My father was old-fashioned, so he still got dressed up, even for a casual lunch. He wore a sweater-vest over a collared shirt along with a sport coat. All he needed was a pocket watch, and he would look like a historical figure plucked out of the 1920s.
The second he saw me, his eyes lit up, just the way they used to when he looked at my mother. “Sweetheart, you look beautiful.” He got to his feet and kissed me on the cheek.
“Thanks, Dad. You look pretty cute in that outfit.” I shed my coat and placed it over the back of the chair before I sat down.
He looked down at his sleeves. “Patricia picked it out for me. It’s thick and stuffy, can barely move my arms, but she makes my meals so…”
“She has great taste.”
Patricia came in a moment later and brought cappuccinos along with our lunch. Then she left us alone to talk.
We made small talk, discussing my ankle, Damien’s wedding date, and the weather.
“When do you think you can go back to the ballet?” he asked.
The theatre always took a winter break during January, so it wouldn’t be until February, assuming I could perform again. “Sometime around Valentine’s Day. I’ve been continuing physical therapy, and I feel like I’m getting stronger every day. This is the first time I’ve been able to wear heels.”
“I was never worried about you making a full recovery,” he said before he sipped his coffee. “You’re such a driven person.”
“Well…thanks.” He sounded like Heath.
“So, Christmas will be exciting this year, with a new member of our family.”
“Yeah…” I would love it if there were two new members. “You know, Dad…there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“You can tell me anything.” He waved me forward. “Go ahead. Speak your mind.” He slid his spoon into the bowl of soup then dragged the bottom across the edge of the dish before he placed it in his mouth. It was chicken noodle, to make our stomachs warm on this cold day.
I couldn’t be as candid as he encouraged me to, as much as I would like to be. It was a delicate situation, and now that the moment was upon us, I was so nervous. My heart was racing like I was on the treadmill…or having sex with Heath. “You remember how I told you I was seeing someone?”
He continued to eat, but he did pause for a second to look at me. “Yes. Damien didn’t care for him.”
“Yes.”
Now, he stirred his soup without eating, interested in what I had to say next.
“Well, Damien has kind of had a change of heart about it. Said he’s willing to give him a try.”
“Oh, that’s good news for you. You know how men are—butt heads a lot because they’re stubborn.”
I wished it were that simple. “Dad, the thing is…Damien has every right to feel the way he does. He’s not overreacting. His feelings aren’t unfounded. But…I feel like this man isn’t the same person he used to be. He’s changed. And I think he deserves a fresh start…because I love him.” I’d just told my father I loved a man, and my heart was about to explode with anxiety. I knew I would only have this conversation with him if I were going to get married, because I wasn’t going to bring a guy around unless that was the kind of future I pictured for us.
He dropped the spoon, taking the weight of my words with complete seriousness. “You love this man?”
I nodded. “Yeah…I do.”
“If you love him despite what he’s done, I’m sure you have a good reason. You’re a smart woman with impeccable judgment.”
My eyes softened so much I thought I might cry.
“I’m sure Damien agrees.”
Not in the slightest. “He wants to meet you. But I thought we should talk first…”
“Alright. I’m ready to listen whenever you’re ready to speak.”
“Well…” There was no way I could phrase any of this to make Heath sound good. He was the villain, no matter how I explained it. “We both know what Damien does. Heath has been an adversary—”
“His name is Heath?”
“Yes.”
He nodded.
“Heath basically demanded taxes from Damien because he runs the city, at least underground. When Damien refused…they didn’t get along. And then to make Damien pay for his defiance…he took you.”
My father slowly understood what I was saying, the light of comprehension coming into his eyes.
“He had his men hold you somewhere until Hades came to rescue you.” It pained me to say all of this, to feel disloyal as I spoke.
He didn’t say anything, but he dropped his gaze, which wasn’t a good sign.
“Then Heath took me and locked me in a cage as part of a ploy to get back at Damien, but he let me go. He said he couldn’t go through with it. I didn’t see him again for a while, and when we bumped into each other, we just had the right chemistry. I told him I didn’t want to be with him, but he wore me down…and never told me what he did. I found out later—and left him. I didn’t want to be with a man who moved against my family like that. I tried not to care about him. But then I realized…he’s not that man anymore. He would give his life to protect mine, to protect anyone I loved. He’s different…and even Damien acknowledges it.” I waited for him to look at me.