I step back as his weathered hands still grip my forearms. He looks me over as I do the same to him, noticing the years have been kind to him. He’s still so handsome and easy on the eyes. It’s easy to see why my mother fell under his spell during her youth.
“You’re all grown up. I…your pictures don’t do you justice. You look so much like your mother. Takes me back.” His smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes. He looks at his feet for a moment as both our arms fall away. I imagine he’s remembering her or maybe thinking back on the little girl he left behind not being so tiny any more.
“I get that a lot, but there’s some traces of you in my smile and my eyes.” I smile at him, wiping away a stray tear.
“Let’s sit, tell me everything.”
We sit down and fall into easy conversation. I tell him about school, how my real passion lies with writing.
“Caterpillar, life is too short. Take it from me. If you aren’t happy now going into teaching, you never will be. Follow your heart and your dreams. Don’t be like me, kid.”
I have to take a deep breath, because his words hit me hard. Harder than I was expecting them to. I don’t want to think about making that choice just yet.
“Enough about me. Tell me something new with you.” My face falls. Immediately, I feel stupid. What could possibly be new with him? H
e is in prison, nothing probably ever changes here.
“I have news.”
“You do?”
“I’m in prison, not dead,” he jokes, shoving into my shoulder with his.
“I’ve met someone.”
“What? Here?” I scrunch my nose.
“Well, kind of. Online. They have a site where you can chat. Her name’s Beth. I think you’d really like her. She’s a hairdresser.”
I nod, unsure how I feel about this news. I suppose I’m happy for him. I should be happy he has someone to talk to.
“Does she…does she know?”
“That I’m in prison?”
“About me, does she know about me?”
His eyes soften. “Of course, you’re the one thing I did right in my life. You’re the best part of me, Conleigh. The only good part.”
“Dad.” I shake my head.
“You don’t know how good it feels to hear you call me that.”
“Yeah I do.” I totally understand because when he called me caterpillar, my stomach flip flopped, and I felt seven again.
The smaller kids and other dads are playing games, but I’m a bit too old for Simon Says.
We talk for a while longer before lunch is served.
He asks how my mom is doing and I tell him more about Ezra. He doesn’t seem too fond of the idea of us living together. Says that I need to slow down and enjoy being young, not be so serious. “Take your time. Don’t rush into marriage. None of it. Really get to know this guy. If he’s really the one, you’ll know.”
Cocking my brow, I ask, “Like you knew with mom?”
“Conleigh, you were the best thing, the best thing that ever happened to me, but if I could have waited another five years to have you or longer, I would have, because I wasn’t ready. Nowhere near it.”
I get that, I do.
“You think you want to marry this guy?”