The Reunion (Love Stories From a Small Town #5)

38. Happiness

Ikind of wished I was back in my apartment in the city again when I woke up in my tiny single bed.

Something about only going through the motions every day like a robot was comforting. That life I left behind when I moved back here may have been predictable and meaningless, but I only had myself to worry about.

Sometimes, I regretted not having a husband and a houseful of kids waiting for me. The idea of trying to keep everyone happy at the same time just seemed like a fantasy, though. And now that I’d screwed up again with the one man I ever imagined having any of that with, a happily ever after was even more of a stupid fairytale.

I spent the shower absentmindedly washing my hair too long while trying to figure out why I was really dragging my feet about this thing. Like I could just wash away all those fears and come out free to love Dom the way he deserved, I let the water run over me until I shivered.

After every swipe of my mascara or brush of my hair, I touched my phone’s screen to check for any messages from him.

I wasn’t surprised, though, when I only got my daily notification from the weather app. But knowing how much I hurt him and being terrified to find out what the consequences were going to be made me want to crawl back into bed and hide from the world for the next day or two.

The suitcase full of things I was going to take to the house yesterday was still sitting at the foot of my bed, and my fingers hesitated when I passed it to curl around the handle.

Giving in would have been so easy for me. It’s what I wanted, but that nagging thing in my belly made me walk away without it.

Dad was pouring my coffee when I entered the kitchen, and he smiled when I came through the doorway. “Good morning.”

I pulled the sugar from the cupboard and groaned as I unscrewed the top. “Is it?”

Already dressed for a day at the lake, he folded the sleeve of his flannel and peeked out the window. “Beautiful day to be alive.” I wrinkled my nose at him as I dumped a stream of sugar in my drink, and he bent his neck aside to torment me. “Who pissed on your leg already this morning?”

Stirring my coffee, I smirked at it and glanced up at him. “You’re not going to believe this,” — my cheek puffed as I shrugged — “or maybe you will, but Dom bought a house.” When he only widened his eyes and flipped up his hand, I blew the steam from my cup. “Let me rephrase that. He bought us a house, and when I didn’t immediately jump for joy, he got a little bent of shape about it.”

Slowly, he nodded as he rubbed at the inside of his cheek with his tongue. “I see.” Air rushed from his lips as he pondered it and jerked his shoulder. “Yeah, I can understand why he’d be upset with you right about now.”

I squinted at him from the other side of the cup, because that wasn’t even close to what I expected to hear from him. “Excuse me?” The mug slid back on the counter, and I poked my fingertip into my chest. “He stole my house out from under me without even asking me if it was okay or if I wanted to live with him. I think I’m the one who has the right to be upset.”

Peering at me from above his glasses, he gave me his disapproving stink face as he tucked his old red flip-style phone in his pocket. “That’s really what you have your panties in a twist about? That he surprised you with your dream house?” He laughed at me as he patted my shoulder and moved around me. “That may be the dumbest damn thing that’s ever come out of your mouth.”

The old freezer that sounded like a jet plane in the corner flipped open, and he pulled out a bag of ice as I jerked my eyes at him. “You don’t think his behavior is a little weird, at least?”

Letting the freezer slam shut, he sighed at me. “Faithy, not a week ago, you were blasting my ass for keeping the two of you apart.” The entire thing dropped on the table to break the ice block into bits, and he rolled up his shoulder. “And now you’re bitching because you’re together. I guess I don’t understand what the hell it is you want me to say.”

With a groan, he yanked the container up to the cooler and dumped it inside. “You got what you wanted. Didn’t you?” A finger shot out with every point he made. “You got the man you wanted, the house you wanted, and the job you wanted. What else do you need to make you happy?” I couldn’t think of a single thing to come back at him with, not one. I only stood there curling and uncurling my lips on each other as he jutted his face at me. “Right. Not a damn thing.”

A shot of air rushed at me from his nose as he shook his head and put his arm through the cooler handle. “Look. Take it from an old man who has a shit-ton of regrets.” He lifted his finger at me. “You have one chance at life. Only one, and yours is already halfway over if you’re lucky enough to live that long.”

Reaching for the door handle, he backed away from me. “You told me you’ve spent the last twenty years being miserable. So, do whatever you can to find some happiness for yourself before it’s too late. Don’t waste another second, honey.” The door opened, and he pulled his ugly brown floppy hat from the hook and plopped it on his head. “You know where my happy ass will be if you need me.”

The space between the inside and outside got narrower as he pulled the door closed with him. “If you aren’t here when I get back, congratulations. Don’t forget to invite me to the housewarming party or wedding or whatever it is you kids do these days.”

Dad was the one person in the world I thought would give me the reality check I was dying for to validate this uneasiness inside me. But as I sipped my coffee alone in front of the door and watched him leave, I let him take all those doubts away with him as he disappeared beyond the edge of the driveway.