“Yeah, sure, Dad,” Nina said, as she sat down on the far end of the couch and picked at her pizza.
We watched two movies, and by the end of the second one, Nina yawned as she stretched and said she was going to bed. She gave me a hug and patted my cheek saying, “Don’t worry so much, Dad. I’m fine.”
I nodded as I watched her disappear down the hallway, then turned to Emily and said, “What in the hell just happened?”
“I think she’s trying to figure that out,” Emily replied, as she gathered up the plates and carried them to the kitchen. She put the dishes in the sink and said, “I’ve got to get going. I’ve got school tomorrow, and if I don’t get my rest, I’ll have little hope of educating the masses.”
“Aww, do you have to go?” I whined, as I pulled her to me and kissed her deeply.
“Yes, Mr. Gaston, I do have to go,” she said when she came up for air. “As tempting as it is to stay here with you, I have my duties to think of.”
“You’re no fun,” I pouted, as she patted my cheek and went to gather her things.
“Maybe not tonight, but I’ll definitely be fun on Tuesday!” she said with a sly grin. “You’re still going with me to the game, right?”
“I guess,” I moped, as she pulled on her coat and grabbed the movies.
“Buck up, soldier,” she said, as she stood on her toes to kiss me one more time. “We’ll have our time. I promise.”
“I know, but I don’t like waiting for it,” I muttered.
“Good things come to those who wait, Mr. Gaston,” Emily grinned. And then she was gone.
I poked my head in Nina’s room to say goodnight and found her curled up, facing the wall, with the glow of her phone screen creating an eerie light.
“Nina, it’s time for bed,” I said.
“I know, Dad,” she replied, without rolling over. I walked in and sat down on the edge of her bed and rested a hand on her back.
“I know your mom can be tough, but she really does love you, Punkin,” I said. I felt Nina draw a deep breath before she rolled over to face me.
“Dad,” she choked out, as she wrapped her arms around me and cried like a small child. I patted her head and whispered that it would all be okay waiting for her to calm down. When she could finally talk without crying, she said, “I don’t want to live with Mom anymore. I hate it there.”
“Oh Nina,” I said, knowing that this admission was going to open up a can of worms that I definitely didn’t want to deal with. Remy would never agree to letting Nina live with me full time, if for no other reason than pure stubbornness. But I heard myself say, “Well, we’ll talk to Mom when she gets back and see what we can do, okay?”
“Just don’t make me live there anymore, Dad, please?” Nina said, in a voice so small that it made my heart ache.
“I’ll do what I can, Punkin,” I said, as I kissed her head and hugged her tightly. I just hoped I wasn’t going to disappoint her.
#
After school on Tuesday, Nina came home and locked herself in her room until Emily pulled up in front of the house.
“Nina! Let Emily in!” I shouted from the bathroom. I listened, but all I heard was silence, and I wondered if Nina was telling Emily about her plan to ask her mother if she could live with me full time.
Remy was due home in a few days, and I’d been trying to map out a plan to talk with her, but every possible way of framing the question seemed to lead to only one outcome — Remy’s rage. I knew that she was going to point out the fact that I was in a dangerous profession that kept me away from home for 24 hours at a time and that it wasn’t safe to leave a 16-year-old alone for that time. I knew that Remy was also going to accuse me of turning Nina against her, and the thought of having to counter that nonsense gave me a headache.
I tried to put all of that out of my mind as I wiped the last bit of shaving cream off of my face and patted on some aftershave. Satisfied with the end result, I pulled on my shirt and jeans, grabbed a pair of socks out of the drawer, and took them and my boots into the front room.
“You’re not ready to go?” Nina sighed heavily. “Dad, it’s supposed to be the girl who keeps you waiting, not the other way around.”
“It’s okay, Nina,” Emily smiled. “We can flip the script for Mr. Slowpoke. He’s worth the wait.”
“You’re lucky she’s so patient, Dad,” Nina said seriously. “Not many women would be.”
“I know, I know,” I said grabbing a glass, filling it with water, and drinking the whole thing in a couple of gulps. “I’m almost ready!”
“Dad,” Nina asked. “Did you talk to Mom yet?”