At dinner, Matt starts to perk up as the waitress gives him extra attention while he sits there in his letter jacket. There are other teammates there and Matt blushes as the waitress is impressed with his running game tonight. Someone from the team at the other table must have told her about it and said to mention it to him. Good for those guys.
Thankfully, the steak meal is finally enjoyed as the mood is improved, and he graciously accepts our praise.
After dinner I laugh as Matt pulls out an extra tip for the waitress before we walk out.
At home the kids go to their rooms and the house is now quiet. I sit down for a breather in my chair and the kids are up past me to who knows when as I pass out for a late nap.
Waking up, I sit in bed to the familiar smell of coffee in the air. Looking at my phone I note its quarter to seven in the morning. Guess Hadley is one of those early risers.
Coming out of my room and going to the kitchen, Hadley greets me good morning. I grab a cup of coffee not knowing how much sleep I got with that darn monitor on, but it surely wasn’t enough.
I look up at Hadley, already done with her cereal, she was just sitting there, studying me while she sipped at her coffee.
“So what are we doing today?” she asks.
“Well I have to drop something off at the hospital but after that we’re wide open.”
“Okay, after the hospital I want to check out the high school. Then we’ll come back and talk about that door.” Damn. Not the freaking door again. I was hoping she would just drop it and let it be. I just force a smile in return and reply.
“Okay.”
Being hungry this morning I decide to top off Hadley’s cereal with some good old sausage and eggs. The smell of the sausage soon fills the kitchen and I can tell Hadley’s salivating even though she had already eaten.
“How long ’til they’re done?” she asks.
“Just a couple minutes.” The sausages were done and simmering while I tended to the scrambled eggs. I went to the fridge and pulled out a bag of Mexican cheese and brought it over to the stove. Taking a heaping handful, I add the cheese to the eggs and stir it in until it is nicely melted.
Giving Hadley half the eggs and sausage I go back to make my plate with the remaining half and dig in. The eggs are just perfect, the Mexican cheese gives it that right amount of spice to not have to add anything else. The sausages, well they were sausages and needed nothing, except for a little syrup to dip them in.
I eat my way through all the sausages first but am unable to finish the eggs. I examine Hadley’s plate to see if she wants more but it’s the same story with her.
Taking both our plates I scrape the remaining eggs into a baggy and toss them into the fridge. Then I grab for thermos. The rest of the pot doesn’t fill it all the way, but it’ll suffice.
“Ready to head out?” I ask Hadley.
She gets up, and sets her mug into the sink, “Ready.”
Before we can head out, I head to the bedroom and bag up the sleep monitor to take back. Hadley is waiting outside, and we take off for the day.
The hospital stop is quick as my name was printed on the bag. All they did was collect the equipment and told me the doctor would go over it at my next appointment in a week or two after reviewing it.
Hadley had been just waiting in the car for me while I ran in. Now it was time for the school.
I don’t quite remember high school being so… big. The three story gymnasium towered over us as we pulled into the main parking lot. It intimidated me; I wonder what Hadley was thinking. Was it excitement or worry? I couldn’t tell because her face was just a solid blank.
Walking into the school, the inner doors were locked, and I had to press a button to be paged into the office. It seemed as if they were trying to have better security, but I noticed that there weren’t any metal detectors or anything. You can bring a gun and we won’t know. Oh by the way, if that happens no one can come in to save you without breaking the doors. Oh well, they’re trying.
At the office we are greeted by Hadley’s class counselor who will remain so during her entire duration of school there until graduation. Well at least they got that part right, consistency and conformability.
Now it was time to go on a tour. We got to see everything; the gym, pool, library, tech shop, auto CAD, wood shop, metal shop, mechanics garage, sewing room, and all the boring traditional classes for math, reading and such.
There was an impressive garden in the middle of the school, out in the open air as the school was like a square doughnut with a hole in the middle.
Hadley took special interest in the garden and greenhouse that were out in this area. The counselor then explained the classes associated with these areas, and we moved on.
At the end of the tour the counselor gave her a bunch of registration papers to fill out, including a full list of all the classes offered with full descriptions of each as everything could not have been said on our short tour. Hadley seemed to have a cool about her with everything and seemed to know quite well what was being said and offered. The counselor then handed me the fee schedule. There was a general registration fee and additional fees for elective classes to reflect the costs of projects that the school just couldn’t afford to pay for such as wood for shop, and costs of certain field trips. Thankfully, she went on to tell me about how to apply for financial assistance and gave me the form for that as well.
Heading back outside, I asked Hadley what she thought about the school. A lot of it was impressive to me and seemed college level.
“Eh, seems like a typical high school to me. Will have to wait and see how the people are before I know,” she responds. Makes sense, the people could make or break the whole thing no matter how well equipped the school was.
On the way home we stop to pick up a couple of subs and bring them home to eat.
Hadley sits at the table eating while going through all the information she just received from the school. I looked over at her class registration papers, and the only things that were filled in so far were her core classes and botany as an elective. I should have guessed that one but can’t wait to see what she chooses for the rest.
