After a few turns down various corridors, I locate room 4005 and give a soft knock to announce my presence just before I push the door open.
The first thing that greets me is the sound of feminine laughter, and as I step in past the door, I immediately see Midge Payne sitting in a chair next to the bed. With a brief glance, I note she’s as beautiful as ever, completely polished and regal looking even in faded jeans, a pair of loafers with a low heel, and a mint-green sleeveless blouse that showcases youthful looking arms despite her age.
My gaze slides left and my dad’s there, beaming up at me. “There she is,” he exclaims exuberantly, and I have to admit… he looks damn good. I can’t believe he was on the verge of a heart attack just yesterday, but his cheeks are colored and his eyes are bright.
“Welcome back, Emma,” Midge says as she stands from her chair. In a move so shocking I’m actually dizzy for a moment, she takes two strides over to me and gives me a hug. “I know you were really worried about your dad and this has been really stressful on you the last several hours.”
I can do nothing but nod numbly as she releases me.
I watch as she steps back, cuts a glance to my dad that’s warm and caring, and I note my dad gives her the same look in return.
“Okay, what in the hell is going on here?” I ask with narrowed eyes on my dad.
His head snaps my way and a look of guilt crosses his face. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” I drawl with exaggeration, “what is going on between you two?”
I’m met with dead silence, but a quick glance to Midge shows me there’s not an ounce of guilt on her face, just slight amusement.
“I know there’s something going on,” I say stubbornly, looking directly at my dad as I dare him to not give me the truth. “I mean… Midge came with you to the hospital, and she’s still here now, and you just gave each other ‘the look,’ and I know something’s going on.”
“There’s nothing—” my dad starts to say, but Midge cuts him off.
“Oh, just go ahead and tell her, Cary,” Midge says with a wave of her hand his way. “Emma’s a smart girl and a tough cookie. She can handle it.”
“Handle what?” I grit out, slightly annoyed that Midge is even involved in this conversation but not taking my eyes off my dad.
Finally, he lifts his chin with determination and admits, “Midge and I are seeing each other.”
My eyebrows shoot sky high, even though I suspected something like this in the last few minutes after I saw ‘the look’. “How long?”
“Just a few months,” my dad says guardedly, and his tone of voice makes my chest tighten. I realize he’s afraid I’ll be mad that he’s dating.
That is totally not what annoys me. With a huff, I say, “Dad… it’s totally okay if you see someone. Mom’s been gone almost a year and she wouldn’t want you to be alone.”
“But you’re pissed,” he surmises.
“No,” I say slowly. “I’m annoyed you kept it from me. Seriously… I’m an adult. I can handle stuff like this.”
“Honey,” my dad points out the obvious. “You were really close to your mom.”
I resist the temptation to say the word “duh” in return, and instead say, “I was. But I love you too and I want you to be happy.”
And maybe that’s because I might be in love too, so I want everyone to feel the same and be happy.
A warm, tingling feeling of contentment fills me and yeah… I might be in love with Evan.
With a relieved smile, my dad holds his arms out to me and says, “Then how about getting over here and giving your old man a hug.”
A sideways glance at Midge, and I’m surprised to see a gentle smile on her face. I’d never equate the word “gentle” and “Midge” together, yet that’s what I get.
I smile back at her, figuring I’ll deal with what this all means—my dad dating my boss who’s probably a good fifteen years old than him—at a later time.
Instead, I hurry to the bed and give my dad a long hug.
?
“And oh my God… you should see the way they look at each other,” I say into the phone as I absently stir my coffee. “It’s like they’re all googly-eyed at each other.”
Evan laughs into the phone and damn… I miss that sound so much. It doesn’t sound nearly as nice over a phone as it does in person though.
“I should write a song about it,” he says with a chuckle. “I’ll call it The Googly-Eyed Song.”
Evan didn’t seem all that surprised when I filled him in on my dad and Midge. I’d come down to the hospital cafeteria for some coffee to help perk me up, and left my dad under the watchful but warm eye of Midge, who didn’t seem to have any desire to leave the hospital. After I’d settled into a booth, I’d called Evan and updated him on everything.
“So did you know about them?” I ask with some slight suspicion as I think back on the fact he didn’t seem surprised.
“Not at all,” he says firmly. “But honestly… it makes sense now.”