Like having my bedroom done in my favorite colors of pink and black, fixing up an old beat up truck that was a left over from his high school days, and was older than me.
And most of all, taking the last few days off to help me get settled into my new home.
I know from our weekly conversations in the last year that dad’s a workaholic, so that last was a true testament to his love.
I’d taken the initiative to call my father after the last time mom had gone on a bender and I’d decided that I’d had enough.
In all the time I’d known my mom, it was the first time I’d ever seen her so upset. She seemed almost afraid when I’d told her what I’d decided.
But the damage was already done. There followed months of fighting back and forth, threats were made and dad had promised to get the law involved; and because I’d had enough, it was my decision to come live with him, if he’d have me.
It was the first time I’d been old enough to say one way or the other. Before that, I had only spoken to him sporadically here and there, and always after each phone call, we’d move in the dead of night again.
Looking back it was as if mom was running from something or someone. Instinctively I knew it wasn’t my dad, but I never could figure out who was the cause of that fear that I sometimes saw in her eyes.
He’d been ready to come get me there and then, but I had to make sure mom would be okay first.
She’d been so defeated there at the end. Like all the wind had been knocked out of her sails.
But in the end, no matter how she fought against it, it was a losing battle, I wanted out.
I’d grabbed at the chance for some normalcy and snatched dad’s offer, taking the first plane I could get as soon as I was assured that mom would be okay. Maybe now she could stop running.
Neither of my parents has ever told me what had happened between them to make my mom disappear in the middle of the night.
It was strange really, sometimes I got the feeling that mom still had feelings for my dad.
I could remember when I was much younger, sometimes I’d wake up in the middle of the night to find her holding one of his pictures and crying.
It used to scare me to see that, but I had no understanding of what it meant. All I could do back then was wrap my tiny arms around her and try to offer comfort.
***
“Ready dad.” I hopped down the stairs even as I reminded myself that maybe I was a little too old for that, but it made dad smile. I guess since he’d missed my toddler years we had a lot to make up for.
“Let’s see how the old girl runs shall we?”
“Uh dad, you’re not following me to school are you?”
“Why Jasmine Tanning, are you ashamed of your old man?”
He clutched at his chest and made a sad face, which made me giggle snort.
“You’re such a dork dad.”
“That’s sir dork to you young lady show a little respect if you please, and to answer your impertinent question, no I am not following you into the belly of hell. I’ve already done my time in that cesspit thank you very much.”
“Nice dad, real nice.”
There was a warm mist like rain falling as we exited the front door. That’s Havenhurst for you.
In the two days I’d been here it has been either raining or misting, and always there’s a dark cloud hanging over the place; it’s like the sun never shone here, though dad assured me it did.
Trust me to go from one extreme to the next; mom lives out west where there was too much sun, I’ve moved to the polar opposite. I guess it’s right what they say, be careful what you wish for.
He started the truck, which he claims has been a little temperamental since he hasn’t driven it in a few years, but which worked like a dream for me.
It coughed, spat and hiccoughed, which caused him to mutter and use what for him was profanity. Mostly damn and blast.
“Step aside old man let me show you how it’s done.”
I hopped up into the cracked and patched seat of my new love and turned the key gently; she turned over on the first try.
“Well crap, show off.”
“See old man, she knows my touch already, she’ll never answer to your boorish ways again.”
I loved sparring with him, it was almost like having a friend at long last, but with him I knew he was dad.
Not so much with mom, with mom I’d spent a lot of time being the adult. That’s why dad had finally stepped in; it had killed me to make the choice when it had been laid before me, but it was something I had to do.