no rule that says we have to live together any specific time.”
“I don’t want this to rub you the wrong way or anything, but why didn’t you just tell him not to move out here?”
Tristan frowned.
“You’re on his side?”
“I’m not on anyone’s side. This isn’t even about sides. But now that you mention it I’m a little curious myself as to why you don’t want to move in with him?”
“I don’t know. I like having my privacy.”
“Have your feelings changed for him?”
“No, Dad,” she insisted.
“Are you sure? Frankly I think it’s a little strange.”
“What’s strange about it?”
“He moves all this way for what? Didn’t you two talk about it? Didn’t you discuss your living situation?”
“I wasn’t thinking that far ahead. I just thought he’d stay here with us for a while and maybe eventually get his own place which is exactly what happened. Like I said, I didn’t ask him to come.”
Daniel thought for sure this was rather bitchy of his daughter and her reasoning was making little sense to him.
“If you’re having doubts about him you should speak up now. Maybe it’s not too late for him to go back home. Not that it’s ever too late but you can’t lead him on.”
“I want to be with him. Just because I’m not ready to move in with him doesn’t mean I don’t love him. Why can’t anybody see that? I mean fuck, I stopped dancing for him!”
“Don’t get defensive.”
“Do you mind that I’m here?”
“Mind?”
“Yeah,” she said, fidgeting with her hands. “Like, did I just force myself on you?”
“What’re you talking about? Of course not. You’re my daughter.”
Tristan sat up and laced her hands together.
“What about Josephine? Does it bother her that I’m here? Maybe you two want to live alone…”
Dan shook his head.
“Absolutely not, Tristan. Josephine loves you. We both do and she doesn’t mind you living with us at all. Why would you think that?”
Tristan shrugged.
“I don’t know. I mean you’re retired and all, you came here to start a new life with your wife.”
He reached over and rubbed her arm.
“No baby, no. You could never be a burden to us. However,”
“However what?”
“You don’t want to live with us forever, do you? If Dominic is the one, you should consider moving ahead with him. If not, let him go.”
Tristan shrugged.
“I’m still young. I just don’t know if I’m really ready to commit. I mean, it scares me. One guy for the rest of my life? I mean right now?”
He looked at her understandingly.
“Honey, if that’s what you’re feeling, you need to let him know. Poor guy. Don’t string him along. Dominic is a good guy. He doesn’t deserve to be misled.”
Tristan stared at the chocolate and vanilla swirl carpet for a moment. She thought of Dominic and that gnawing suspicion about his next door neighbor. She didn’t like the way Dominic was looking at her. She could even sense Dominic getting all awkward around Hope. The thought of Dominic with his neighbor or any girl for that matter made her sick. No way would she let Hope or anyone even think they had a chance.
“I was so mean to him tonight,” she mumbled. “I was a bitch.”
“You need to make up your mind. Do you want a life with him or not?”
“Yes,” she said. “Yes, I do.”
“Then apologize and make things right again.”
“How?”
“I don’t want this to rub you the wrong way or anything, but why didn’t you just tell him not to move out here?”
Tristan frowned.
“You’re on his side?”
“I’m not on anyone’s side. This isn’t even about sides. But now that you mention it I’m a little curious myself as to why you don’t want to move in with him?”
“I don’t know. I like having my privacy.”
“Have your feelings changed for him?”
“No, Dad,” she insisted.
“Are you sure? Frankly I think it’s a little strange.”
“What’s strange about it?”
“He moves all this way for what? Didn’t you two talk about it? Didn’t you discuss your living situation?”
“I wasn’t thinking that far ahead. I just thought he’d stay here with us for a while and maybe eventually get his own place which is exactly what happened. Like I said, I didn’t ask him to come.”
Daniel thought for sure this was rather bitchy of his daughter and her reasoning was making little sense to him.
“If you’re having doubts about him you should speak up now. Maybe it’s not too late for him to go back home. Not that it’s ever too late but you can’t lead him on.”
“I want to be with him. Just because I’m not ready to move in with him doesn’t mean I don’t love him. Why can’t anybody see that? I mean fuck, I stopped dancing for him!”
“Don’t get defensive.”
“Do you mind that I’m here?”
“Mind?”
“Yeah,” she said, fidgeting with her hands. “Like, did I just force myself on you?”
“What’re you talking about? Of course not. You’re my daughter.”
Tristan sat up and laced her hands together.
“What about Josephine? Does it bother her that I’m here? Maybe you two want to live alone…”
Dan shook his head.
“Absolutely not, Tristan. Josephine loves you. We both do and she doesn’t mind you living with us at all. Why would you think that?”
Tristan shrugged.
“I don’t know. I mean you’re retired and all, you came here to start a new life with your wife.”
He reached over and rubbed her arm.
“No baby, no. You could never be a burden to us. However,”
“However what?”
“You don’t want to live with us forever, do you? If Dominic is the one, you should consider moving ahead with him. If not, let him go.”
Tristan shrugged.
“I’m still young. I just don’t know if I’m really ready to commit. I mean, it scares me. One guy for the rest of my life? I mean right now?”
He looked at her understandingly.
“Honey, if that’s what you’re feeling, you need to let him know. Poor guy. Don’t string him along. Dominic is a good guy. He doesn’t deserve to be misled.”
Tristan stared at the chocolate and vanilla swirl carpet for a moment. She thought of Dominic and that gnawing suspicion about his next door neighbor. She didn’t like the way Dominic was looking at her. She could even sense Dominic getting all awkward around Hope. The thought of Dominic with his neighbor or any girl for that matter made her sick. No way would she let Hope or anyone even think they had a chance.
“I was so mean to him tonight,” she mumbled. “I was a bitch.”
“You need to make up your mind. Do you want a life with him or not?”
“Yes,” she said. “Yes, I do.”
“Then apologize and make things right again.”
“How?”
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