I shrug and take another drink. "It's nice having you here."
"I'm up for discharge in a couple of months," he says over the brim of his mug. "I'm thinking about taking it."
"Are you really?"
He nods. "I am. I always thought I'd stay in until I retired, but I miss home. I miss having a normal life."
"You and I both."
He nods knowingly.
"Yeah, well, I probably just fucked up everything. I guess I should really start defining a new normal.”
I feel the stress I'd managed to avoid for a while return. I stretch my neck, willing the kinks to go away.
“Have you heard from Dad?” Ford asks.
“He showed up with Linc. I haven’t seen him since I got here though. Fuck knows what he’s going to say.”
"Look, Barrett, I know how Dad can be. But if whatever you said today is what you believe, then by God say it. I've seen people in places you can't imagine that never get the opportunity to speak their minds or stand for anything. You can."
"I know," I sigh. "And you're right. Politically and career-wise, I've done what I think is best. I just hope it doesn't cause a rift in our family."
"It won't." He slaps me on the back. "And now's the time you're gonna find out."
"What do you mean?"
"Dad's here." He walks away from me and into the foyer. I hear him greet our father. After a few minutes, Lincoln joins them and their laughter floats into the kitchen where I'm still standing. Finally, they all make their way to me. My father stops in the doorway, his face now somber.
"Barrett? Can I speak to you a minute alone?"
I shove off the cabinet and follow him through the foyer and out the front door. My father doesn't say anything as we walk, just surveys the grounds like we're taking a Sunday stroll. The nonchalance finally gets to me.
"Dad?"
He stops in his tracks and looks at me.
I sigh, looking at the ground. I shove my hands in my pockets and feel my shoulders fall.
"Barrett, son, I'm sorry I failed you."
"What?" My head whips to him. He's watching me, lines creasing his face.
"I never realized you didn't want to do this, not the way I pushed you to do it. I trusted Nolan and the team because they'd been with us forever.” His eyes blur with unshed tears. “I left you to the wolves, son. I should've been more involved and helped you navigate this. This is my fault."
"Dad, no. It's not."
"It is. I won't lie—I was mad as hell at first. Then your mother sat me down, and we had a long talk and . . .” He shakes his head, his eyes sorrowful. "And I take full responsibility for this. You are my son and you're the best son a man could want."
His voice breaks and I can't take it. I pull him into a hug and fight not to cry. I've never seen my father like this and I don't know what to do.
"Dad. Stop. It's fine."
He sniffles and pulls away, wiping his eye with a handkerchief. "It's fine because you're a lot smarter than me. I've always known you were a better version of me, Barrett. But, even then, I didn't understand what kind of a man you’ve become. I couldn't be more proud of you today. Whether you win or lose, you won in my eyes for standing up to everyone . . . including your old man."
I can't say anything. I just stand there, feeling like a little boy that brought home a good report card. It's silly, yet it's the best feeling I've ever had.
"Barrett!" Graham shouts from the porch, Linc at his side with a shit-eating grin. They point down the driveway and I see a little red car, sounding like a bucket of screws, ambling towards us.
I take off running to the driveway and am at her door before she even gets it stopped. I pull it open and her into my arms. She melts into me, her arms around my waist.
A million things want to come out of my mouth, but none of them do. None of them can. I’m afraid to say the wrong thing, to get too serious too fast, or to apologize when I shouldn’t. If I can just hold her, make her feel what I want to say, that might work best.
Hux gets out of the passenger seat and grins.
“Thank you,” I mouth to him, reaching a hand out and motioning for him to come to me. Instead, he waves, and runs straight for Lincoln.
I can’t help but laugh and realize this is the way things should be. Whether I win or not, this is my world being right.
Ali pulls back and I try to fight her on it, not wanting to spoil the moment, but eventually, I let her. Her eyes are filled with tears, a nervous smile on her face.
“I love you,” I say, looking as deeply in her soul as I can. “I love you so much. I—”
“And I love you. I’m sorry for running.”
“I understand.”
“No,” she says, shaking her head. “I should’ve had faith in you. I should’ve been stronger. I told you to believe in yourself and then I didn’t. No, I did,” she rambles, “I just—”
I kiss her lips, effectively silencing her with a simple gesture that’s more to tell her it doesn’t matter than anything else. “I should’ve listened to you. I should’ve believed in me and just done things the way I knew they should be done before today.”