I lower my eyes and murmur, “I don’t know what to say. I wasn’t expecting this.”
“You don’t have to say anything, Holly,” my dad assures me, and I raise my eyes to meet his. “Just know that I am truly sorry for the pain I caused. I know it kept you from the man you love… the man you’re supposed to be with. I hope, in time, you can forgive me.”
“Okay,” I whisper, finally starting to accept that perhaps my father can change. “Thank you for saying that.”
“Sure,” my dad says with a thin smile. I know he expects me to say something more. Perhaps give him the words of forgiveness that Tim just so valiantly gave him.
When I remain silent, still processing this momentous event, my dad clears his throat and says, “Well… I need to get back inside. Guest of honor and all. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
My dad walks past us, and I catch the familiar scent of his cologne. It’s the same scent he’s worn since I was a little girl. I used to love hugging him, pressing my face into his tummy and inhaling the spicy smell.
“Dad,” I say as I turn around toward him. He stops and faces us with hopeful eyes. “Maybe we can get together next week… for lunch or dinner.”
My dad’s lips peel back, and his smile is enough to outshine the New York skyline. “That would be great. Maybe the two of you could come over?”
“Three of us actually,” I correct him. “We’ll have Tim’s son, Sam, with us.”
“Even better,” he says with a smile. “Your mother will be thrilled to have a little one in the house.”
“Alright,” I tell him with a smile. “I’ll call you to arrange it.”
Tim and I watch my dad nod his head toward us in gratitude before heading back inside the hotel. Taking my hips, Tim turns me toward him and pulls me in closer. “Wow,” is all he says.
“Wow is right.” I laugh. “Didn’t see that one coming.”
“He was sincere,” Tim says confidently.
“I think you might be right,” I agree, not minding that Tim knows I saw that in my father, even if I wasn’t able to actually admit it out loud to said father.
“Want to go back in?”
“Nah… let’s go back to your place.”
“Our place,” he corrects me.
“Our place,” I agree. “Until we can find a house.”
“With a fence.”
“And a dog.”
We both start laughing as we step out toward the curb hand in hand so we can hail a cab.