Page 119 of My Mistake To Make

‘I could drive you?’ I offer, not knowing what the fuck I’m doing, and Andy turns to look at me.

‘You two are as scheming as your mother.’ He has a turn-up at the corner of his mouth that tells me he likes that about her. ‘Iknow where Cara is. She finally got back to me, and I’m heading up there to see her.’

‘Andy, let me drive you.’

‘I don’t know if that’s a good idea.’

‘Let me just safely deliver you to her. If I let you drive tired and something happens, I’d never forgive myself, and she sure as hell won’t.’

Jesus, I’m one step away from getting on my knees and begging the guy.

‘Zo,’ I turn to her, and she smiles widely.

‘Me and Bree can take Bowie, and don’t worry about the delivery.’

‘Let me just go home and change, and I’ll be back, okay?’

I look into Andy’s eyes, pleading with him not to take this chance to see her away from me, and I spot the moment he gets the message. With a small laugh and a shake of his head, he stands, pulls out his wallet to pay Zoe, and turns to head up to the apartment.

I launch myself across the bar to grab my sister and kiss her cheek.

‘You owe me,’ she calls out as I turn and leave the bar, and I don’t care. She can have whatever she wants. I’m getting my girl back.

Sit Your Butt Down, Young Lady

Cara

‘What time will yourdad be here?’ Doris asks as we take a break from gardening to get a cold drink in the shade.

When my dad told me he was in Forest Falls, I couldn’t believe it. I’ve taken the past couple of weeks to try and clear my head and process everything that happened, but I haven’t been able to talk to anyone except Doris; she’s the only person who doesn’t ask how I’m doing or if I need anything, or when I’mgoing home. She’s just there, a comforting presence at my side, someone who makes me laugh daily.

Getting to know her more has been so lovely. We’ve spent time in the city: shopping and eating at all sorts of different places, from street carts to fancy restaurants. We’ve been to spas and salons, and I got my hair cut a little shorter, so it sits on my collarbone, and I’ve changed the color a bit, with dark roots blending into blond. I love it, and it put a smile on my face for the first time in what feels like so long.

Another thing Doris and I have done these past couple of weeks is get tattoos. When I told her I was looking for a good tattoo shop, she enthusiastically told me she wanted to get one too. I thought she was kidding, but no, we both booked appointments and a few hours later, we walked out of that shop with fresh ink and smiles on our faces.

She’s not like any woman I’ve ever met. She doesn’t have a ton of family photos around the house, and she doesn’t talk about her family, even though I know she has grandkids she adores. She’s vibrant and fun. She loves her life. She’s loyal and funny and the kindest woman in the world. I hope I can be like her when I’m her age—still saying yes to living life to the fullest.

I tell myself the D that I had hidden in the wildflowers on my wrist is for her—my heart knows better, but I’m ignoring that stupid slab of meat for the time being.

Doug has stopped trying to get me to talk to him. The stab of pain at the fact that he actually listened when I told him to leave me alone is an annoying reminder of how I feel for the man, despite the way he made me feel.

I miss him. I hate that I miss him, but I can’t seem to make it stop.

‘Honey?’

I turn to look at Doris and realize I haven’t answered her.

‘Oh, sorry.’ I pick up my phone to check the time. ‘Any time within the next hour.’

I’m nervous to see my dad. It’s so silly. He’s been my one constant, the most important person in my life for most of it, and now I feel like he’s a stranger. My head is telling me that biology makes all the difference while my heart tries its best to remind me that it’s not sharing DNA that makes someone a dad, especially not a dad like mine.

‘Well, I’ll go and start some lunch then. Can’t have a man in the house and not feed him.’ I laugh. Doris can’t have anyone in the house and not feed them.

I sit for a while, pondering how much has changed in such a short time before deciding I need to pull my weight and go back to pruning.

When I hear Doris stepping back out onto the porch and the door shutting behind her, I look back in time to see her freeze, her eyes fixed on the road before she rushes toward me.

‘Oh shit,’ she mutters, the curse word grabbing my attention, and I watch as she slowly turns her gaze from the road to me. ‘Cara, I’m sorry, please just…’

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