“There was a time when I didn’t believe that. When I didn’t believe I deserved or could have everything.”
“I know, kid.” Dad’s voice breaks, and he wipes at his eyes with his one hand, the other one still firmly clasped around my arm. “I know that.”
“I don’t feel that way anymore. Not at all. And it’s thanks to you and Mom and Em, but it’s also thanks to Caleb. He makes me believe I can have it all. He makes mewantit all.” My words hang between us for a moment, and I can tell there’s a battle going on inside Dad, like he’s tornbetween the image of me as a boy who needed him in one way and a grown man, who now needs him differently. “I just don’t wanna see you get hurt,” he eventually murmurs.
“I don’t want that either. I don’t think I will, though. Not by him. But you know what? It doesn’t scare me, the possibility of getting hurt. What scares me, Dad, is all the things I’ll miss out on if I don’t put myself out there and take a chance on life.” I suck in a clipped breath. “Some people are just worth the risk, worth everything. I don’t think that’s such a foreign concept to you either.”
“You can’t compare your mom and me to you and him. It’s different.”
“How is it different? Because of the age thing? Because he’s your best friend? Those are just circumstances, external factors. They’ve got nothing to do with how I feel about Caleb and how he feels about me. I didn’t plan this, nor did he. It happened, and I don’t regret it, not for a single second. I’ll never regret him, even if we’re not a forever thing. He treats me well, Dad. Like, really fucking good. I’ve…” The next part is hard, but it needs to be said. “I’ve never been happier than with him. He’s the final step of my journey.”
Dad sighs, slumping his shoulders. He mumbles something under his breath that’s lost in the rush of the waves. When he looks up, I find understanding and acceptance in his eyes. “Then that’s all I need to know, kid. The rest… I’ll work on the rest.” A wistful smile tugs at Dad’s lips. “I’ll work on the rest with Caleb.”
My chest expands with relief. “Yeah?”
“Of course, Kayden. I just…” Dad shakes his head, his smile widening. “It just kinda took your old man by surprise, you know? Never saw it coming in a million years.”
I smile too. “Yeah, me neither, Dad. Me neither. But here we are.”
“Yes, here we are.” Dad looks at me like he’s seeing me for the first time. His voice is filled with nostalgia when he continues, “Shit, where did the time go? It feels like only just yesterday that you stood here next to me in your Nemo swim trunks.”
I laugh at the memory. “I know. I loved those.”
“You did. So much you wanted to sleep in them, too. You got so mad when we tried to get you into your pajamas at night. One tantrum after another. Right until—” Dad stops mid-sentence, something flaring in his eyes.
“Until what?”
“Until Caleb went out and got you those Nemo pajamas.”
“Hegot them for me?” They were my favorite, but I didn’t know Caleb got them for me. I slept in them for years, even long after they got too small.
“Yeah, he never could say no to you,” Dad mumbles. “You always had him wrapped around your little finger.”
I blush at Dad’s words because I know he’s right. Caleb would’ve done anything for me back then, just like he will now. Just like I’ll do anything for Caleb, because I love him.
A dull pain thumps in my chest. “He misses you, Dad.”
Dad’s expression hardens a little, then he sighs deeply. “We’ll be okay. I, uhm… I miss that asshole too.”
“Jesus, Dad.”
“What?”
I shake my head, the cool water licking at my legs. “Nothing.”
Without another word, Dad pulls me against him and wraps me in his arms. The hug is tentative at first, but once I relax against him, he squeezes me closer, holding me tightly against him. I bury my face against his shoulder and breathe him in. The scent of grass, motor oil, and the ocean engulfs me. The scent of all things I associate with safety, home, and love. Gratitude surges through me. In a world of lesser men, I was blessed with two of the very best of them. “I love you, kid. More than anything. You know that, right?”
“I know, Dad. I love you, too.”
“You and your mom… You’re the best part of my life.” He trembles against me. “I thank my lucky stars for you every day.”
“I thank my lucky stars for you and Mom, too.”
We stay like that, hugging each other right up until Spirit barks from the shore. We look up at the same time, then burst into laughter. Spirit beams at us, one paw resting on the piece of driftwood in her usualI licked it, it’s minefashion, her partner in crime long gone.
I groan, tipping my head back. “You know we’re gonna have to carry that piece of wood home with us?”
“I know,” Dad hums, shaking his head. “C’mon, K. I’ve got a couple of cold ones waiting for us.”