Finishing her food before me, Hadley throws out her wrapper from the sub then grabs her papers and heads upstairs.
Taking the opportunity of Hadley leaving the room I get up and set my sandwich to the side. In my room I pause as I open my closet revealing the safe within. My breathing becomes shallow and my pulse quickens as I unlock the safe. Taking the key out, I close the safe and race back to the kitchen on my tip-toes.
Sitting back down I hold onto the key and examine it. The key has gotten older over the years and has begun to tarnish but still works just as great as it used to. I take the key in my fingers and softly place it on the table where Hadley sits so that it would be there whenever she returns.
I go back to my sub but can’t take my eyes off the key. Thoughts race as to what she will think when my secret within the room is revealed. I thought about keeping it to myself but being half hers and wanting her to have all those things for so long to not show it to her now would be unfair.
I finally finish my sub and throw away the wrapper then sit back down in my spot, facing the living room where Hadley would be coming from. An hour passes as I sit there, unable to do my sudoko or any other task as I am anxiously waiting for her. My anxiety is at a peak when I finally hear her close her bedroom door and walk down the stairs.
Coming around the corner, Hadley spots me anxiously waiting and slows down her pace to a creep, approaching cautiously. I can’t help the tears fill my eyes as she walks closer, thinking about how I’ve wanted this moment for over a decade. She spots the key out of her peripherals and then stares at it directly.
“What’s this for?” she asks.
“The door,” I tell her pointing to the locked room she has insisted upon since her noticing it.
Hadley picks up the key and walks over to the door and pauses.
> “Aren’t you going to show me?” she asks.
Finding the strength I get up from my seat and walk over to the door where Hadley was waiting for me before she would unlock it.
On my approach Hadley hands me back the key. “You do it,” she says.
My hands are shaking as I bring them up to the padlock. Unable to get the key in, my tears are now uncontrollable, and I begin to sob. Hadley grabs my hand with the key and helps me bring it back up to the lock. She grasps the lock and assists me in putting the key in. I don’t notice I’m not breathing at this point. She turns my hand, and the lock pops free. My hands drop back down, and I find my breath again.
“That wasn’t so bad,” she reassures. Hadley reaches up and undoes the rest of the lock, taking it off and placing it on the floor to the side of the door and then unclasps the latch. I’m trembling now as Hadley places her hand on the doorknob and turns.
I watch her as she opens the door. It is dark inside, and she feels for the light switch. Reaching past her I flip on the switch and take a step back. Hadley opens the door, freely allowing all the light to flood in and out. She steps in and stares. Neither of us speaking, I become more nervous.
“I’m so sorry I shouldn’t have,” I begin.
Hadley turns around and faces me with tears in her eyes. She walks back to me and I brace for a smack but am hugged instead. Hadley asks if all the gifts were for her and her brother. I explained how they were, and I’ve been collecting them since I found out their mom was changing the names on the gifts and they already were cut off by any suggestion that I existed.
Going on I describe how there’s presents for her and her brother for every birthday, Christmas and special occasion that I had missed with them.
“Can I open them?” asks Hadley.
“They’re yours,” I gesture to all the gifts on her side of the room. She selects one of the bigger and heavier ones from the back of the pile and carries it to the middle of the room. “Hold on,” I tell her quickly taking out my phone and bringing up the record video feature. I press record. “Okay.”
Hadley slowly opens her first gift while looking back and forth between the package and the phone. There’s excitement mixed in with tears as the first present is revealed. A complete wooden dollhouse, which requires assembly by a parent, with furniture and a complete family to go with it.
“I love it,” she says. “Come on.”
Hadley picks up the doll house package and grabs my hand to guide me up to her bedroom. She sets the box on the bed and looks at me.
“Help me put it together,” she says. I walk over and sit on the bed beside her. We’re up for the next two hours now screwing in all the little pieces and putting clothing on the small wooden dolls while placing the furniture. There was even a light on the doll house that actually worked when you pressed the button for it. The battery saver did its job over the years as Hadley removed it and again and again turned the light on and off while manipulating one of the wooden children to do so.
Tearing up again for finally playing with my little girl and sharing my dreams with her, I excuse myself from her room. Returning back downstairs I stand in the room and look around, wrapping paper still scattered the floor. I grab Hadley’s box from the closet and the box marked important. Stacking them up I head up the stairs back to Hadley’s room.
Hadley was playing with the dollhouse on the bed when I walked in with the two boxes.
“You should see these, they’re for you too,” I set the boxes on the floor beside the bed and she first reaches for the one marked Hadley.
Inside she would find her first pair of booties and outfit she wore home from the hospital. She pulled out an envelope and laughed with tears as she read the label marked “Hadley’s belly button.” She pulled out the dried and shriveled umbilical cord and placed it on her tummy where her belly button was, and we both burst out laughing.
