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Authors: G. J. Walker-Smith
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time off when I needed it, but it didn’t look good. I hated that I’d become so unreliable.
“I’ve got today covered,” he insisted. “I’m going to see if Ryan can watch Bridget this morning. I have a meeting at eleven and that’s it. I’ll take the rest of the day off.”
“And tomorrow?”
He leaned over and grabbed me. I stumbled as he pulled me forward and he took full advantage by pulling me down on top of him. “Tomorrow is a new day.” He gently kissed my lips. “We’ll figure it out.”
“I hope you come up with a plan, Boy Wonder.”
“Nope.” He grinned at me. “I’m winging it.”
10. FLYING STRAIGHT
Adam
The morning was bright and sunny. We weren’t in any hurry so I decided that we’d walk to Ryan’s. Bridget didn’t complain. It gave her more talking time, and her topic of choice was still sea dogs.
“Why are they called sea dogs?” I asked. “Why aren’t they just dogs who like to swim in the sea?”
Bridget tugged on my hand as she jumped over a crack in the sidewalk. “Because they make different noises,” she explained. “They go ‘squeep, squeep, squeep.”
Even over the sound of the passing traffic, she sounded like a wounded cat. I laughed, which didn’t impress her.
“It’s true, Daddy,” she huffed.
“I’m sure it is,” I replied. “When we get back to the ocean, I’ll be sure to check out the squeeping sea dogs.”
Bridget looked up at me. “Are we going back to the ocean soon?”
I wanted to tell her yes, but that would’ve been a lie. For now, we were New Yorkers – but that felt like a lie too. We just didn’t belong here any more.
“We’re going to go back and visit at Christmas,” I told her. “To hang out with Alex and Gabi and Jack.”
“I have lots of big things to tell Jack,” she crowed. “I hope he has nice ears for hearing.”
I adored conversations with my daughter, even the confusing ones. It was the biggest reminder of all that it didn’t matter where in the world we lived. Happiness wasn’t geographical.
Before I knew it we were outside Ryan’s building. I punched in the access code and held the door open for Bridget.
“I want to turn the key in Ry’s door,” she insisted.
It would’ve been good manners to knock, but I let her have her way – then wished I hadn’t.
My brother wasn’t expecting us – or anyone else, by the look of it. He stuffed something under a cushion and punched the remote, trying to turn the TV off. “Can’t you people knock?” he snapped.
“I put the key in and turned it,” chimed Bridget. “It’s easy.”
I wasn’t listening to her. I was too busy being disgusted and horrified. “What did we just walk in on?”
“Nothing.”
I didn’t buy it. I grabbed the nearest cushion and whacked him with it. “What are you watching?”
Ryan looked utterly confused but I wasn’t going to spell it out for him. There was no need to give him a reason why I’d just changed my mind about leaving Bridget in his care.
He eventually figured it out. “Oh my God,” he growled, hurling the remote on the couch. “You think I’m watching porn?”
I shushed him but it was too late. He’d just increased his niece’s vocabulary.
“What’s porn?” asked Bridget.
I glared at my brother, furious. “Nothing, baby,” I told her.
Ryan had the nerve to smirk. “Good parenting, idiot.”
“Good uncl-ing, freak.”
The juvenile exchange was cut short when the only grownup in the room ordered us to stop. “I’ll tell Mamie and you’ll both be in trouble,” Bridget threatened.
I wasn’t prepared to let it go. I reached under the cushion and grabbed the evidence. The Dirty Dancing DVD cover in my hand was not what I was expecting. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Ryan whipped it out of my hand. “It’s not mine.”
“If you say so, princess.”
Ryan couldn’t even muster a reply. More proof that he’d been bashed over the head with the love stick. The career
“I’ve got today covered,” he insisted. “I’m going to see if Ryan can watch Bridget this morning. I have a meeting at eleven and that’s it. I’ll take the rest of the day off.”
“And tomorrow?”
He leaned over and grabbed me. I stumbled as he pulled me forward and he took full advantage by pulling me down on top of him. “Tomorrow is a new day.” He gently kissed my lips. “We’ll figure it out.”
“I hope you come up with a plan, Boy Wonder.”
“Nope.” He grinned at me. “I’m winging it.”
10. FLYING STRAIGHT
Adam
The morning was bright and sunny. We weren’t in any hurry so I decided that we’d walk to Ryan’s. Bridget didn’t complain. It gave her more talking time, and her topic of choice was still sea dogs.
“Why are they called sea dogs?” I asked. “Why aren’t they just dogs who like to swim in the sea?”
Bridget tugged on my hand as she jumped over a crack in the sidewalk. “Because they make different noises,” she explained. “They go ‘squeep, squeep, squeep.”
Even over the sound of the passing traffic, she sounded like a wounded cat. I laughed, which didn’t impress her.
“It’s true, Daddy,” she huffed.
“I’m sure it is,” I replied. “When we get back to the ocean, I’ll be sure to check out the squeeping sea dogs.”
Bridget looked up at me. “Are we going back to the ocean soon?”
I wanted to tell her yes, but that would’ve been a lie. For now, we were New Yorkers – but that felt like a lie too. We just didn’t belong here any more.
“We’re going to go back and visit at Christmas,” I told her. “To hang out with Alex and Gabi and Jack.”
“I have lots of big things to tell Jack,” she crowed. “I hope he has nice ears for hearing.”
I adored conversations with my daughter, even the confusing ones. It was the biggest reminder of all that it didn’t matter where in the world we lived. Happiness wasn’t geographical.
Before I knew it we were outside Ryan’s building. I punched in the access code and held the door open for Bridget.
“I want to turn the key in Ry’s door,” she insisted.
It would’ve been good manners to knock, but I let her have her way – then wished I hadn’t.
My brother wasn’t expecting us – or anyone else, by the look of it. He stuffed something under a cushion and punched the remote, trying to turn the TV off. “Can’t you people knock?” he snapped.
“I put the key in and turned it,” chimed Bridget. “It’s easy.”
I wasn’t listening to her. I was too busy being disgusted and horrified. “What did we just walk in on?”
“Nothing.”
I didn’t buy it. I grabbed the nearest cushion and whacked him with it. “What are you watching?”
Ryan looked utterly confused but I wasn’t going to spell it out for him. There was no need to give him a reason why I’d just changed my mind about leaving Bridget in his care.
He eventually figured it out. “Oh my God,” he growled, hurling the remote on the couch. “You think I’m watching porn?”
I shushed him but it was too late. He’d just increased his niece’s vocabulary.
“What’s porn?” asked Bridget.
I glared at my brother, furious. “Nothing, baby,” I told her.
Ryan had the nerve to smirk. “Good parenting, idiot.”
“Good uncl-ing, freak.”
The juvenile exchange was cut short when the only grownup in the room ordered us to stop. “I’ll tell Mamie and you’ll both be in trouble,” Bridget threatened.
I wasn’t prepared to let it go. I reached under the cushion and grabbed the evidence. The Dirty Dancing DVD cover in my hand was not what I was expecting. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Ryan whipped it out of my hand. “It’s not mine.”
“If you say so, princess.”
Ryan couldn’t even muster a reply. More proof that he’d been bashed over the head with the love stick. The career
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