Page 95 of Why Not Us?

“I told her to come if she wants to.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because. She wants to teach Dani. You want her to teach Dani.Daniwants her to teach Dani. Fuck, man. It just makes sense. Her relationship with your daughter doesn’t need to end because you think her relationship with you has.”

“Hasn’t it?” I ask.

“I don’t know, Nate. Have youtalkedto her about it?”

“She hasn’t called me.”

He rolls his eyes really hard. “Why would she call you? Have you calledher?”

“I figured she wouldn’t want to hear from me.” I scrub a hand over my face. “I don’t know. Mom and Dad made their relationship look so easy. They never fought.”

He looks at me like I’m the world’s biggest moron. “Of course they did. They just tried not to let us see it. All couples fight, Nate. So you need to ask yourself if it’s worth resolving the issue or not.”

I hear footsteps and chatter on the stairs as Dani and Adalie come down, letting me off the hook from responding to my brother.

“Can I walk Adalie to her car, Dad?” Dani asks.

It’s something I’ve done every time Adalie has come over. When we started dating, it gave us a few minutes alone before she left. It also usually happens after she’s stayed for dinner. Though, I don’t know why I assumed she would tonight. She doesn’t want to see me. She came to see my daughter.

I nod and stand, intending to keep an eye on Dani from the door, but also really wanting to be close to Adalie for a minute.

She watches me with her wide green eyes, looking uncertain. I hate that she looks at me like that. I want that smile back, the one that made me feel like I’ve done everything right instead of everything wrong.

When we’re outside, Dani carries Adalie’s things to the car while Adalie pulls her boots on, pressing the button to pop the trunk.

“Set it all in there, Dani,” she calls. “Thank you.”

When she straightens, I clear my throat, and she looks up at me.

“So, um. Should I start paying you for these lessons?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “I don’t need your money, Nate.”

“I know. It’s just. We had a deal. And I don’t think you need me anymore for that, so…” I trail off. I’m making things worse. I should have kept my mouth shut.

“Teaching Dani stopped being about the deal a long time ago.” She wraps her arms around her middle. “I’m doing it now because I want to.”

“Right.”

We stand there, awkwardly as Dani comes back from the car.

“Was there anything else?” Adalie asks.

I think about all the things I said in Whistler, how much of it was completely the opposite of how I was really feeling. How do I explain to her that I don’t know what I’m doing here? I don’t know how to fix this, but I want to. I’ve never been good with words and they fail me now as they’ve failed me before.

“I guess not. See you later, then.”

She nods and as she turns away from me, she offers my daughter the smile that I want. I watch as Dani hugs Adalie, then as Adalie lets go and walks to her little purple car, waving before she gets in and drives away.

I lead Dani back inside and tell her to wash up for dinner, then sit at the island again where Taylor is shaking his head.

“What?” I say.

“Nothing. Just looking at the world’s dumbest man.”

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