to console her, as a father would. But that’s not his position. He’s not even a stepfather. He’s just Kevin. And when Tina leaves him, he’ll become nothing more than a faded footnote in this young girl’s life.
Finally, it’s Hannah who breaks the silence. “She hasn’t always been this way.”
“What do you mean?” Kevin asks.
“She used to be a lot…a lot weaker, I guess. My father controlled her.”
“I’m sorry, Hannah,” Kevin says, “but I don’t think it’s fair that I have to pay for another man’s sins. She didn’t even give me a chance to defend her honor tonight. It’s like she just assumed I wouldn’t. And I don’t control her. Do you think I control her?”
“Well, you were pretty mean to her in the car. You shouldn’t have said all those things.”
“You’re right, but I was upset. Come on, those are my parents.”
“Hey, you don’t have to lecture me about parents letting you down.”
“No, I guess I don’t.”
Placing a hand on Kevin’s arm, Hannah says, “You love her, don’t you?”
“Yes. I love your mother more than anyone in the world.”
“I believe you,” she says. “Because if you didn’t, Mom wouldn’t be here right now. I never thought she’d find love—she always swore she wouldn’t—but here we are.”
“I’m losing her,” he says.
“Yes, you’re losing, but you haven’t lost yet. Please let me help you.”
“Of course, but what can you do?”
“Over the last few years, Mom and I have done everything together. The reason I didn’t leave any friends back in Savannah isn’t because I couldn’t make them if I’d wanted to. It’s because I didn’t want to hurt her. She needed me so much that I couldn’t leave her alone while I ran around with other kids.”
“That’s one hell of a sacrifice.”
“Nah, not really. Most kids my age are pretty stupid anyway. But there were times, I guess, when I wanted to be…I don’t know…I guess I wanted to be normal. And it’s not like she didn’t push me to make friends. I suppose she just thought the problem had something to do with me.”
“That’s really sad, Hannah, but how is any of this going to help me with your mom?”
“Kevin, promise me you won’t be offended when I tell you this, okay?”
“Okay, sure.”
“The reason my mom ever trusted you enough to fall in love with you is because I let her.”
“I take back my promise,” he says, unable to stifle a laugh. “I’m completely offended.”
Hannah laughs, too. “Okay, okay, maybe I said that wrong. But what I mean is, I like you a lot, and I think you’re good for my mom. I knew that right away, so on the first day I met you, I told my mom that I wanted you to be my new father.”
Kevin doesn’t know what to think. On one hand, he’s touched. On the other, he’s terrified. “Were you being honest?”
“I don’t know. I did know it would make her feel more for you, and that’s what I wanted. That’s what I still want. My mom always told me that my lack of social skills was because I didn’t have a father figure. That’s what she blamed it on when she was pushing me to be more like other kids. I guess I just decided to give her a little push of my own.”
“You’re pretty smart.”
“Oh, hell, I’m a frickin’ genius is what I am, but that’s not the point I’m getting ready to make.”
“Preach on, I’m listening.”
“Good. What you’re gonna do now is give my mom some space, and while she’s feeling sorry for herself, you’ll help me make a friend.”
“And how am I supposed to do that?”
“Don’t worry, Kevin, I’ll do most of the work.”
* * *
With Kevin asleep downstairs, and her mom clacking away at computer keys in her own bedroom, Hannah sits in a bean bag chair, the likeness of her mom’s favorite figurine resting in her lap.
“Can you hear me, Dad?” she asks the cat.
It doesn’t respond. Never does. She sometimes talks to it anyway, because maybe he
Finally, it’s Hannah who breaks the silence. “She hasn’t always been this way.”
“What do you mean?” Kevin asks.
“She used to be a lot…a lot weaker, I guess. My father controlled her.”
“I’m sorry, Hannah,” Kevin says, “but I don’t think it’s fair that I have to pay for another man’s sins. She didn’t even give me a chance to defend her honor tonight. It’s like she just assumed I wouldn’t. And I don’t control her. Do you think I control her?”
“Well, you were pretty mean to her in the car. You shouldn’t have said all those things.”
“You’re right, but I was upset. Come on, those are my parents.”
“Hey, you don’t have to lecture me about parents letting you down.”
“No, I guess I don’t.”
Placing a hand on Kevin’s arm, Hannah says, “You love her, don’t you?”
“Yes. I love your mother more than anyone in the world.”
“I believe you,” she says. “Because if you didn’t, Mom wouldn’t be here right now. I never thought she’d find love—she always swore she wouldn’t—but here we are.”
“I’m losing her,” he says.
“Yes, you’re losing, but you haven’t lost yet. Please let me help you.”
“Of course, but what can you do?”
“Over the last few years, Mom and I have done everything together. The reason I didn’t leave any friends back in Savannah isn’t because I couldn’t make them if I’d wanted to. It’s because I didn’t want to hurt her. She needed me so much that I couldn’t leave her alone while I ran around with other kids.”
“That’s one hell of a sacrifice.”
“Nah, not really. Most kids my age are pretty stupid anyway. But there were times, I guess, when I wanted to be…I don’t know…I guess I wanted to be normal. And it’s not like she didn’t push me to make friends. I suppose she just thought the problem had something to do with me.”
“That’s really sad, Hannah, but how is any of this going to help me with your mom?”
“Kevin, promise me you won’t be offended when I tell you this, okay?”
“Okay, sure.”
“The reason my mom ever trusted you enough to fall in love with you is because I let her.”
“I take back my promise,” he says, unable to stifle a laugh. “I’m completely offended.”
Hannah laughs, too. “Okay, okay, maybe I said that wrong. But what I mean is, I like you a lot, and I think you’re good for my mom. I knew that right away, so on the first day I met you, I told my mom that I wanted you to be my new father.”
Kevin doesn’t know what to think. On one hand, he’s touched. On the other, he’s terrified. “Were you being honest?”
“I don’t know. I did know it would make her feel more for you, and that’s what I wanted. That’s what I still want. My mom always told me that my lack of social skills was because I didn’t have a father figure. That’s what she blamed it on when she was pushing me to be more like other kids. I guess I just decided to give her a little push of my own.”
“You’re pretty smart.”
“Oh, hell, I’m a frickin’ genius is what I am, but that’s not the point I’m getting ready to make.”
“Preach on, I’m listening.”
“Good. What you’re gonna do now is give my mom some space, and while she’s feeling sorry for herself, you’ll help me make a friend.”
“And how am I supposed to do that?”
“Don’t worry, Kevin, I’ll do most of the work.”
* * *
With Kevin asleep downstairs, and her mom clacking away at computer keys in her own bedroom, Hannah sits in a bean bag chair, the likeness of her mom’s favorite figurine resting in her lap.
“Can you hear me, Dad?” she asks the cat.
It doesn’t respond. Never does. She sometimes talks to it anyway, because maybe he
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