Page 184 of The Young & the Sinner

“Well, you shouldn’t be. I’m fine.”

He didn’t say anything for a while, just sat there and looked at me. I resisted the urge to squirm in my seat. Then, surprising me, he said, “Tell me about Mason.”

“Don’t you know him already?” I asked quietly.

He shrugged. “I knew him as a teenager. I got to know him better when he was in his early twenties, a few months before he was set to leave for law school in New York. I don’t really know him as a man.”

I sat up a little straighter. “What was he like?”

Dad let out a small chuckle. “Hot-headed. Cocky. You can tell he loved Max, but he didn’t want to be like him. He wanted to be his own man. It’s probably why he chose to study law when he could have done just as well in finance.”

“I didn’t know that,” I said. I didn’t realize Mason had such a complicated relationship with Max. Their relationship had always seemed so easygoing.

Dad nodded. “I’m sure he’s changed since then.”

“He’s not as steady as Max,” I said, and that was true. “But he’s dependable. And when he loves you… he’ll do anything for you.”

“Good. I always knew he would make something of himself. I’m sure he’s a good man.” At my frown, Dad laughed again. “What, you don’t agree?”

“No, I do. I’m just surprised that you, of all people, would think that.”

“Why, because of what happened between him and Grace?” I nodded. Dad let out a sigh and leaned back in his chair. “He was young. We all were. And I’m not saying that’s a good excuse for what happened, but I’m just saying I understand why your mom cheated and why Mason did. It was the same reason I did.”

“And that was?”

“We weren’t happy.”

I set the warm cup down and leaned back against the chair. “Were you guys really that miserable? I don’t remember that. I remember the family picnics. I remember you teasing mom for being so careless sometimes. But I don’t remember you guys arguing. Ever.”

“That was the one thing we both agreed on when we brought you home with us. To never fight in front of you. We didn’t want you to grow up in the kind of environment where fighting between parents was a normal thing. It’s not.”

“Oh,” was all I could say. I really did believe they were happy.

Dad grabbed my hand. I liked that his hand was big and warm, and wrapped around mine. Growing up, I had thought of myself as a daddy’s girl. Up until the moment he left, that was. And now he was here, and that warm feeling of being near him was back. Not as intense, but it was nice.

“Listen to me, baby. No matter the state of my marriage to your mom, it had nothing to do with you. I love you. I always have. I know I haven’t always shown it, but I do. And I want you to be happy. Mason obviously makes you happy, otherwise you wouldn’t be so miserable without him. Perhaps it’s time you learn to forgive him over something that happened years ago.”

“I don’t know how,” I said, my voice thick with emotions as I pulled my hand away. He had a resigned look on his face. “I really, really want to forgive him. But I can’t stop thinking about him and Mom. And…”

Dad frowned. “And?”

I looked down at my half-empty cup of coffee, skimming my pointer finger over the rim. My cheeks felt tight, and I knew if I looked at him, he would see shame in my eyes.

It didn’t matter. It seemed that he could read me better than I thought.

“Don’t tell me you think Mason is still in love with your mom?” His voice expressed his horror when he continued, “Olivia, you don’t think you’re some sort of replacement for her, do you?”

I sat back against my seat and offered a small shrug. A huge part of me didn’t believe that. I knew what I had with Mason was real, and that when he said he loved me, he meant it. But another small—yet loud—part wondered if Mason was still in love with my mom.

“Baby, that’s not true. They don’t love each other. They never did. Honestly, I don’t think Mason even liked your mom all that much.”

“Well, it seems like he went through a lot of trouble for someone he doesn’t really like.”

“Grace is not an easy person to be around Besides, you can’t be her replacement. You are your own unique person, and I’m sure Mason can see that.”

Again, I gave another small shrug.

When I didn’t say anything, Dad finished off his coffee, and we sat in silence for a while, staring at each other.

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