Page 90 of One Knight Stand

At some point, I decided I needed air.

I slipped outside and onto the front porch, grabbing my coat and pushing my arms into it on the way. The sun was getting ready to set, gorgeous streaks of yellow and pink painting a beautiful picture across the cool November sky. I sat on the top step of the porch, my hands safe in my pockets, watching the sun set and admiring the pretty view from the countryside. I imagined how magical the landscape would look as soon as we got the first snowfall. It made me happy that Mr. Matthews was making a home here, and I hoped I’d be invited to visit him again. He’d been like a surrogate father to me while mine had been missing.

The door opened with a creak behind me.

“Care if I join you?” my dad asked.

Without turning around, I patted the step next to me. He sat down, placing his hands on his knees and admiring the sunset along with me.

“It’s beautiful,” he said. “So peaceful.”

“Peaceful is good,” I agreed. “I’ve had enough excitement over the past few days to last a lifetime.”

“Better get ready for more,” my dad said with a chuckle. “Considering the career you’ve signed up for.”

“I know.”

We were silent for a moment before my dad spoke. “Angel, there’s something I want to tell you. I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I wasn’t there for you or Gwen while you were growing up. I’m sorry that my job got in the way of the most important thing in the world to me—my family.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” I said. “You tried to do the right thing.”

“Maybe,” he said. “But it wasn’t worth it.”

I looked down at my hands, which were clasped in my lap. “Maybe it was. You know, when I was little, I didn’t understand what happened to you. Where had you gone, and why. I was jealous of Gwen because she had memories of you. But I didn’t. I didn’t have any memories at all. I had some pictures and a few stories Mom told me about you, and that was it. You were a mystery to me, a shadow figure in my life. I’d never met you, but you were always with me.”

I heard him sigh. “I’m so sorry.”

“I used to pretend you were a superhero. That you’d flown away that day you vanished because you were called to save the world, like Superman, fighting bad guys and protecting the innocent. You know, in the end, I wasn’t that far off. But I learned when I got older that being a superhero isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. There’s suffering, isolation, and people often misunderstand you. I get that.”

My dad was silent.

“The worst parts were the nights I lay in bed, convinced I knew why you left,” I said. He shifted on the stair, so I raised my gaze to meet his. “I thought you left because of me. Maybe you didn’t want another kid, or maybe you wanted a son. I was a disappointment to you. Or maybe having a family was just too much for you to handle and I’d been the last straw.”

He took my cold hands, pressing them between his warm ones. “Never,” he said firmly. “That wasneverthe reason. You, Gwen, your mother, you were my life…my everything.”

I nodded. “I know that now. But that fear was always there, ready to jump out and bite me. It was that fear that drove me to become who I am now. Pushed me, forced me to be better, to excel in ways I didn’t expect. Your absence shaped me, maybe differently than if you’d been at home, but we’ll never know. And the thing is, Dad, I like myself. And I like you, too. I admire you for standing up for others even at the expense of your own life. That’s called integrity, and among all the attributes I’ve learned you have—brilliance, adaptability, kindness, and self-sacrifice—I think I’m the most impressed by your integrity. I’m proud to be your daughter.”

I heard him draw in a sharp breath, and he squeezed my hands. “I have a confession, too. I’ve been stalking you and your sister all your life. I couldn’t be there in person with you, but every accomplishment, ever milestone, I celebrated with you. You and Gwen, I’m so proud of both of you and the young women you’ve become. Except your sister has moved in with her boyfriend, and I’m not sure how I feel about that.”

“He’s a great guy, Dad. He really likes her, and I’ve never seen her happier.”

“If you say so,” he said, but I could tell he was still unsure about it.

“You know, Dad, now we’ve come full circle,” I said. “It’s fate, perhaps. Without even knowing you, I’ve stepped into the same life you had.”

“With better skills than I had at your age,” he added. “And you’re a lot smarter. But there’s still a few things I can show you.”

“I bet there are,” I said, smiling. “I’m looking forward to it.” I really was. Talking coding and computers with my dad was something I’d always dreamed of doing.

“Did you know I had a college fund set up for you and Gwen before I disappeared?” he asked. “Did Mom tell you?”

“She did.”

“Well, Gwen used hers, but now you’re at UTOP and it’s tuition-free. What are you going to do with that money? Buy a car?”

“Dad, I don’t even have a driver’s license yet.”

“Well, that won’t stop your UTOP professors from teaching you how to drive.”

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