by Melissa Good
Kerry knelt in front of her, terrifyingly, and took both hands in her own. “Right as I was leaving, something happened. In the parking lot.”
“Did you get in an accident? Are you okay?” Dar started speaking.
“Yes, no, I...” Kerry paused. “Dar, before you freak out and freak me out, this is a good thing.” She watched the panic fade a little, in the pale blue eyes. “I just don’t know how to tell you this.”
Dar waited in silence for a few beats. “You ran over Fabracini?” She hazarded a guess. “I’ll smuggle you out of the country, sweetheart. We can go live on some island off the Bahamas.”
“No, I,” Kerry paused. “Dar, a man came up to me in the lot and started asking me about you.”
It wasn’t what she’d expected. Dar’s brows creased. “What?”
Kerry gave up. “Just come with me.” She decided. “Outside.” She stood, keeping hold of Dar’s hands as she awkwardly straightened, keeping her weight on her good leg. Kerry got her arm around her partner and supported her as they made their way to the door, Chino snuffling curiously at their heels.
“I don’t know what’s going on here, Ker,” Dar said, as she got the door open. “But I don’t know if I’m up to surprises tonight.”
Kerry squeezed out the door next to her and quickly searched the parking slots, relieved when she saw the dark figure leaning against her car. “It’s okay, hon. Trust me,” she murmured as they started down the stairs. “It’s going to make today not matter.”
“What?” Dar half turned. “What’s that supposed to mean? Ker, what’s going on here?” She had to swing around as Kerry urged her Hurricane Watch
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down the steps, and her head turned in the direction of the car. “I don’t know what...”
Her eyes fastened on the tall, silent figure that now straightened up and faced her, and she stopped moving. The height, and the shape and the movement struck sudden chords of memory in her she’d thought long dead and her vision blurred as she watched him.
She almost stopped breathing. Her hands clenched around Kerry’s suddenly. “Ker who is that?” she whispered. “Near your car?”
Kerry found herself in the oddest position of her life and it was hard to think straight. “Come on.” She helped Dar down the last few steps, then she released her as they came even with their visitor and Dar could, at last, see his features.
Dar stiffened, then she half extended a hand, her eyes fastened on the tall man who carefully took a step forward towards her. “Ohh.”
“Hey there, Dardar,” the man rasped, very gently. “Damn good to see ya.”
It had been the worst of days. Now, in the light from the porch lamp over her shoulder, Kerry found herself watching it become the best of days before her very eyes.
To hell with the company. “Go on.” She put her hand on Dar’s hip.
“It’s real.” She watched Dar’s face light up with wonder like a child’s, as she moved towards her father. Kerry followed a step behind, but held up when she reached the edge of the sidewalk, and stayed back as they met.Dar felt the world become utterly unreal. She faced the hooded figure on legs shaking so badly she wasn’t sure she could remain upright. “Daddy?” she managed to get out. “Is that really you?”
He took a step forward. “What’s left,” he said. “Been to hell and back, though.” He stood there awkwardly until Dar finally just half walked, half fell towards him and then they were hugging each other.
“Hell and back.”
Dar couldn’t believe it. It was impossible, and yet, she could feel the long arms around her and hear her father’s heartbeat under her ear and she had to believe.
Had to believe. “Oh, Daddy,” she whispered.
She could smell salt air on his clothes, and wool, and he seemed thinner than she remembered, but there was no doubt when she heard that voice echoing from her earliest memories.
“Dar. Dar.” Andrew hugged her, rocking back and forth a little.
“Damn it all.” He patted her back. “What’d ya do t’your laig?” He released her and they looked at each other again.
For a moment, Dar had no idea what he was talking about. Then she shifted her weight and remembered, gritting her teeth as she grabbed for the edge of the car. “L...long story,” she said. “Um, would you please come inside?”
Andrew paused, then he nodded and joined Dar at the steps, and 132
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they walked upward in silence, broken when they reached the top step and were met by Chino, who barked in surprise at seeing a stranger.
Kerry gathered the puppy in her arms as she followed Dar and her father inside.
DAR SIGHED. ”WHAT a damned day.” She perched on the back of the couch, looking around a little self-consciously. “So, this is our place.” Her eyes were fixed on her father, who was quietly looking around.
It was strange and surreal. She felt like she was in a waking dream that would surely end any second with the buzz of the alarm, or a gentle hug from Kerry. It couldn’t be real. That couldn’t really be her father standing there.
Maybe the whole day was just a hallucination. Dar sighed and rubbed the back of her neck, caught between the extremes of the moment.
Kerry let the puppy go and she swarmed up Dar’s leg, whining and squeaking until Dar picked her up. ”All right, all right.”
Andrew gazed at her, the hood shifting as he moved his head.
”Finally got you a dog, huh?”
Dar was vainly trying to keep Chino from licking the inside of her mouth. ”She’s Kerry’s,” She explained sheepishly. “Jack Easton’s Christmas present to her. You remember Alabaster?”
