Page 52 of Linc
Both her and I are used to not hearing from our dads for long periods of time, ever since we were younger.Being in the military can be hard when they go out on deployments or missions, but since my dad and hers retired years ago, we still go long periods of time without hearing from them.Saylor more than me.Dad usually is out hunting or fishing on the Honey Lake.Saylor’s dad has gone off the rails over the years.His paranoia and demeanor has suffered significantly since the last mission him and dad went on.Both men came back different but Saylor’s dad, Adam, withdrew from everyone.
As I’m about to ask the man, who looks vaguely familiar, to come in so I can introduce myself, Saylor pipes up after checking her buzzing phone.“I forgot I’ve got to run to the bakery.New girl just started a fire in one of my new ovens.I’ll call in a little bit.”
“I think I’m heading out to Dad’s place once they hopefully release me tomorrow,” I tell her.“And I’m not sure where my phone is.”
“Oh,” she pauses for a second then leans down to give me a hug.“I’ll tell you later about my man.”She whispers in my ear.
“You better,” I whisper back and give her a squeeze.
Once they leave, Dad picks up our breakfast and helps me to the bathroom.He must’ve gone and stayed at my place last night because he brought some clothes for me to change into.
“Saylor couldn’t get out of here fast enough,” Dad says as we wait for a nurse to come get me for my head scan.“Looks like both of you girls have met some boys since the last time we spoke.”He raises an eyebrow letting me know that he wants to talk about Linc.He’s standing at the foot of the bed with both hands holding onto the railing.
“I guess so,” I say.
“Do you want to tell me about this guy that’s professing his love for the entire hospital to hear in the heat of an argument?”He asks it as a question but I know that he’s wanting all the details.“I want to know why he’s the reason you’re laying up in this hospital bed.”
Since I’ve got some time before they wheel me back for my scan, I might as well tell him all about Linc.
“We first met at the courthouse when I was there to pay a ticket,” I say and see dad’s face turn stern.
“What did you do?”
Dad respects authority to a fault and has always tried to instill it in me to follow the rules.I do for the most part… except when it comes to my car.Speeding and parking tickets seem to be my jam ever since I got my license at sixteen.
“It was a small parking ticket and to be honest I didn’t even see the sign that was marked as a no parking zone,” I tell him.
He lets out a defeated breath like he does every time and I can’t help but giggle.
“Every gray and white hair on my head is from you and stories like this,” he jokingly says as he pulls the chair up the side of the bed closer to me, then takes a seat.“Then what happened?”He encourages me to continue with my story.
“Linc showed me where the correct office was and we talked for a bit.We met up later that night at a bar, where my friends were hanging out.”
I tell him more about Linc and he asks me more questions about his family.When I finally get to the part that led up to yesterday, I’m thankful for an interruption.
“Knock, knock!”A woman’s voice filters through the room as the door opens.She’s wearing pink scrubs.“I’ve come to get you for a scan before they can release you back out into the wild,” she jokes.She comes over to check my vitals before wheeling me out.“I’ll have her back in a little while if you want to grab a coffee or something,” she says to Dad.
“Coffee sounds good.”He says, then bends down and places a gentle kiss to my forehead.“I’ll be back by the time you’re finished.”
Later the next day I’m being carefully placed into the front seat of my dad’s truck, ready to head out to his cabin.After a call to Saylor asking her to pack me a few bags of things I’ll need, we hit the road.After many discussions with the doctor, Dad was able to get me approved to take such a long drive out to the cabin, with the promise to have a local doctor check me out within twenty-four hours.The nurses made sure to medicate me so that I’d sleep most of the seven-hour drive.
Movement jolts me awake as the truck comes to a stop in front of my dad’s cabin.
“We’re home sweetheart,” Dad says, placing a gentle hand on my knee.
“Mmm,” I grunt, trying to get my bearings about me.
Dad gets out of the truck and comes around, opening my door.He swiftly but carefully helps me out and up the few steps through the front door.
“Do you want to go to your room, couch or back porch?”He asks.
Even in my haziness from sleep and pain medication, the house is still the way it was when I moved three years ago down to LA.
“Back porch, please,” I answer and he helps me to my favorite place in the world.
Dad shuffles us around the couch and table to the wooden door with a stained-glass window.Stepping down onto the deck, I relish in the calm and quiet as our backyard butts up to Lassen and Plumas National Forest.The sound of peace is such a contrast to the hustle and bustle of being in a major city.
This is where Saylor and I grew up mostly.Her grandparents had a place not too far from here, where we stayed when our dads went on missions.We used to run around through the forest, loving the freedom of the land.It wasn’t until about six years ago that her grandparents’ business expanded and they moved to the big city, opening several additional locations.By that time, Saylor and I were almost grown and wanted to explore what else the state had to offer.
