“Remember, it’s okay to not be okay.”
---
~ Elizabeth ~
My phone rang while I was in the Uber. As expected, Mom had been hesitant about letting me go to Luke’s alone, but she couldn’t really stop me — I was technically an adult now. Or wasn’t I?
I checked the caller ID and smiled when I saw “Dad” flash on the screen.
Swiping left, I picked up.
“Bonjour, Père.”
“Beth… you?”
I grinned at his reaction. Dad had always been caught off guard by how easily I could slip into a French accent — even though I wasn’t French.
Could be a gene mutation, or maybe I was adopted? Hahaha.
“No biggie, Dad. How are you?”
“I’m okay. And how’s my lovely daughter doing?”
His voice sounded light, almost cheerful. I could hear the laughter hiding in his tone.
“I’m fine, Papa,” I replied, using the nickname I gave him as a child.
Just then, I caught the Uber driver watching me in the rearview mirror. He probably had a daughter at home who adored him too — the way I adored Dad, despite his mistakes and shortcomings.
“And Mom?” His tone shifted, concern creeping in.
Only then did I realize that, he must be hurting too.
They always say, in a divorce or a breakup, two people are involved — and more often than not, they both get hurt. One might hurt more than the other… but they both feel some sense of loss.
“She’s happy,” I said quietly.
“Without me?”
I imagined him pouting as he said it. The thought made me smile.
“Yes, without you.”
“That’s good… I guess.”
“Yeah.” I sighed.
They say time heals all wounds, but maybe some wounds are meant to be healed by silence.
“How’s Anita and the twins doing?”
“Good, good. You know Anita’s always dreamed of being a mother of twins — she’s loving every bit of the journey.”
“I know, right?”
The joy in his voice was unmissable. And somehow, it made me a little sad… knowing Mom still hadn’t found her happily ever after yet.
“The twins should be crawling soon.”
“You must be so proud and happy.”
“Very.”
He answered too quickly, then paused like he’d said something wrong.
“I mean — ”
“It’s alright, Dad. You don’t have to explain. I understand,” I interrupted gently. “You deserve to be happy too.”
“Yeah… but not at the expense of you guys…”
He whispered the last part, and I wasn’t sure if he meant for me to hear it or not.
“I know.”
“But this doesn’t change my love for you, Beth. You’re my daughter. You’ll always be.”
“I know.” I tried not to let the weight of his words sink too deep.
Dad had offered to keep sending money for my cravings — but I couldn’t let him do that.
As much as the extra money would be nice… wouldn’t it be unfair? Especially if it came at the cost of Mom’s peace?
“I’m okay, Dad. You don’t have to worry.”
“If you say so…”
The call ended a few minutes later, and I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.
“Here.”
The driver reached back with a Kleenex box. I blinked, just realizing my eyes were wet.
“Thank you.” I took one and dabbed at my tears.
“You’re welcome.”
“Yeah…” I leaned back lazily.
“Divorce, right?” he asked, watching me again through the mirror.
“Yes. It sucks.”
“Yeah… becoming a global pandemic, isn’t it?”
“It is.” I laughed softly as we approached the university gate.
…
This time, I didn’t even need to show a pass card, the security men waved me in, and I offered them a grateful smile.
It wasn’t as hard as I thought to find the basketball court. And when I did, my heart skipped a beat.
My face lit up at the sight of Luke, who looked just as surprised to see me.
“Hey,” I waved as he walked over.
“Hey, Beth. I wasn’t expecting you.”
He hugged me like we were old friends.
“Well… yeah. I wanted to talk to you about something — and I didn’t have your number.”
“You could’ve asked your mom.”
I nearly facepalmed. How did I forget that tiny but important detail?
“It happens,” he said with a grin, as if reading my thoughts.
“Yeah…”
“It’s good that you’re here though,” he added. “Let’s head over there.”
He gestured to the bleachers, and I followed.
I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the court was empty.
“Where are the Tigers?” I asked, grateful I wouldn’t be surrounded by a sea of testosterone.
“I gave them the day off. We’ve got a big game in three weeks, so they need to rest before the intense training starts.” I nodded, suddenly remembering — we’d be back in California by then.
Why does that make me sad?
“Okay. That’s good.”
“So what’s on your mind, little psychy?” I blushed at the nickname.
“And where did that come from?”
“Well, your mom told me you’re aspiring to be a psychologist.”
“I didn’t tell her that, technically. I just said I was leaning more toward psychology than sociology.”
“Same sentiment, if you ask me.”
I smiled. His locks weren’t in a bun today — they fell loosely over his shoulders, making him look like something out of a painting. A proper African beauty.
“Well… okay,” I said, then rested my chin on my hand. “Can I trust you?”
“Well, your mom’s trusting me with both her heart and your future, so yeah… I’d say I can be trusted,” he said with a confident grin.
“Okay, but—”
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed someone step out of the locker room.
Patrick?
What is he doing here?
Shouldn’t he be at home resting, like the others?
So why is he here?
…
A/N: What do you think of the chapter, guys?