Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
“I was at first, but somehow, I knew you’d find me and save me. I just knew it in my soul.”
“Good girl. I don’t ever want you to be in danger, but you need to know that I would go to hell and back for you. Nobody is ever going to hurt you again. I promise.”
“I believe you, Daddy,” I say as he kisses my forehead.
Bryan hops out of the tub and pulls two large folded towels from a rack inside a teak cabinet. He wraps one around his waist and wraps me in the other. We go inside and lie on his bed together, falling asleep in our towels.
As the sun rises the next morning, Bryan asks me if I’d like to take a ride out to the country. Excited by the notion of seeing more of my new home state, I eagerly agree. It’s not until we’re dressed and in the car that he tells me we’re going to meet his family.
9
BRYAN
We set out on the drive just after sunrise on this crisp, fall day. It takes less than two hours to get to my hometown, but I want to stop for breakfast and some sightseeing along the way.
This is the best time to show Beth the area where I grew up. People drive in from other states just to see the fall color out here. I watch her expression as the scenery changes from urban sprawl to winding roads lined with trees showing off their red, yellow, and orange foliage.
“If someone told me that there was more to New York than the city, I wouldn’t have believed them. This is so pretty,” she tells me.
“It may not be as big as California but we have a little bit of everything. We have beach towns, ski resorts, you name it.”
“It doesn’t matter how big California is. I spent my whole life there and didn’t make it out of L.A.”
“Maybe we’ll go back someday so I can show you the better parts. I mean, you’ll probably want to see your mother again. Won’t you?”
Her expression morphs into something sad and distant, so I take her hand and apologize. “I’m sorry, baby girl. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“It’s alright. You didn’t mean to. People should be able to talk about their families without being sad about it. It’s just that my mother wasn’t a very good one. Most parents care about their kids' grades in school and show up for special events but not my mother. I once stayed home every day and she didn’t know until the truant officer knocked on the door. He had to get there around two if he wanted her conscious enough to answer the door.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. No kid should have to live like that, but I’m sure she loved you.”
“What makes you so sure about that?”
“Because she kept you and you grew up. You grew into an amazing woman, I might add.”
“Thank you. I guess she probably did love me. She just didn’t love me as much as she loved drinking and blowing all of our money.’
“Things can change. She can change. You never know what tomorrow will bring. Maybe she’ll get help.”
“Maybe.”
“Alright, maybe breakfast will bring that smile back to your face.”
“What’s for breakfast?”
“The best eggs and bagels in the world, local bacon and flapjacks with maple syrup straight from the tree.”
“That sounds amazing.”
I pull off the road and into the dusty gravel parking lot of the café. It’s been here for as long as I can remember and the menu never changes. That’s one thing you learn about the people up north. They never waste time trying to fix what isn’t broken.
As we wait for our breakfast order to be served, I tell her, “Tomorrow we should tour the city. You need to see the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. Maybe a carriage ride through Central Park?”
“What about work? Don’t we have to work?”
“I don’t remember the last time I took even a day off. I think this is long overdue.”
“I love that idea. It all sounds like so much fun. Thank you.”
We finish our breakfast and move on to the next stop. It’s another childhood memory for me, but I think Beth is the type of girl who would like it regardless of her age. As I pull up to the gate, she shows me that I’m right.
“This is a petting zoo! Oh my god! Can I feed the animals too?”
“Yes, baby. As I recall, there are gumball machines filled with corn all over the place.” Her reaction fills my chest with a warmth I’ve rarely felt before. She’s so pure of heart that it’s hard to imagine someone like her existing in this dog-eat-dog world.
We stroll hand in hand from exhibit to exhibit. Beth has to stop and greet every goat, sheep, and emu along the way. She pulls out her phone and demands that I pose with each of the animals then hands it to me so I can take her picture too.