I stared at my mom, but I wasn’t surprised. Part of me wished I were and I wasn’t that hurt by her words. “You know, that’s the problem, Mom. You’ve only ever been concerned about how everything is so difficult for you.” I shook my head as I glanced at my Dad. “I’m doing better. In case you guys actually care. I’m doing good at school. I have friends and I’ve met a wonderful man who knows what happened to me. So those are the things that haven’t turned out bad. I hope one day I can say the same thing about us.”
My father pressed his lips to the back of his fingers, still staring out into the garden. I took one more look at them and turned to my mom. She met my stare with a steady one, but fine lines started to show at the corners of her lips. No matter how unaffected she looked, I knew I had nettled her.
“I didn’t come here to make you two feel bad,” I said, swallowing. “That isn’t what this is about. I needed to say something, finally. And I need you guys to know that I forgive you, but don’t ever expect that you can tell me what to do with my life ever again.”
She held my gaze a moment longer and then looked away, her jaw line tight. I gave them both a few seconds to say something, but silence crept between us. So be it.
I walked toward the door, my back straight and my head high. It wasn’t forced. It was real. Another weight lifted off my chest, leaving only one thing left to do. But that was tomorrow and today—today was a good day.
Smiling slightly, I walked through the formal sitting room. On my way out, I grabbed a throw pillow that probably cost a month of rent and tossed it onto the floor. Childish? Yes. Did it make me feel good? Oh yeah.
As I stepped out onto the porch, I saw that Cam was outside of the car, his baseball cap pulled low as he inspected the water fountain. My smile widened as I saw him run his hand through the water.
He turned and when he spotted me, he jogged around the car and met me halfway. “How’d it go?”
“Ah…” I stretched up, tilting my head to the side so that I could move in under his cap. I kissed him. “It went as expected.”
His hands immediately landed on my hips, a sure sign that the quick kiss had affected him, even standing in front of my parents’ house. “Want to tell me about it?”
“Over dinner?” I stepped back, and he caught my hand. “I’m going to take you to Chuy’s—”
“Avery?”
Cam stiffened, his grip on my hand tightening as I turned toward the sound of my dad’s voice. He was halfway across the porch, coming straight for us.
“If he says something ignorant, I cannot promise I will not lay him out right here, right now,” Cam warned in a low voice.
I squeezed his hand. “Hopefully that won’t become an issue.”
“Just saying,” he muttered.
We waited for my dad to reach us. He took in Cam and where our hands were joined.
“This is Cameron Hamilton,” I introduced, because it seemed rude not to. “Cam, this is my father.”
Cam extended his free hand, but his jaw was tight and his eyes were an icy blue. “Hi.”
My father shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Cam said nothing.
“What’s up, Dad?” I asked.
His eyes met mine for a second and then flickered away. Up close like this, in the harsh sunlight of the Texas sun, I saw how much my father had aged. In that moment, I realized that what had happened had taken its toll on him. He, unlike my mom, hadn’t covered it through numerous procedures and makeup.
My dad took a deep breath and then said, “You know what I’ve missed most of all? I miss watching you dance.”
Chapter 32
Over dinner, I filled Cam in on the conversation I had with my parents. I thought he might launch his steak knife into a wall when I told him about my mom’s attitude.
“Really,” I said. “I’m not surprised. She’s always been… cold and it just got worse over the years.”
Cam’s jaw flexed. “You’re nicer than me.”
I shrugged. He wouldn’t think that if he was party to my internal dialogue. “I’m glad I talked to them. And Dad? The whole dance thing was his way of showing some level of regret. At least he got what I was saying, you know?”
He nodded. “So how do you feel about it?”
Good question. I sat back. “I don’t really feel anything. I mean, like I said, I’m glad I did it, but I don’t know. It’s like having to go to the dentist. You don’t want to do, but you know you have to, and afterward, you’re just glad you did it.”
Reaching over the table, he spread his hand over mine. “You still want to see Molly tomorrow?”
“Yes.” I’d gone through my email after we’d booked our tickets and found one from her. Wasn’t hard. There had been many. I sent her a quick note explaining that I’d be in town and I wanted to see her. I’d been partly surprised when she responded within the hour saying yes. “I still want to see her.”
Cam looked away, jaw tight. He wasn’t big on the idea, but he was supporting me nonetheless. This was one of the moments that I realized how lucky I was to have run into him in the hallway outside of astronomy. I needed to realize that more often.
And I needed him, like needed him.
I didn’t want to talk about my parents or my impending visit with Molly any longer. I wanted to show Cam how much I did love him. Not because it was what I thought was expected of me, but because it was what I wanted.