Page 20 of The Summer of ’98

“You know what I love about this movie?” she said, sitting beside me.

“Robin Williams in a dress?”

“Ha, Robin Williams is a treasure. But, also, he’s literally the best dad ever. He loves his kids so much that he pretends to be an old woman just to spend time with them. How devoted. I can’t even imagine what that must feel like!”

I felt for her.

“That’s the sort of dad that I’d want for my children.”

Then that was the sort of dad that I would be.

I pushed her hair behind her shoulder and drew her into me. “You ever think about your dad? Miss him?”

She tilted her head. “I never knew him, so I miss the idea of him. I’m fine, it doesn’t upset me, and I can’t miss someone I never knew, but sometimes I think that it would have been nice to have had a dad that I could be close to.”

“Yeah.”

I couldn’t imagine not having mine.

Halfway through the movie, we paused it so that Ellie could run to the bathroom. Which was timed well because I heard the front door open and shut and then Noah came in, dragging his feet. He fell into the sofa beside me and I caught a whiff of his stale odor.

“Dude,” I shook my head. “Shower.”

“Shut up. What’s on?”

“Mrs. Doubtfire.”

He scoffed. “Why are you watching this?”

“Ellie chose it.”

“Where is she?”

“Bathroom.”

He folded his arms and settled farther into the sofa.

“You’re in her seat.”

His eyes moved to my lap. “You sure?”

“Go and have a shower. You smell like a gym sock. What have you been doing this afternoon?”

“I’ve been at Natalie’s.”

Of course he has. Ellie walked back in, her attention moving between Noah and me taking up the entire sofa, leaving only a small gap between us. She was about to head for Dad’s recliner beside me, but I gripped her wrist and pulled her into my lap, ignoring Noah’s smug expression. It was quiet for a few minutes, the three of us staring at the television, the atmosphere growing awkward. Plus, the smell was intensifying, but I decided not to call him out in front of Ellie.

“How was your night, Noah?” Ellie asked.

He watched her with a curious glare. “I’m wondering how yours was. What happened to your head?”

“Oh, I’d forgotten about that,” she touched the Band-aid on her temple and flinched. It was starting to bruise. “I spun out this morning, hit it on the side table.”

Noah laughed and I punched him in the thigh.

“It was pretty funny,” Ellie said.

It was a relief that Els was making an effort with Noah because I knew that he wouldn’t. The fact that she was patient and sweet despite how hostile he was when they first met was gracious of her too.

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