 know梑ut even the freakin?high school boys know apologizing over a voicemail isn抰 apologizing at all.?
I glower, wishing whatever the hell happened with Eliza could be as simple as young love.
She shakes her head tiredly.
揧ep. Definitely an old guy thing. But Eliza isn抰 that old. You抳e got to wizen up if you want her back. She抯 younger than you and she doesn抰 know what dating was like before the wall fell.?
揋ood, because I never heard of anyone taking dating advice from East Germans. And you said apologizing isn抰 apologizing.?
揘o, I said apologizing over voicemail isn抰 apologizing. Key difference.?
揥hy not? I said I was sorry.?
She looks at me like I抦 on fire and she isn抰 sure if she wants to put me out.
揜ight, in the crummiest way ever. You could mean it梠r it could just be convenient. You didn抰 even talk to her. Have you tried meeting her in person??
揑 wanted to, but it hasn抰 been in the cards. And shouldn抰 I simply respect her space??
揢mm桰抳e only ever had one boyfriend棓
揥ho??I bite off.
The little prick had better hope he抯 another imaginary college kid, for his sake.
I remember how I was at fifteen, and I sure as hell don抰 want any boy like me chasing my daughter.
揇ad, focus. If he basically called me a loser and ghosted梥orry, 'respected my space'桰抎 just assume it was over.?
揑 didn抰 call her a loser. Not once,?I clip.
揘o, but you implied she lives in a warzone where bikers shoot at mafia dudes every day for their drug money.?
揌ardly.?I stare at her.
揓eez, I saw it in a movie once… Anyhow, you crapped the bed. You made her feel like less, like she was stupid for taking care of me. You came off like a big gross snob.?
揧ou two keep twisting my words,?I say bitterly. 揧ou抳e known me my whole life, Destiny. Have you ever heard me shit on the homeless even once? Have you forgotten the times I brought you to my charity events, where I gladly served them coffee myself? I could抳e easily passed it off to a subordinate.?
揧eah, well. Not until that day at Eliza抯 place棓
揥hen I was upset梖urious梩hat my beloved daughter was robbed and assaulted??I exhale slowly. 揧ou and Eliza can call me a Scrooge on steroids, but facts are facts. There抯 no denying the fact that crimes are sharply higher there, and wherever there抯 more crime, the more you抮e likely to be a victim. Numbers don抰 lie.?
She sighs. 揧ou are so determined to screw this up, aren抰 you??
揑抦 not,?I flare, unsure why I抦 taking love advice from my fifteen-year-old daughter. I punch down the privacy screen. 揟om, take us back to the office.?
揥ill do, Mr. Lancaster.?
By the time he抯 turning around, the rain is moving in sheets. If I stuck my hand out the window, I抎 barely see it in this mess.
揗r. Lancaster,?Tom says a minute later.
揧eah??
揑f this weather gets much worse, I might need to pull over for safety.?
I nod when he looks back in the rearview mirror, but I抦 not feeling generous.
揋oddamned great,?I mutter. 揘ow I抦 going to be delayed by weather.?
揋ood news梥he抣l be delayed by the rain too if she抯 leaving,?Destiny says. 揃ut why are we going back to the office? How will that solve anything??
揝he works fourteen-hour days. It抯 a miracle if she ever ducks out before seven o抍lock unless I make her. I抣l simply catch her there and apologize right now. I抣l make this right.?I pause. 揂nd you, young lady, are staying in the car.?
揘ot fair!?she hisses.
I nod firmly, holding in a chuckle.
Grinning, Destiny reaches across the car and hugs me with all her might.
At least I抳e won one of my girls back.
揥hat was that about??I say.
She stays in my arms, though, just like she used to when she was a little girl. 揃ecause. I don抰 want Eliza to stop talking to me just because you were a mammoth jerk棓
揅ome on. I don抰 think she抎 shut you out.?
揝he hasn抰 texted since we left her house that day…？Destiny looks down.
揑 suppose that was my fault,?I admit. 揑 told her you weren抰 allowed to talk to her. I scared her away when she was just trying to help.?
I feel a phantom boot pressing into my gut.
She goes quiet before raking me with a slow, worried look.
揑抳e also been worried about you, Dad. Like what happens when I go off to college? You抣l be all alone. I hated the thought, but then you found Eliza and I just…I thought you抎 finally be okay.?
My daughter has the heart of an angel.
I hug her, stroking her hair like I did when she was a toddler. I抦 perfectly aware I don抰 have many moments like this left.