Jett #2
“Hear me out,” she interrupts. “You weren’t in love with Ginny.
Because of that, and because she’s a miserable cunty shrew, our home wasn’t a happy one.
You coped by throwing yourself into your career.
I get it. I’m not condoning it, but I think I’m starting to understand it better.
That’s not how it would be with Fallon. You two are madly in love.
I’ve seen you together.” She points to the screen.
“And now I’ve seen you that way too. You belong together.
Not because of any obligation, but because you want it.
You both need it. And Fallon’s fucking awesome and is a fucking awesome mom. ”
“Watch your mouth,” I mumble.
She rolls her eyes. “Look how great Harper is. That’s what a well-balanced, loved, happy kid looks like.
You could get a do-over, but this time do it right.
Marry for love. Conceive in love. Raise your kids with love.
You could have the happy home we all missed out on.
That’s what I want for my daughter.” She squeezes my hand this time.
“And that’s what I want for you too. You’re a good man, Dad.
You just got yourself into a shitty situation.
Now you have the chance to do things differently.
It’s like broken coverage in football. When the quarterback gets sacked, he gets up and tries again.
He doesn’t just retire from the sport because of one blown play, or one blown game, or even one blown season.
Get your ass up and try again before it’s too late. ”
I take a moment to absorb the depth of her words. Do I want a do-over? If I ever did, Fallon is the only one I’d want it with.
She looks at me earnestly. “I forgive you, Dad. You need to forgive yourself for not knowing earlier what only time could teach you.”
My eyes tear as I stare at my incredible daughter. “When did you get so wise?”
She smiles. “I think Fallon is rubbing off on me.”
I shake my head. “Thank you for your forgiveness. It means everything to me. I hear what you’re saying.
I’d like to eventually forgive myself, but I’m not quite there yet.
As for more kids, even if I get to the point where I want to give her a family, I’ve hurt her so badly.
I don’t know that she’ll ever forgive me. ”
She toggles her head back and forth. “Meh, I think she wants the happy ending, and she wants it with you. I was at her house this morning, dropping off gifts. She’s not okay.
There’s a sadness to her I’ve never seen until your breakup.
Her special Fallon sparkle is gone. It’s still fresh for her because she’s still in love with you.
Tell me everything about your relationship besides the porno, which will forever be burned into my brain. Don’t leave anything out.”
I sit there and tell her everything from our first night at the party, to the dating app, to our first date, to our late-night conversations. By the time it’s over, she’s got a huge grin on her face. “I know exactly what to do.”
After Kennedy and I discussed her plan—which is kind of brilliant—we turned on the movie Father of the Bride.
She told me it was her favorite movie as a kid because the father and daughter connected over the sport of basketball.
I openly wept when she told me it was the reason she decided to play.
She thought we’d connect over it, and I’d spend more time with her.
I silently vowed to be everything to Kennedy’s daughter that I wasn’t for my own. And then it got me thinking. Maybe I really do need a do-over.
Kennedy fell asleep about twenty minutes into the movie.
I’m sitting watching her sleep, something I haven’t done since she was a little girl.
I marvel at her. Despite all the shit in her life, she’s overcome it all and grown into a truly spectacular woman in every single regard.
She’s my greatest accomplishment in life.
Maybe I should entertain the notion of having another one just like her.
As the ending credits roll, I hear my front door open and close. A few seconds later, Daylen pops his head into the room. “I’m looking for my wife.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “I can’t believe my daughter is your wife. How did this happen?”
“Well, it started in Vegas—”
I hold up my hand. “I know the story. I get it.” I point toward her sleeping form. “She fell asleep.”
He nods in understanding. “The pregnancy makes her super tired all the time. I don’t want to wake her. I’ll carry her to the car.”
He walks to her, and, in a gentle manner I never would have thought him capable of, lifts her like a bride.
Her head falls into his body, and he softly kisses her forehead.
I can’t take my eyes off them. There’s something so tender and loving about the way he’s handling her.
For the first time, I genuinely feel like I can trust him with her.
Her eyes blink open, and she immediately wraps her arms around his neck and whispers, “Hey.”
He kisses her lips this time. “Hey, baby. Go back to sleep. You need your rest.”
She yawns. “I drove. I need to drive home.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t want my queen driving by herself late at night. I had my dad drop me off so I can drive you home.”
She smiles sleepily. “Okay, but I can walk.”
He shakes his head again. “My queen deserves to be carried.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Is your queen going to get bent over the kitchen table when she gets home?”
He chuckles. “You know it, baby.”
“Ugh, enough,” I growl. “I don’t need to hear this shit.”
Kennedy smiles widely. “My dad and Fallon made a porno. He was watching it when I arrived. It was fucking hot. BDSM hot.”
Daylen’s face lights up as he looks at me. “Can we watch it?”
I grit my teeth. “No, you fucking idiot. Get out of my house. Both of you.”
Kennedy nods. “Good idea. Let’s go make our own porno. We can’t be outdone by old people. We need to one-up them.”
“Out!” I yell as I point toward the door. “You two lunatics deserve each other.”
They both laugh as he carries her out of my house, leaving me a lot to think about and a lot of plans to make.