Page 70 of Destiny

“I thought I was part of that dream.” A single tear rolls down my cheek, and I wipe it away.

“You are.”

“Are you sure? It really doesn’t feel like it.”

“Professional dreams and personal ones are different, Marco. I never complained when you had to work late.”

“That’s like comparing apples to oranges, Bea. If I’m late one night, it’s that. One night. You’ve been gone for a month.”

“I know. I’m sorry. But this is just what I have to do. And if we do get signed, Blakely said we might have to travel around here. I’m not sure how long that will be for.”

I’m hearing train whistles in my ears by that point. “Are you kidding me?” A few months ago, she was too afraid to sing on stage, and now she’s fine with being away from us for an indefinite amount of time to do just that. I also feel so stupid because I was the one who pushed so hard for her to go back up on the stage in the first place. I never imagined any of this would happen…at all and as fast.

“Or we could come to the U.S. I just don’t know.”

“Well, why don’t you refrain from calling me again until you do.”

“Marco, wait—”

I slam the phone off, and I block her number for the time being. I don’t need this. I’m so angry at how flippant she’s being about all of this. I thought she loved our family and would hate to be away from us.

I wish I could go back in time to when she just worked at the little record shop down the road. Everything was perfect then. I could even pop in during my lunch hours and see her throughout the day.

Thoughts roll through my mind like a rolodex. And I never wanted this. I never wanted a girlfriend. I was happy with it, just being the three of us. But she pushed and pushed. Then, as soon as I give in and consider a forever together, she pulls this. I work myself so much that I take one of my golf clubs out of the bag and throw it across the wall.

“Daddy?” Aurora sticks her head out the door. “What was that?”

“Nothing, sweetie.” I furiously try to get the tears off my cheeks, but I fail to do so before she notices.

“You’re crying? What’s wrong?”

I just crouch down and open my arms for her to hug me. She does.

“Are you okay, dad?”

“Yeah, I’m just sad. But that’s okay. Sadness is a perfectly normal thing to feel once in a while.”

“Did Alessia or I make you sad?”

“Oh, my gosh. No. Of course not.” I hug her again.

“Then, what did?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll be okay.” I’m not actually sure of that myself, but she doesn’t need to know that.

She pulls away and gives me a kiss on the cheek. “I love you.”

“Oh, I love you too. Thank you for that kiss.”

She then sticks her tongue out. “It was salty.”

I laugh. “That’s because tears are salty.”

“Really? Why?” I appreciate her childhood wonderment about anything and everything because it’s distracting me from the current situation.

“Because the electrolytes in our bodies contain essential minerals like sodium.”

“Oh.” She nods like she understands what I just said.

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