Page 28 of If My Wishes Came True
Every time Charlie and I find a piece that’s so abstract we have no idea what we’re looking at, we take turns making up wild theories about it. It’s the most fun I’ve had in as long as I can remember. There’s one painting in particular that has us laughing so hard, one of the guards shushes us. Twice.
Careful not to get us kicked out of the museum, Charlie whispers his final interpretation in my ear. “Maybe it’s a man locked out of his apartment…and the incredible woman who rescues him.”
When I turn to him and smile, he winks at me, then moves on to the next wall full of artwork. I hang back for a few seconds to take one last look at the minimalist painting. A few minutes ago, all I saw were two circles—one dark brown, one olive green—and a scribble of what looks like black permanent marker between them. But now I can see us there, too. Brown-eyed Charlie, green-eyed Jenna, and the spark between us drawn in with a Sharpie.
Finally, after hours on our feet, Charlie and I sit in the Commons, a beautiful community space on the second floor, and we continue our conversation. There’s never a lull, never an awkward silence.
Until his dad texts him.
Charlie still hasn’t changed his ringtone, but I’ve heard the thunderclap enough times that it doesn’t startle me anymore. As he reads the message, his forehead creases, and when he’s done, he pinches the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut.
“Everything okay?”
“Not really…to be honest.” He runs a hand over his hair, then looks at me like he’s debating whether or not to pour his heart out. It doesn’t take him long to decide.
“You know the reason I wanted to work for Sutton’s?” he says. “It’s because my dad was always so busy when I was a kid, I figured the only way I’d ever spend time with the man was if I worked for him. So after getting my MBA, I moved back to Denver, where Sutton’s is headquartered, and my dad made me the regional VP. I rented an apartment about a mile away from where my parents live, and I figured I’d buy my own home there, eventually.”
He lets out a wry laugh. “But I did so well that, the next year, my dad moved me to Atlanta to traintheirregional VP. Then he sent me to Houston, and—I guess you see where this is going. Working for Sutton’s was never my dream, but I thought the sacrifice would be worth it if it brought me and my dad closer. But I haven’t lived in Denver in nine years, and I hardly ever see him. All I get are these damn texts every hour. And I’m so tiredof him moving me around the country on a whim, like I’m a pawn on his chessboard.”
I feel awful for Charlie. From the way his eyes are glistening, it’s clear how much he’s hurting.
“I’m so sorry,” I say with a frown. “Are you thinking of quitting?”
He lets out a deep sigh. “A buddy of mine from college is a travel journalist, and he’s writing a guide for Italy. He remembered my dream of being a travel photographer, so he called me up last week and asked if there was any chance I’d take the job. It won’t be until next summer, so I have some time to think about it…but I have to admit, I’m tempted. I mean, who wouldn’t want to spend an entire summer touring Italy and taking pictures?”
“Sounds like a dream,” I say. “I’ve always wanted to go to Italy. The art museums alone put it at the top of my list—and it’s a long list.”
“Is that right?”
“I’ve never been anywhere outside the country,” I explain. “My dad is a high school dean, but the way he spends his salary, you’d think he’s a neurosurgeon, or something. All so he doesn’t have to feel self-conscious when he’s playing golf with the Beachwood elite. That’s why we never traveled much—there wasn’t enough left in the budget for it. I know I could always go now, but…”
“What?” Charlie asks when I hesitate.
I bite my lip. “It’s embarrassing.”
Charlie smiles and looks down at his shoes, then back at me. “I just told you about my daddy issues. If anyone should feelembarrassed, it’s me.”
I laugh. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about—and I guess I shouldn’t either. It’s just that, Europe seems like such a magical place…I’d rather experience it with someone special than go alone.”
Charlie takes my hand in his, and pauses for a moment. Then he says, “It is magical. And I hope I get to experience it with someone special someday, too.”
I watch as he rubs his thumb in circles over my skin, and I wonder if he notices when I inch closer to him on the bench.
I guess he does, because he puts his arm around me. And before I know it, my head has gravitated toward his shoulder, and I feel nothing but calm and happy resting there. It’s like we’re a couple who’s been together forever. Sitting on our favorite bench at the art museum, like we do every Saturday morning.
“How would your dad take it if you quit?” I ask after a minute of comfortable silence. “Not well, I’m guessing?”
I’m still leaning on Charlie, but I feel him sigh beneath me. “I don’t know if he’d ever speak to me again.”
Now I turn to look up at him. “Are you serious?”
He shrugs a shoulder. “My sisters think he’ll come around, eventually. They’re not close with him either, but all three of them are married with kids, and have their own families to worry about. Plus, I don’t think they ever cared about my dad’s approval the way I did. The way I do—I should say.”
When Charlie mentions his sisters, I find myself wondering if he wants kids. Now’s not the time to ask, of course. If we keep hanging out, though, I’ll have to tell him that I don’t. And afterwhat happened with Hunter, I dread that conversation more than anything.
But that’s not important right now. “You’re his only son,” I say to Charlie. “It makes sense that you crave that closeness with your dad.”
He gives me a wistful smile and, for the first time in my life, I consider myself lucky that I gave up on my dad’s approval long ago. Like Charlie’s sisters did.
