Page 42 of Always There Bayou
An hour and a half later.
I shuffled from one foot to the other as we waited for our turn to enter the central visiting area. The line was moving like molasses today, and with every passing second, I was getting increasingly anxious. After ten minutes of standing in the same place, it was finally our turn, and my head was on a swivel as soon as we crossed the threshold. I frantically searched for my dad until I finally spotted him waving us over.
“Papa!” I squealed as I pulled Cory over to him.
“Hey, my Baby Bear,” he greeted as he pulled me into one of the most comforting hugs, his deep voice wrapping me like a cozy blanket. He placed a kiss against my temple and smiled down at me. “It’s so nice to see you today, Denali. I missed this cute face.”
I can’t help but smile as I take in the face that mirrors mine. I’d been told plenty of times in my life that I was a carbon copy of him, much like he was the carbon copy of his mom. We shared the same complexion, the same nose, the same freckles, and the same smoky grey eyes. We had the same smile and the same curly, jet-black hair, except his was cut shoulder length, whereas mine flowed down my back when it was straightened. He was also about 5 inches taller than I and about 50 pounds bigger, but there was no mistaking that he was my dad.
Calian Houston.
Cal for short.
“Sup, Papa Cal,” Cory greets him as we break apart.
My dad smiles widely before pulling her in for a hug. “Cory Tate,” he says once they break apart. “How have you been, my bonus daughter? Taking care of my Bear like I asked?”
“You know I am,” she chuckled, glancing over at me with nothing but love. “They mean the world to me and I’d do anything to make sure they only ever smile.”
“I know, Cory,” he nods, motioning for us to have a seat. “I couldn’t have picked a better friend for my Baby Bear. Although my sister tells me that y’all have become more than friends lately.” He looks from me to her, and we nod. He lights up. “Shit, about time! I thought for sure I was gonna come home and you two were still gonna be walking around pretending like y’all aren’t madly in love.”
“Damn, it seems like I was just really freakin’ oblivious,” Cory chuckles nervously.
“Nah, you weren’t the only one,” he says, glancing over at me with a smirk. I feel my cheeks flush. “For a while after Denny met you, they went on and on about how amazing you were. I thought then that they had a crush on you, but they denied it for years, constantly saying that y’all were just friends. It wasn’t until they were around 15 or 16 that they finally admitted to me that they thought they liked you.”
“Wait, that was around the time when I met you for the first time, right?” Cory asks him, and he nods.
“Yep. I added you to my visiting list because I wanted to finally meet the kid who had my Baby Bear so head over heels,” he smiles at the memory. “I remember sitting back and observing you two together, and it felt like I was watching old memories of how my wife and I used to act.”
My breath catches at the mention of my mom, and I can feel my chest tighten a bit. He went on to point out all the small gestures we did for each other and how we seemed to communicate without saying a word. He said that from then on, he knew that I was in safe hands because he could tell how much Cory cared for me and how much I cared for her.
“I never thought I’d see the day when my Baby Bear found the love of their life, yet here it is,” he smiles, placing his hand over mine and patting it. “I know it can get hard sometimes with me and your mom not being there when it’s most important, but I just want you to know that you’re doing an amazing job at being you, and I’m so glad that you have someone who loves you unconditionally. I know your mom would be proud because I sure am.”
“Papa…” I could feel the tears sliding down my face.
Hepatted my hand softly before turning to Cory. She looked a bit emotional herself, so he placed his other hand on top of hers and patted it as well.
“Cory, thank you. I know I say this every time we talk or see each other, but please know that I’ll always be grateful for you,” he assures her. “I know that you’ve also had a hard time, times where you’ve had to be stronger than someone your age should’ve had to be.” She nods, wiping a lone tear with her free hand. “You are strong and you deserve nothing but happiness, my love. You’ll always have me in your corner rooting for you, okay? I love you and Denny with all my heart.”
“We love you, too,” we say in unison.
He takes our hands and brings them together, making sure that we hold hands before smiling at us.
“I’ve always known that you two were meant to be together, and I believe that’s how it will always be,” he nods. “Now, enough of all the sappy shit. Are y’all hungry? Let me go get y’all something to eat, and we can talk about what else y’all have been up to.”
“Yes, sir,” we replied, and he flashed us his award-winning smile before getting up to go get us something.
I sigh, resting my head on Cory’s shoulder, and she kisses my temple softly. We sat in silence as we waited for my dad to come back. All of the nervousness and anxiety had washed away, and I felt light.
A Few Hours Later.
“How are you feeling, Bunny?” Cory asks as we exit the parking lot and turn onto the main highway.
After spending about three hours catching up with my dad, we finally had to say our goodbyes. He thanked us for coming to visit on his birthday, and I told him that we wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I couldn’t think of any other way I’d want to spend today except with him. I couldn’t help but smile as I thought about all the jokes and stories we shared.
“So good,” I assured her, using my left hand to gently rub the back of her neck. I stared at her lovingly as she cruised down the highway. One hand on the wheel and the other on my thigh. “I know I say this every time, but Ireallyappreciate you coming with me.”
“And I always tell you that it’s no problem,” she quickly flashes me a smile before turning back to the road. “I love Papa Cal, too. He’s always been like a second father to me, so getting to see him is always the highlight of my day as well.”
