“Speaking of communication,” I said, just as Judy came to the table ready to take our order. We both ordered, and then I returned to my question, “Anything new on the boy front these days?”
“Dad, you know I can’t talk to you about that stuff,” she said, shutting down the discussion.
“Why not?”
“Because it’s weird, that’s why,” she retorted. “Besides, do you want to talk to me about your love life and when you might consider dating again?”
“Now see here, young lady,” I began.
“See? You don’t want to talk about it either,” she said, in a tone that clearly drew the line. “You really need to get out and see someone, Dad. I mean, you’re a good-looking guy with a lot to offer, but you’re not getting any younger.”
“Are you telling me I’ve got a shelf life at 38?” I laughed.
“If the shelf life fits,” she shrugged. “Look, you and Mom have been divorced for more than two years, and she’s started dating again. Why can’t you?”
“I don’t have time for it,” I said. “Plus, you know my schedule; most women aren’t willing to put up with my weird hours and lack of availability.”
“Excuses, excuses,” she said. “If you found someone really interesting who shared your interests, you’d find a way to make it work. But to do that, you’ve got to get out in circulation!”
“Message received, can we move on to another topic now?” I asked, as Judy brought out steaming plates of bacon and eggs with waffles on the side. She put down the butter and syrup, refilled my coffee cup, and asked if we needed anything else before moving away to attend to the next table.
“How’d the game go yesterday?” Nina asked, with her mouth full of waffle.
“We kicked the PD’s ass to the curb, as usual,” I said, cutting up my waffle and smothering it in syrup.
“How’s Uncle Tony doing?”
“He’s a major pain in the ass, as usual,” I laughed. “Maybe I’ll call and see if he wants to join us for pizza and beer tonight. He’s having a rough time at home right now.”
“Maybe if he didn’t act like a 15-year-old boy he wouldn’t be,” Nina offered, as she dug into her eggs.
“Not my circus, not my monkeys,” I said, stuffing a forkful of waffles into my mouth and chewing.
We finished breakfast, then headed over to the hardware store on Lexington so I could get a new saw blade, and then hit the grocery store where we picked up frozen pizzas, beer, and, despite her protests, a bag full of granola bars and snacks that she could take back to Remy’s with her. We spent the afternoon popping popcorn and watching the Patriots kick the Redskins’ asses before I called Tony and invited him to dinner. He and his wife were busy entertaining her parents, and he told me he’d see me at the station for our shift.
Nina and I cooked the pizzas and then settled in to watch a couple of goofy Christmas movies that she loved. It was well past 9 when I realized she had school in the morning.
“Time for bed, young lady!” I called from the kitchen.
“Awww, Dad! One more movie, please!” she protested. I was tempted to let her stay up and watch one more, but I knew that if she was late to school in the morning, there would be hell to pay when Remy found out.
“Nope, sorry, Punkin; it’s time to shut down Chez Gaston and call lights out,” I said, feeling like an ogre.
“But Dad,” she began.
“Don’t ‘but Dad’ me, young lady,” I said, a little more sternly than I’d intended. “You’ve got to get your grades up before Christmas break, and getting a good night’s sleep is an important part of that process.”
“Oh my God, you sound just like Mom,” she said, as she rolled her eyes dramatically. I winced as the words hit my ears, but I knew that Nina was searching for the words that would give her an advantage. She’d become an excellent manipulator since the divorce and knew exactly how to play Remy and I off of each other. Tonight, I wasn’t having any of it.
“That’s probably because we bot
h want you to do well in school, kiddo,” I said, moving back into the living room and shutting off the television. “Bedtime.”
“Fine,” Nina pouted. “You’re so mean.”
“I know I am, but I love you enough to let you think that,” I said, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. “I’m doing it for your own good. Now, get up and get moving, young lady!”
She reached up and wrapped her arms around my neck, and I stood up, pulling her up off the couch so that she was hanging around my neck like an albatross. I loved this ritual. We’d been doing it since she was a tiny girl, and I knew it wouldn’t be long before I no longer had the opportunity to do these things. It made me smile to know that while she might be mad at me for enforcing bedtime, she wasn’t mad enough to skip our ritual. I wrapped one arm around her waist and did an exaggerated Frankenstein walk down the hall to her bedroom. Nina giggled the whole way as I growled and grumbled like a monster. In her room, I reached up and untangled her fingers so that she fell backward onto her bed, bouncing once or twice until she was still.