Seconds later, he rises, depriving me and Mere of his warmth.
“Eat, or else your food will get cold. I’m told that’s not something you will enjoy today.”
“Dad!” Mere shrieks, her cheeks turning red.
“What? I’m your dad.”
I bite back a smile and grab my lunch from the table before lowering myself on Mere’s chair. Keith settles next to Merida on the bed and we eat in silence until his phone rings.
“Adams.” Keith’s gruff voice is sinfully commanding, completely opposite of how I’ve heard him this entire morning. “No, I’m not in today. Send me the report by email. Yes, all’s well. Mere had—”
“Dad?” Mere pinches his forearm and my lips curl up knowing that all’s back to normal between them.
Keith squeezes his eyes and mouths a sorry to her. “Mere’s fine. She didn’t have classes today, so I decided to stay with her.” He listens for a minute to whoever is on the other line before ending the call.
“Why are you not at work?” Mere asks once Keith has tucked the phone back in his jeans pocket. “This will happen every month. You know that, right? Will you be home every month?”
He grimaces. “Um, only if you want me to.”
“No, Dad! I don’t want that.”
“Me either.” He smiles at his daughter and my heart swells watching those perfect lips pucker. Keith places Mere’s red locks behind her ear. “I don’t know how parents do it, kiddo. I don’t know how or what you’re supposed to tell your girl on such a day. But I’m here, okay?”
Holy shit! I think I died, went to heaven, and came back watching this cuteness.
And that’s an adjective I thought I could never associate with Keith.
“Thanks, Dad. I’m happy you didn’t say this is the best day of my life.” Mere chuckles, resting her box on the side.
“Who the hell says that?”
“Clem’s gram did when she had her first period.” Mere laughs and then groans before lying back on the bed.
I’m sure my face is all shades of red and pink.
Are we seriously discussing my first period with Keith?
Mere continues to laugh while Keith and I look everywhere but at each other, until he says, “Your mom would have killed me if I said anything like that.”
Merida freezes at the mention of her mother and an uncomfortable silence stretches in the room.
My fork stays in the air for a beat before I bring it down, the cheesecake taste gone from my mouth. I know Keith hasn’t forgotten his wife. But how often does he think about her? Every day or just on special moments like these?
It’s been ten years since she passed away, after all. And how does he feel with me being here with Mere today instead of her?
We finish our lunch in a weird quiet until he leaves the room.
I press the pencil too hard on the paper of my design notebook. If only destroying pages could get me out of this funk.
“Why do you look like you want to murder someone?” Mere asks from where she’s lying on her bed, reading a book on hacking.
“I want to murder myself.” I throw another paper ball on the floor.
She closes her book and sits crossed-legged, ready to hear me grumble.
“I have three weeks to present my best design to Vanessa, otherwise I’ll be thrown out of Vanshionista.” I choke even saying it out loud. Should I start looking for another job? How am I failing already?
“Thrown out?” Her face scrunches at my choice of words. “What does that mean?”