Page 10 of Time After Time
I shrugged. “You know how Michael is—always pushing for the best for his daughters.”Or at least what he thinks it’s best.
“Who wouldn’t?” Our eyes met, and for a few seconds, neither of us spoke. I gave a small nod, and he returned it. He wasn’t my biological father, but he was the only father I’d ever known.
After my mum escaped my dad, she hadn’t dated in years, and I would’ve been lying if I’d said I wasn’t worried about the next man she might bring into our lives.. The shadow ofmy father still loomed large, casting doubts on anyone new. I think Mum could tell, which is why she eased Robert into our lives little by little. His presence was limited at first, and she cautiously encouraged him to join us in more activities, a slow approach I appreciated. It didn’t take long, though, for me to see that Robert was a good man. His calm and easygoing nature was a big change from my father’s unpredictability. As a kid, I loved going to his restaurant and getting free milkshakes, and even at 21, I wasn’t above enjoying those free milkshakes.
“What about Gen?” The mention of her name brought me back to the moment. “Has she figured it out?”
I sighed, rubbing my forehead, then swiped the back of my hand across it, checking for paint. I shook my head, thinking of the times I’d seen that look of worry on her face. “She’s got the whole summer to sort things out. I’m sure she’ll find her way.”
Robert swallowed, then cleared his throat. His eyes flicked toward me for a moment before quickly returning to the spot he’d been painting for the past few minutes, as if there were any other part left to cover. “And what about you? Any news from Inoue?”
I grumbled, which made him chuckle and pulled a grin from me. “Not yet,” I replied, moving to a different section of the porch. “I check my email every day, but nothing’s come through.”
“It’s the worst thing you can do, kid—obsessing over it.” He’d always addressed me that way since the day we met, and I found it oddly comforting. “I understand why you’re anxious, but you’ll pull through.”
“I appreciate the vote of confidence.”
“You don’t need it. You’ve got the talent and the drive,” he said, stepping closer and resting a hand on my shoulder, giving it a soft pat. “I’ve put on a bit of weight since I started dating your mum,” he added, chuckling and giving his stomach a mocksqueeze. Despite his muscular build, he patted it as if trying to show off a belly he didn’t have. “And I absolutely love everything you bake.”
“Honestly,” I said, pausing to make sure he knew I was serious as I leaned against a section of the porch that hadn’t been painted yet. “Ireallywant to get into that apprenticeship.” The longing was sharp, but so was the sadness that came with it, because the thought of getting in always meant the thought of leaving Golden Sands. “But if it doesn’t work out, I’ll do whatever I can to spend my life doing what I love.”
With a sigh, Robert’s lips curved into a light smile. “Listen, Seb,” he said, and I looked up, knowing his advice was always worth listening to. “Go after what you truly want. Fight for it all day long and then start again the next morning.” His words hit me hard, a surge of certainty and relief washing over me. It was exactly what I needed to hear. “But don’t lose yourself in the process,” he added, leaning against one of the wooden columns of the porch, positioning himself right in front of me so I couldn’t look away.
“What do you mean by that?”
He sighed and sat down on the porch steps, tapping the space beside him with a lazy gesture. His paint roller was left behind on a crumpled plastic bag, probably the one that had held the paint bucket. “You know,” he began, his voice quieter, “if I hadn’t been so sure of myself, I might never have ended up in your and your mum’s lives.” His words caught me off guard, and the thought that he might have hesitated about us sent a shiver down my spine. “I loved your mum,” he added, his smile softening as he looked up from his feet. “And I loved you too. I always wanted kids, so meeting you was... something I’d hoped for.”
“Then?” I asked, intrigued.
“My dad had passed away around that time, and he left me some money. That’s when I finally had the means to open my restaurant, which had been my dream for years. It was right there within my grasp.” His restaurant, Rob’s Diner, had that classic 80s vibe, and the kind of food that fills you up but still makes you want to order more because it’s just that good. He’d even let me help out with the desserts every now and then and offered to pay me for it. “But I got so consumed by chasing that dream, I became greedy and let everything else in my life slide.”
“You mean your relationships?” I tugged at my curls, feeling the tension build. Once I realised what I was doing, I dropped my hands to my lap, rubbing them together in a restless motion.
He shook his head, a deep sense of regret shadowing his features and causing him to lower it between his slightly hunched shoulders. “Everything. Even my health.” After a pause, I wondered if the thought of a life without us troubled him as much as it would have troubled me. “Thank goodness your mother is a wise and fearless woman.” I looked toward the horizon and couldn’t help but smile. “She was furious with me for shutting her out. One day, while I was knee-deep in renovating the restaurant, she came right at me and calmly told me I couldn’t keep going like that.” When our eyes met again, his smile softened, just for a moment, like he was recalling something he didn’t want to forget. “She didn’t even raise her voice. She just said there were other things in life.” Of course, her words hadn’t been limited to that, but that was between them. “And I guess her words got through to me. I started taking those neglected aspects of life seriously. Look at me now, Sebastian.” I eased up on the smile, sensing that his words would resonate deeply as much as my mum’s words resonated with him. “You’re 21 years old, and you’ve got a bright future ahead of you.”
“I just worry that if I don’t give my full focus to this, I might regret it for the rest of my life.”
“The thing is,” his hand rested between my shoulder blades, rubbing the spot there. “You can go all in and still make room for the rest of your life. Time to hang out, have fun, read all the books you want—whatever you feel like. But don’t let one obsession blind you to other possibilities. Don’t trade one tunnel vision for another.” His grip tightened slightly. “If I’d neglected your mum, I might’ve had my dream restaurant, but I wouldn’t have the family I have now. That happiness wouldn’t be mine. The point is, I’ve got it all, including the restaurant and family.”
As I’d expected, his words kept circling in my head, over and over. I hated it. I hated that, to him, life wasn’t all about the apprenticeship. Because, deep down, I knew he was right.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“That’s all I’d ever ask of you, kid.”
“Oh, my God.” Rob and I looked up in surprise to see my mum standing before our house, eyes wide and mouth agape. “This is looking beautiful.” We hadn’t finished the porch stairs yet; we were still sitting on them, engrossed in our conversation. But Mum seemed completely unbothered, her face glowing with happiness. “Oh, my God.” She set down a few plastic bags on the ground. “I’m loving this.”
Rob stood up from the stairs, wiping the paint off on his cargo pants, then walked over to Mum. He kissed her gently, and she broke into a smile that only made mine grow wider. I couldn’t help it. Seeing them so happy made me smile too.
I hopped off the steps to help, glancing at the back of Mum’s truck, which was packed with chairs and a small table, probably for the porch.
“Hey, Mum.” I kissed her cheek and headed to the back of the truck. As I started unloading, I glanced over—she was in Robert’s arms, smiling up at him. But he was looking at me. Hegave a small nod, and just like that, my head was spinning again, full of the things he’d said.
Chapter 5
Geneviève
Sebastian, shirtless and drenched in sweat, caught my eye immediately.
