Counterfeit Love

"Well, good, I have some beer. Go on, take a seat. I'll be right out," I told him, going to fetch them, then bring them out onto the front porch.

"I hear this is not a permanent place," he observed, settling back in his rocking chair

"No. This was just somewhere to crash for a while. Chris thought my old place was unacceptable."

"I'll bet she did. She bitched for hours about how the water at Vance's place ran gray."

"I gotta thank you, man," I said, cracking open my beer.

"Thank me for what?" he asked, glancing over at me.

"For your part in helping raise Chris up. I know that everyone gives a lot of credit to Lo and her Aunt Janie. And her therapist, of course. Rightfully so. But if it weren't for you, I doubt she would have been able to work through many of her issues. I don't think, if I came across her in that instance, she would have been able to be open to me, that we would have been able to build anything."

"For a long time there, I wasn't sure she would ever be comfortable being alone in a room with me. And I won't lie; it was rough for a while. Being her adoptive father, but knowing she would rather peel her own skin off than have me hug her, or even just give her a high five. Felt like an outsider while she clung to Lo and the girls. And then felt like shit for making any of it about me."

"Can't imagine it was an easy time for anyone. No one would have blamed you for feeling lost."

"It was nice, though, having a daughter. We had decided not to have or adopt long ago. But it was something special to come home to see the girls on the couch watching movies with a movie-theater worthy spread on the coffee table, cuddled up with blankets, laughing over some joke. Or waking up to find them cooking breakfast together. It was nice."

"She cooks?" I asked, surprised I didn't already know that about her. I guess it just never came up since we always ordered in without giving it much thought. I never kept much food-wise in my places. Condiments and maybe some lunch meat if I was feeling too lazy to go out and pick up food that week.

"She does. And bakes. Doesn't do it as much these days, living up at Hailstorm. But when there is a big function or another with the family, she is always dropping in and rolling up her sleeves. She's good too."

"Think she'd rip my balls off if I asked her to cook for me?" I asked, then worried I might not want to discuss my balls with the man whose little girl I was dating.

"Nah. I found that if you suggest the two of you have a nice romantic night at home, they take care of the rest. At least her mother is like that. Worth a shot," he decided, finally cracking open the beer. "I heard Malc was here."

"Yeah. Had a sit down much like this one. He ended it with a threat. You want to get yours out of the way now?" I asked, lips twitching.

"You treat my little girl with the respect that she deserves, and you and I will have no issues. What happens between you, that's on you two. Happily ever after or a breakup. Not my place to step in. But I hear you overstep that line of respect, and you will wish you were back in a basement getting your ass handed to you by some thugs. There," he said, smirking, "I think that was a sufficient threat."

"I'd say it works," I agreed, nodding.

"So, let's do that other talk."

"The 'what are my intentions' talk?" I asked.

"Nah. Again, that's her business. This is the 'I hear you've been a bit of a slacker, and I don't like that for my daughter' talk."

"Slacker might be a little harsh. Though accurate at times. I know what I want. And I know when I want it. I don't figure it does anyone any good to rush it."

"I've seen your work. It's good."

"Yeah, it is," I agreed. There was no reason to be humble about a clear fact.

"You could scale up."

"And increase my chances of getting caught. I know the cops around here look the other way for you and your crew, for the mob, for anyone with clout and real money. But they won't look kindly to me and my Monopoly cash. I figure slow and steady is the way to go when starting over."

"Fair enough. So, when you plan to get a house, who do you see buying it?"

"I have no issues with your daughter being who she is, making the money she is making, being the boss, but I pay my own way too. Way I'd like would be me buying the house, and her making it a home. But realistically, we both know she'd never stand for that."