Page 35 of Truck Me Daddy

And maybe at times since his passing I’ve lost track of his teachings too.

My years spent chasing boys and looking for the quickest, hottest hookup would probably be an indication of my failings. And my inability to find something to work alongside my love of surf too.

But as I drive toward the diner and hopefully a meeting with Mikey, I can hear some of Paolo’s wisest words come flooding back into my head.

In fact, it kind of feels like Paolo’s here in my 911 with me right now.

‘Talk to me, Paolo,’ I say, a wistful but hopeful tone in my voice. ‘Help me. Give me the words I need.’

I don’t know what I’m expecting, but I certainly don’t hear any ghostly whispers from the afterlife.

Instead, the only sound the fills my ears is that of the 911’s engine as she roars along, each second getting closer to my surprise date with Mikey.

All I know is that when I set foot in the diner, I know that I need to be confident, calm, and hold nothing back when it comes to telling my beautiful baby boy exactly what I feel.

It’s time for me to step up and ride the biggest wave of my life.

Chapter 13

Mikey

‘One… last… pancake,’ I say, almost groaning as I cut up the final pancake in Cheryl-Anne’s epic stack.

Maybe it was the extra-syrup, or the additional sprinkling of walnuts, but this might just be the pancake stack that beats me.

I’ve eaten some big plates of carb-heavy foods in the past, but even for a big Little like me, this is something else.

‘See, not as easy as you thought, is it?’ Cheryl-Anne giggles as she walks past my booth. ‘But I think you can do it if you really go for it.’

‘I hope so,’ I say, taking a deep breath as I push my fork into the final pancake. ‘I’ve never failed a food challenge before!’

Then, just as I’m about to put the pancake in my mouth, I hear a voice from behind me.

Immediately, I know who it is.

How could I not know…

‘And you’re not going to fail today,’ Trent says, walking into view. ‘No boy of mine quits.’

Despite sending the breakup text a few hours ago, my head is still spinning. I don’t know how to react to seeing Trent. The fact that he’s driven hours to be here with me is a big deal, I know that beyond doubt.

‘You’ve got this,’ Trent says, a smile on his face but a firm tone in his voice.

I don’t wait a second longer.

I put one half of the final pancake in my mouth and gulp it down.

The second half of the pancake soon follows.

As I wash it down with my glass of milk, Trent takes a seat opposite me.

‘I… I… don’t know what to say,’ I mumble, barely able to make eye contact with Trent. ‘I think I sent that text way too quickly. I don’t know… I panicked. Sometimes I get a bit overwhelmed by my feelings and my go-to is to duck out.’

‘I hear you,’ Trent replies, his eyes full of warmth. ‘Believe me, I’ve been there plenty of times in my life too. But…’

‘Yes?’

‘Well, you’ve got me now,’ Trent says. ‘If you still want to be my boy, I can promise you that I’ll always be here for you. In good times, and in the tougher times too. That’s a big part of being a Daddy as far as I’m concerned. I want to be the man you turn to. Any time you feel like things are getting too big or tough to deal with, I promise I’ll be ready.’

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