Page 85 of Something Forever

“Thanks for this, Li,” my dad says, gesturing towards the makeshift bed in the center of the living room. “Looks grand.”

Whitney pads into the room, pulling her hair into a bun as she crosses over to us. “I think my mom went to sleep,” she says, her eyes darting around the room. “Andy, I’m sorry?—”

My dad waves his hand, cutting her off. “None of that. I’m glad we got the weekend together. It was fun, yeah?”

Whitney nods. “It really was. It was so great to meet you.”

He opens his arms, gesturing for a hug, and Whitney wraps her arms around him with a laugh. He pulls back, patting her shoulder. “You’ll be meeting Charlotte and Simon for Christmas, yeah? I’m glad you’ll get to see where Li grew up. I’m sure they’re gonna love you.”

Whitney turns to me, her eyes wide with questions.

Shit.

Yet another thing I forgot to mention to her: my trip to England to see my mum and Simon. A trip they will certainly be expecting my wife to tag along with since I’m sure my dad will have put photos of us all up on Facebook by the end of the week. The worst thing about having amicably divorced parents? When they start a Facebook group with themselves and their partners called Team Liam.

“You’ll make sure he’s nice to Simon, yeah?” My dad continues, oblivious. “I’m sure you know how sensitive he gets, but Simon’s a great lad and Liam knows it.”

I glance over at Whitney, who still looks as confused as ever. “Whitney doesn’t like to fly, so I’m going to just go alone for a few days. Be back for New Years together.”

He frowns, glancing between us. “You can’t spend Christmas apart, Liam. It’s Christmas.”

Another thing about my family — they absolutely love Christmas. For my parents, spending Christmas apart from the ones you love is akin to murder.

Whitney narrows her eyes at me, and I clear my throat, choking under the pressure of his moment. “Yeah, Liam. It’s Christmas,” she says with a biting smile.

“Dad,” I reach my arm around his shoulder for a side-hug. “Thanks for coming. See you in the morning?”

“I’m gonna hit the road first thing. I’ll just let myself out, if that’s alright.”

“Sure thing.”

Whitney hugs him again and retreats to our room while I linger with my dad, feeling like there’s more I want to say but not sure what.

He clasps my shoulder and looks at me, perhaps sensing my mood. “I meant what I said, Li. I’m real proud of you, and I love you so much. I know you like to handle things your own way, but if you ever want to talk, I’m just a phone call away, and if it’s really dire, just a-hop, skip, and a-jump down to Philly.”

I offer my dad a grateful smile. “Thanks, Dad. Love you too.”

I shuffle down the hallway towards our room feeling exposed, like a raw nerve sticking out. When I press open the door, I find Whitney in her PJs, sitting on the bed with her arms crossed.

“England? Christmas?” Whitney shakes her head. “What the hell, Liam?”

“I know, I know.” I sigh and cross to the bed, settling down next to her. “It’s been a long night. I’m exhausted. Can we please just talk tomorrow?”

Whitney quiets as I pull my shirt over my head and slip my pants off, sliding under the covers next to her.

“Okay,” she murmurs. “We can talk tomorrow.”

She leans over and turns the bedside lamp off, shrouding the room in darkness. Pulling the covers closer to her side, she turns over and lays down next to me. I reach for her, joining our bodies together so my arms are draped lightly around her waist.

“What are you doing?” she whispers.

“We agreed on cuddling,” I remind her.

“But I’m mad at you,” she says. Then, after a moment: “Kind of.”

I chuckle against the back of her neck and pull her closer. “Alright. You’re mad at me, then.”

She sighs, silence settling between us. Even though she hasn’t moved from my arms, there’s a stiffness in her body that isn’t usually there. Pressure clamps around my chest as I try to figure out what to say. How to be good enough for her.

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