Page 35 of Shane
“Hey, I'm home," I call out, the words feeling hollow, knowing my father is the only parent who will answer.
Dad appears from the kitchen, his smile a valiant effort that fails to mask the strain in his eyes. "Kee-Kee, it's good to see you,” he says, pulling me into a hug that feels more perfunctory than comforting.
I manage a half-hearted smile, stepping back a bit. "Yeah, it's good to be home.”
“How’s school?”
“It’s good. I like it.”
“Are you meeting new people?”
“Yes, Dad.”
“And the classes are challenging?”
“I’m taking a bunch of courses that are freshman requirements right now. I can’t truly assess the difficulty until I take more classes in my major.”
“Right, okay.” He looks like he regrets ever asking me about school. “Have you spoken to your mother today?”
“I called her before my flight and when I landed.”
“Okay.”
“And for your information, I talk to Mom all the time. I don’t need you to check in on it just because the two of you don’t speak. I’m not a child.”
“Of course, you’re right.” His face grows serious as he quietly takes my bag and carries it up the steps to my room. “Kee-Kee, I have something to tell you," he starts.
It’s never good when a conversation begins that way, but I can tell something is off with him. He seems unusually tense.
“What is it?” I reply tentatively.
“I’ve started seeing someone.”
“I’m sorry…likedatingsomeone?”
“Yes.”
I’m not exactly sure what the proper response is to that kind of news, so I reply simply, “Oh.”
Immediately, I try to imagine the kind of woman my father would ask on a date. Is she tall? Short? Is she young? His age? I mean, I can’t imagine. The only woman I’ve ever seen him with is my mother. The person I’d thought he’d be with forever.
“Normally, I wouldn’t bother telling you anything about my personal life, but I’m telling you because things are moving faster than I anticipated. It's serious,” he says, his eyes searching the room for something to focus on other than me.
“Serious?”
How could that be?
“It’s so serious that she and her son will move in with us soon."
My heart plummets.
No, wait, I may be going into shock.
“What are you talking about, Dad? You’ve been divorced for two seconds. How could she be moving in and with a kid?”
The idea of Dad moving on so swiftly, while I'm still tangled in the aftermath of the divorce, feels like a deep betrayal.
“I realize it may feel like I’m moving quickly, but I swear, Kee-Kee, when you know it’s right, you just know.”