Page 42 of Grave Kisses
“Flying,” I say. “It would be so damn easy to end all the bullshit if I just… flew away.”
“The pain that made you fly will only move to someone else. Flying away doesn’t mean the problem is gone; it just moves on,” Tim says. “I don’t mean that in a guilt trip way, but as far as solving problems… it doesn’t.”
“You’re my dad,” I say, looking up at him.
“I am,” he says.
“Do I call you Dad?”
“You can call me whatever you want,” he replies. “Do you want to call me Dad?”
“I called Alan Dad,” I say. “You remind me of him.”
“Are you afraid it will feel like you're replacing him?” he asks.
“Yeah. I just… I signed adult adoption papers with him. Legally I am his daughter, but I’m not who I thought I was. I’m… a forgotten piece of the world.”
“No,” he says. “You are Kendra. Holly died that day, but Kendra… She is a fighter. A survivor.”
“So no one will call me Holly?” I ask.
“No. That’s not who you are anymore. Hell, some states allow you to change your baby’s name within a certain timeframe. Sometimes we are different from our name, and that’s okay. If you want to be Kendra, then that’s who you are to me. It is my job as a father to support you unconditionally. Even though I don’t know you very well, I will support you.”
“I was hard on Jeff,” I say. “I shouldn’t have been so mean.”
“Eh. Just talk to him. You are both under a lot of stress,” he says. “Did I hear correctly that you are pregnant?”
“Yeah,” I say with a smile. “Eight weeks.”
“Do you know who the father is?”
“Nope. It’s either Marcus or Bellamy,” I say. “Is that weird?”
“Do they treat you good?”
“Better than I deserve, honestly,” I say. “They’re amazing.”
“Then it’s not weird,” he says. “Let’s go back so you can talk to Jeff, hmm?”
“Yeah,” I say.
Tim takes my hand and helps me stand before hopping across the railing before lifting me up to sit me on the safety. “I’ll follow,” he says. Instead of going to the truck, I hug him around his middle. When he hugs me back, his comfort relaxes me.
I pull back into the spot by the motel door, but I don’t move until Tim opens my door. “Come on, kid,” he says. I sigh and step out.
“I hope he isn’t mad,” I mutter.
“He’s a big boy. He can handle it,” Tim says with a chuckle. He takes my hand and leads me up to the door. After a moment of hesitation, I walk inside.
“Hey,” Marcus says with a smile.
“Hey,” I say quietly. He stands and wraps me in a hug before Bellamy does the same.
“We are going to get going,” Hannah says. “I have everyone’s contact number. Get with us tomorrow, and we can talk more,” Hannah tells me.
“Okay,” I say, standing to hug her.
“I’m so happy to have you back,” she whispers. “We will make up for lost time, yeah?”
