and turned around with a serious look on his face.
"There is something that I need to tell you," he said. His voice was almost nervous, but his eyes were soft.
At this point, I was confused. Utterly confused.
"Okay? Right now?" I glanced around as we stood in people's way. It must have been something important for him to stop in the main entrance.
"I'm seeing someone."
I lifted my eyebrows. "In just 3 weeks? That's great Dad."
I could tell he wasn't finished with what he had to say.
"We're getting married."
My mouth dropped open and my words fled the scene. I didn't know how I was supposed to react. I didn't know what he expected my response to be. I sucked in a deep breath and let it out of my nose calmly.
I wondered what my mother would think of my father if she knew. Did she know?
Marriage was a commitment that was meant to last a lifetime and sometimes people fell out of love with each other. When that happened the initial promise to be there through thick and thin was broken. It shocked me that my father had recently ended one relationship and was already moving onto the next.
"Do you really think that's a good idea?" I grabbed the plastic handle to my suitcase and walked outside. It took a moment for my father to catch up with my long strides, but he did.
"We met at work," he continued.
Instantly, the long hours made sense. It was like pieces from a puzzle magically fell into place, solving itself.
"You're really going to like her." The smile on my father's lips never left. I was tired from traveling and wanted to go home and relax and process everything that he had said. We walked through the parking garage and he took no time unlocking the trunk then the car door to the Mustang.
"And you're going to like her daughter too. She's a really sweet girl. You did always want a sibling."
I gently set my suitcase in the trunk then opened the door and plopped in the front seat. He snapped the car in reverse and pulled out. The engine purred as he picked up speed. I fucking loved this car.
"How long have you been seeing each other?" I could tell by his squished brow that this wasn't a question he had rehearsed, but I had to know. He sighed as we headed toward home in Santa Monica.
"Two years." His voice was almost a whisper.
"So you're a cheater?" I shook my head and stared out the window.
My father was the typical family man. He never missed a baseball game or parents night. He openly told me he loved me and would do whatever he could to ensure that I never went without. He even worked extra projects to pay for my undergraduate degree. For the past twenty-three years, my father had been someone I looked up to. He was someone that I saw as a role model, but after learning he had cheated on my mother, the level of respect I had for him significantly dropped. I couldn't even look him in the eye.
I thought back to the past two years. Though I wasn't around much because I had moved into an apartment, when I did come home they had pretended for my sake. It was evident to me now.
We drove through the hills and as soon as I could see the house, I noticed two vehicles in the driveway: a silver BMW and a 1950's purple Chevrolet truck. Immediately I turned and looked at my father for the first time since he admitted to cheating.
"Did you go car shopping while I was away too?" I asked already knowing the answer to that question.
He parked along the sidewalk to not block any of the strange vehicles in the driveway then turned off the engine. "Actually, Sandra and her daughter Chelsea moved in while you were gone."
No words.
Everything I wanted to say had vanished as the animosity within me grew stronger.
"What the fuck?" I finally forced out.
"Language, Max. I'm not going to listen to your cursing."
"Don't worry, as soon as I graduate, I'm out of here anyway. Maybe sooner than that." I opened the car door and shut it then walked inside leaving my suitcase in the trunk. I needed to get away from the bullshit
"There is something that I need to tell you," he said. His voice was almost nervous, but his eyes were soft.
At this point, I was confused. Utterly confused.
"Okay? Right now?" I glanced around as we stood in people's way. It must have been something important for him to stop in the main entrance.
"I'm seeing someone."
I lifted my eyebrows. "In just 3 weeks? That's great Dad."
I could tell he wasn't finished with what he had to say.
"We're getting married."
My mouth dropped open and my words fled the scene. I didn't know how I was supposed to react. I didn't know what he expected my response to be. I sucked in a deep breath and let it out of my nose calmly.
I wondered what my mother would think of my father if she knew. Did she know?
Marriage was a commitment that was meant to last a lifetime and sometimes people fell out of love with each other. When that happened the initial promise to be there through thick and thin was broken. It shocked me that my father had recently ended one relationship and was already moving onto the next.
"Do you really think that's a good idea?" I grabbed the plastic handle to my suitcase and walked outside. It took a moment for my father to catch up with my long strides, but he did.
"We met at work," he continued.
Instantly, the long hours made sense. It was like pieces from a puzzle magically fell into place, solving itself.
"You're really going to like her." The smile on my father's lips never left. I was tired from traveling and wanted to go home and relax and process everything that he had said. We walked through the parking garage and he took no time unlocking the trunk then the car door to the Mustang.
"And you're going to like her daughter too. She's a really sweet girl. You did always want a sibling."
I gently set my suitcase in the trunk then opened the door and plopped in the front seat. He snapped the car in reverse and pulled out. The engine purred as he picked up speed. I fucking loved this car.
"How long have you been seeing each other?" I could tell by his squished brow that this wasn't a question he had rehearsed, but I had to know. He sighed as we headed toward home in Santa Monica.
"Two years." His voice was almost a whisper.
"So you're a cheater?" I shook my head and stared out the window.
My father was the typical family man. He never missed a baseball game or parents night. He openly told me he loved me and would do whatever he could to ensure that I never went without. He even worked extra projects to pay for my undergraduate degree. For the past twenty-three years, my father had been someone I looked up to. He was someone that I saw as a role model, but after learning he had cheated on my mother, the level of respect I had for him significantly dropped. I couldn't even look him in the eye.
I thought back to the past two years. Though I wasn't around much because I had moved into an apartment, when I did come home they had pretended for my sake. It was evident to me now.
We drove through the hills and as soon as I could see the house, I noticed two vehicles in the driveway: a silver BMW and a 1950's purple Chevrolet truck. Immediately I turned and looked at my father for the first time since he admitted to cheating.
"Did you go car shopping while I was away too?" I asked already knowing the answer to that question.
He parked along the sidewalk to not block any of the strange vehicles in the driveway then turned off the engine. "Actually, Sandra and her daughter Chelsea moved in while you were gone."
No words.
Everything I wanted to say had vanished as the animosity within me grew stronger.
"What the fuck?" I finally forced out.
"Language, Max. I'm not going to listen to your cursing."
"Don't worry, as soon as I graduate, I'm out of here anyway. Maybe sooner than that." I opened the car door and shut it then walked inside leaving my suitcase in the trunk. I needed to get away from the bullshit
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