Page 39 of Golden Rule

“He needs you. I can do this by myself if you need to give him a call.”

West finishes shooting back a quick text, then tucks his phone away before taking my hand again. “Pretty sure he’ll be okay talking things out with Tiff. I’ll hit him up later.”

I don’t even have a chance to take a full breath when the door swings open, and I hardly recognize the person staring back at me. Shock fills my father’s eyes, seeing that I’m the one ringing his bell in the middle of the night. He looks so different from the man I knew before. For starters, he lookswell.His fresh haircut is cropped closer to his head than I’m used to seeing, and his eyes are clear and blue. Not bloodshot and exhausted like before. He’s clean, wearing an open flannel with a white t-shirt underneath, and jeans he actually took the time to crease with the iron.

His mouth falls open when words escape him, but then his expression begins to soften. “Blue…”

I smile a little. “Hey.”

West gives my hand a gentle squeeze, as if to remind me that he’s with me, and I’m not doing this alone.

“Well… come in,” Dad says, his smile growing as he unlocks the screen, then pushes it open. “Scar didn’t mention you’d be stopping by.”

“She didn’t know.”

He nods, looking me over like he isn’t sure I’m real.

“You look great, sweetheart. It’s good to see you.”

He takes an awkward step forward, halfway lifting his arms before committing to an embrace. Being held by him feels unfamiliar, but I don’t hate it. I hug him back, squeezing himtighter when I manage to get out of my own head. No, Mike Riley isn’t perfect, but he’s here, he’s trying, and I can only respect that.

He pulls away, and I’m surprised to see tears pooling in his eyes. He wipes away one that tries to slip past him, chuckling at himself.

“Forgive me for getting emotional, it’s just damn good to see you.Bothof you,” he adds, bringing West into a hug this time.

“Good seeing you, too.” West glances around the living room. “The place looks great. You’ve done quite a bit since we stopped in last year.”

“Yeah, Scar gets these bright ideas from that app. You know, the one with all the pictures and crap. I don’t know what it’s called,” he grumbles, “but she sends me all herinspiration pics,as she calls them, expecting me to do her bidding.”

When I look around this time, I smile. “Well, it kinda looks like her plan’s working, so…”

“Tell me about it,” he laughs. “And guess who gets to foot the bill.”

The carpet has been ripped up, and he’s restored and stained the wood floors that were hidden underneath. The cracks in the walls are all patched, and with a fresh coat of paint it’s like there were never any blemishes at all. Where our old, tattered couch used to sit, there’s now a stylish, grey sectional with matching pillows and a rug.

New lamps, new tables, a new TV.

It’s like a whole new house. One that neatly tucks away the dark secrets and pain that once existed here. That word rings inside my head again.

Bittersweet.

“Shit, you’re probably here for Scar. I’ll grab her,” Dad says, but I stop him when he takes a step toward the hallway.

“No, we came to see you.”

At my words, there’s another slight glimmer of shock that fills his eyes. “Well… then… let’s sit!”

I don’t know the last time I’ve seen him smile like this. Even if I’m not quite sure how to process all that’s changed, it’s at least great to see him happy.

There’s a moment of awkward silence when he sends a text right after lowering into his seat. While waiting for him to finish, I stare at a photo on the entertainment center. It’s of our father-daughter dance on my wedding day. We were just starting to make our way back to one another, but having him walk me down the aisle was one of my best memories. This thought brings me back to the present, helping me to leave the past in the past.

Where it belongs.

“So, how’s work?”

My question draws a sighanda laugh out of my father. “Tiring. But it’s honest and it pays the bills, so I can’t complain.”

“Ever miss being on the police force?” West asks.

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