“I found her under the covers trying to call you.”
I close my eyes and it feels like someone kicked me in the balls, and then came back to kick me in the mouth after I fell to my knees to cup my balls. “What did you tell her?”
“You were at work, and you would call her when you weren’t busy. It’s totally normal for a parent to go away for work. Your dad used to do it.”
“I know, but I didn’t. He didn’t come into my life after deserting me for four years,” I groan.
“You didn’t desert her, and I see what Sofia was talking about being dramatic with the family.”
She softly giggles. “Go take a shower, and you can call her tomorrow. Then she can guilt-trip you and you can come home and bring all the stuffies you find in the airport.”
“Should I order them now?” I ask, and her eyes go big.
“That was sarcasm,” she retorts. “You aren’t going to buy her anything because then she is going to think that she is going to get something every time you go away.”
“But she will,” I assure her and she rolls her eyes.
“Goodbye,” she says, “call me tomorrow.”
“Night, baby.” I look at her and she disconnects. I order some food before taking a shower and eat in my bed before going to sleep. “This is my life,” I say, hunkering under the covers.
I don’t even know when I fall asleep, but the phone ringing fills the room.
I sit up in bed, looking around before I realize where I am. I get the phone and see that it’s Avery calling me. I press the connect button and see her sitting in the car. “Dad,” she says, her voice high.
“See, Momma, I told you he would answer.”
“Hey,” I say, lying back down in the bed, “how are you, my beautiful girl?”
“Good, I’m at daycare,” she reports, and the back door opens and she jumps out.
“Already? Okay, have a great day,” I tell her and she hands the phone to Addison.
“Why didn’t you call me?” I ask her.
“Because I knew you would be sleeping, and if you are anything like me, you tossed and turned all night long, so I was being nice.”
“You missed me.” I smile into the phone.
“I have to go,” she deflects. “Say bye.”
“Bye, Dad, call me tonight,” Avery says, and then the phone hangs up. I lie back down in the bed, turning to the side and seeing it’s just after eight. I get up and get dressed to go to work, grabbing a cup of coffee right before walking back into the office. The joy I used to get walking into the office feels like it’s gone.
I nod at the receptionist, who greets me when I walk in. Most people aren’t even in yet, so I go through the mail I have on my desk. By the time Levi gets in, we get back into the war room, and just
like the night before, it’s after nine when I finally look up. After lunch, I didn’t even see the time move. I felt like I looked down at it after one in the afternoon, and then we started talking about our next client. It would be a big one that would keep me working for days on end. I am not going to lie. I was itching to get started, especially since I was the one who wanted this company.
Everyone gets up, this time slower than yesterday. I look down and see I don’t have any missed calls, but I have a video. I grab my stuff and head to my office, sitting down and opening Addison’s text. I press play on the video, and Avery’s face fills the phone.
“Hi, Dad. It’s me, Avery. I’m going to bed, and Momma won’t let me call you because you’re busy.” Her voice trails off sadly. “Call me tomorrow. I love you.” She gives the camera her princess wave before it turns off. My hands grip the phone as my eyes close.
“We fly out tomorrow morning at six thirty,” Levi says, sticking his head into my office. “Meeting starts at eight sharp.”
“Sounds good,” I say, getting up and putting the phone in my back pocket, “then we've got to talk,”
I tell him, and he just looks at me, nodding. “Let’s nail this client, and then we talk, yeah?”
addison
. . .
“I s Dad coming back tonight?” Avery asks me when she gets on the chair in the kitchen. It’s been four days since he’s been gone. Four long fucking days. Four days I’ve felt like I’m in a daze.
Four days I’ve felt like the hours are years. I went four years without him, and now I can’t even go four days without him. It’s insane and also something I will never, ever admit freely.