Page 66 of The Fast Lane
“I didn’t even know she existed until three weeks ago. Celia, her mother, dropped Hallie off at her mom’s house a year ago and hasn’t been back since. She’s been finding herself, whatever that means, somewhere in Arizona. Her mom isn’t in the best health, so she drove from California and…surprise.” He shoved his fingers through his hair. “We’re still trying to get to know each other. I have no idea what I’m doing. She’s so…little and needy and never stops asking questions.”
“How…do you know she’s yours?” I grinned as Hallie set a sparkly pink crown on Theo’s head; Theo winked at her. Every single biological urge to procreate in my body stood and volunteered as tribute.
“The timing works. Celia and I broke up five years ago. She was pregnant and didn’t even know it. Plus,” he turned again to stare at Hallie, “she looks just like you at this age. It’s almost uncanny.”
“Really?”
“Definitely. Has a mind of her own like you, too.” He turned back to the table, shaking his head. “I haven’t had a good night’s sleep since she got here. She’s ended up in bed with me every night. I think she’s scared.”
“I don’t blame her,” I murmured and watched as Hallie handed Mack what had to be the fourth book she’d pulled out and demanded he read. “Must be scary to go from what you’ve known your whole life and suddenly everything is different.”
“Don’t I know it,” he said.
“Mom would freak if she knew.”
“Yeah, she would.”
“She misses you.”
“I miss her, too.” Abe crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, and I was struck by how different he seemed, but familiar, too. A wave of sadness washed over me. I’d never gotten to see him make that transformation from dumb, gangly teenager to fully functioning adult. It had all happened over the last eleven years. In my mind, he’d been perpetually a teenage kid with a big smile. But he was a grown man now, part owner in a business, homeowner, father.
“I almost feel like I don’t know you. You aren’t very good with the phone calls.” I took a sip of coffee.
“You aren’t so good at telling me about stuff either.”
“Touché.” I tilted my head. “Although it seems like Theo keeps you pretty informed.”
Abe gave me a long look. “He’s pretty good at it.”
“He comes to visit.” I stared at a small water stain on the table. “I didn’t know that. He…he said you told him about the accident.”
Abe put a hand on my arm. “He’s my best friend. I couldn’t disappear and not tell him why.”
“I get it. You went and visited Mack, too.”
“After Grandma died, yeah.” He bobbed his head around to catch my eye. “What’s wrong?”
I pushed the coffee away. “A little part of me has always thought you were mad at me for what happened, and then I heard you’d seen Theo and Mack and I thought, maybe that’s the truth. Maybe you are still angry with me, and I don’t blame you. I really don’t. I missed you, have missed you so much. I wanted to come see you so badly. I haven’t driven since the, ah, accident. Every time I try, I start to panic.”
He squeezed my arm gently. “Ali, look at me.”
Hesitantly, I met his eyes.
“That day wasn’t your fault. You weren’t supposed to be driving. But I let you anyway. I was the adult; you were the kid. You didn’t will yourself to have a seizure. And you didn’t force me to take the blame. I did that all on my own. Sometimes I replay that night and think I was looking for an excuse to leave, you know?”
“But maybe you could have worked it out, if I’d told the truth when I was able.”
His mouth tipped in a sad sort of smile. “Nah, I don’t think so. I was angry about so many things. It was tough for a while after I left. Didn’t know where I was going. Ended up in California for a while and then made it out here to Denver.”
“It’s beautiful here. I can see why you stayed.”
“It’s been good. I’m happy here.”
I tilted my head and inspected him. “I believe you. You seem, I don’t know, content. Calmer, too.”
“I guess I grew up. I even took some business classes at the community college.”
“Really? That’s amazing.”