Placing the belly button back in its envelope Hadley continued to go through the box, finding a lock of hair from her first hair cut and scribbled pictures that she was so proud of at the time. Everything she had done in those first two years she was with me was in that box. I smiled at her but could not go through anymore right now.
Walking up to Hadley I hesitated then dared myself and kissed the top of her forehead. Before I could get out of the room Hadley ran me down and gave me a hug from behind.
“Thanks dad,” she said behind me. I squeezed her wrapped arms then turned around to receive a proper hug.
Before leaving, I pulled out all the court papers and police records from the important box. I figured I should probably explain them to her and what her mother had done before she got to it herself and at worst believed the lies before she could hear the truth from me. The entire time she was in awe of all I had done to get her back and the effort I made to keep their spirits alive within the house, even with them gone from me.
“Don’t stay up too late. You have the rest of your life to go through all that stuff,” I tell her.
“Hey, let’s not do all the presents now. How about we open one every week on the day I came home instead. I want time to enjoy everything you’ve done.”
“That sounds great, now not too late,” I remind her and close the door behind me.
My nerves are still shaking, and I’m crying from being called dad for the first time since she’s gotten back. I head outside to have my smoke and thank the stars again for bringing her home and in such a way that I could have never imagined asking for more.
Passing the open room on the way outside my heart half empties as I glance in seeing Matt’s pile untouched. Taking a deep breath I move on and thank god for what I’ve been given so far. After all who knows, maybe when Matt turns eighteen we can reach out to him and he’ll come home to both of us.
14
Today is a day for celebration. Matt will be marrying Clara. Everyone is gathered at the reception hall getting ready for the day’s events. Clara and Matt are going around the room placing everyone’s name at their assigned seats: wedding party at the head table, immediate family right in front of them, then cousins a row further back followed by all their friends.
Everyone stops what they were doing as the baker comes in with the cake. Three tiers with marble cake and cream cheese icing. It’s nothing too fancy, just something special for the two to smash in each other’s faces later. Clara walks over to the baker and instructs her where to place the cake and the direction it must face.
Matt is distracted by a quarrel starting with the bridesmaids. They are fighting over where to put the bouquets on the table and how to properly decorate. Matt tries to step in but they tell him off, saying something about him being a man and he just doesn’t know. Backing off, Matt grabs Clara and the two go outside.
I try not to snoop but can’t help it as the two embrace each other outside the back doors. Everyone has to leave for the park soon as the ceremony is in two hours and Clara still needs to go change into her gown. Once the bridesmaids break up their arguing and set to separate tasks the couple returns inside and I approach them.
“Clara are you sure you want to marry this guy?” I ask her. She smiles and turns to him, giving him a sweet kiss on the cheek.
“Of course I am,” she responds.
“Well then you better grab your girls and get ready. We have to be at the park in two hours,” I tell her. Clara checks her watch and looks around. She is about to lose it with the time crunch. “Woah, just grab the girls and go change. Me and the boys will finish up here then we’ll all meet at the park.” Giving me a big hug Clara says thank you and then announces to the entire room that she is leaving and walks out the doors. Bridesmaids are running from all corners of the place to catch up to her and figure out what just happened. Standing next to Matt we both laugh at their little scramble and then take a breath of relief as the women have now left.
“You know it’s going to be like that, the two of you being in love and always craving to be with one an
other but don’t forget that at some point you both may just need a breather. After all think of how anxious you’re getting right now thinking about seeing her again and how you just can’t wait to be together again. A little bit here and there will help you two grow a stronger bond,” I go on and on with my marital advice as I bring him over to the bar and order us both a whiskey and cola. The groomsmen pick up where the bridesmaids have left off just before their bickering and were already almost done. Slowly they trickled to the bar by me and Matt as they finished their tasks.
They take their turns teasing Matt now, asking him if he knows what he’s doing and all he’ll be missing. After all, every night could be like a bachelor party. Matt shrugs and laughs them all off insisting he is sure. The jokes quickly end as some of them were just Clara’s brothers and dad testing him for the last time before he joined their family as well.
We get about two drinks in before it was time to head out. Figure we would get there about a half hour early so we could talk with the photographer and greet all the guests. Ushers needed to do their job as well which meant the early departure.
The guys and I head out and get into our separate vehicles. The truck is getting old now and tries to turn over a couple times but then rumbles to life. The park we were going to was just a couple blocks away. Its starting to get later in the afternoon as we approach and there were already about thirty people there.
Staying in the truck for a while me and Matt talk about the rehearsal from last night and whether he remembered everything. We watched as the ushers filed their friends and family into their seats, leaving the front row open for me, the parents and immediate family members. Hadley was not hear yet either as she was a bridesmaid in the wedding and was still off getting Clara ready.
At about twenty minutes to the top of the hour Matt and I climbed out of the truck and headed over to greet all of the guests. I walked around to find the photographer while Matt did his greetings. I found her at her van, cases strewn all over the grass in front of her as she decided which equipment to use for the evening.
A Father's Dreams Page 15