”Gerry Easton’s big old dog?” Her father’s brows hiked. ”I surely do. I know you always wanted one.” He watched Chino’s antics. “You sure that dog ain’t yours?”
Kerry chuckled. “Chino really was my present, but I keep telling Dar she’s her dog.”
“Not my dog. Your dog...augh.” Dar extracted a needle like tooth from her earlobe.
“Our dog,” Kerry concluded, going over to rescue her partner from their pet. “C’mere, Cheebles. Stop chewing on mommy Dar.” She gave the puppy a hug, then put her down on the tile and watched her scramble around.
Andrew chuckled softly. He finished his examination of the living room and turned to face his daughter. ”This is damn nice, Dar. I’m glad you got a good place to hang your hat up in.”
Dar leaned against the back of the loveseat, her insides in turmoil.
“Yeah,” she said. “It was bigger than I needed but,” She paused. “It’s quiet out here.”
Kerry slipped past Dar, giving her a pat on the back. “I’m going to get some dinner ordered,” she said. “Mr. Roberts, can I order you something?”
His head turned her way and blue eyes framed in the forest green hood focused on her. ”Who in the hell are you talking to?”
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Kerry blinked at him. ”Um, you?”
”There ain’t no such person as Mr. Roberts,” he told her. ”There’s Commander Roberts, or Andy, or shithead.” He paused. ”Take yer pick.”
Dar smiled a little at Kerry’s expression.
But Kerry rallied. ”How about Dad?” she countered quietly, meeting his eyes with gentle acceptance.
Now it was Andrew’s turn to blink. He turned to his daughter.
”Gutsy little thing, ain’t she?” He marveled. ”All right, that’ll do,” he exhaled. ”And if they got something normal as a hamburger in this crazy place, I’ll have one of those.”
Kerry smiled at him. ”Okay, Dad.” Her green eyes twinkled. ”One hamburger, coming up.”
”Hm,” he grunted, then he looked up. ”They got any ice cream?”
Bewildered, he stared as Kerry burst into laughter, and had to hold onto the chair for support. ”What in hell’s wrong with her?” he asked plaintively.
Dar just shook her head. She waited f
or Kerry to disappear into the kitchen before she peeked back at the miracle in her lobby. “Want to sit down?” she asked, tentatively.
“Think maybe you should.” Her father walked slowly over to the entertainment center, studying the pictures in silence for a long moment.
Dar stayed where she was, her arms braced on the back of the couch.
He picked up the big picture, the one of her and Kerry, and half turned. “She live here, too?”
Dar nodded.
Andrew put the picture down and went around the edge of the couch, sitting down on the larger sofa as Dar swiveled to face him.
“What’d ya do to your laig?”
Dar glanced at it. “I don’t really care about my leg right now,” she said. “I’m trying to get my head around you being here.”
Her father looked up at her with a somber expression. “Yeap. I know,” he said. “Sorry bout that, Dar. I wasn’t thinking about showing up here, but...” He glanced at the kitchen entrance. “Just worked out that way.”
Dar looked at him in silence, then she came around the side of the couch and sat down, afraid her shaking legs were going to give out on her and drop her to the floor.
KERRY LEANED AGAINST the counter, gazing out the window as she thought about things. Outside, she could just barely hear the roar of the ocean breakers and the churn of the water matched pretty closely the churn of her guts as she tried to let go of the day.
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She couldn’t even imagine what Dar was feeling. For one thing, she’d never lost anyone close in her family. For another, she wasn’t entirely sure she’d be as devastated as Dar had been if she had.
It hurt thinking that. Kerry gazed down at the countertop, its glossy surface cold against her skin. She wanted to love her parents and maybe part of her still did, but the memory of what her father had done to her was very fresh.
Is Dar’s father like that?
She doubted it. The few times her lover had spoken of her father, she’d heard nothing but love in her voice and she could barely remember ever feeling like that about her parents.
Kerry dropped her head into her hands and rubbed the back of her neck, hoping to ease the throbbing brought on by the stress of the day, when something occurred to her and she lifted her head again.
What would Dar’s father think about them? Her eyes widened and she realized she’d never even considered what his reaction would be on finding out.
He knew Dar was gay, didn’t he? Her brow creased and she tried to remember their conversations about that, relaxing when she recalled that Dar had said her parents both knew.
“Phew.” She rubbed her eyes. “I don’t need to deal with that tonight and I know she doesn’t either.”
To one side, the monitor mounted on the cabinet beeped softly.
Kerry looked up at it, resisting the urge to simply punch the device.
Instead, she keyed it, glancing at the screen as it flickered to life.
She studied the emails, then she just shut it off and turned, sliding down and sitting on the kitchen floor, resting her elbows on her knees and closing her eyes.
“SO WE WERE out in the woods,” Dar said, “Doing this damn fool thing and a sinkhole opened up under us.”
Andrew straightened. “Mah god.”
“Yeah,” Dar agreed. “Anyway, things got worse from there and,”
she paused. “just went downhill, I guess.” She looked across the living room for the nth time, unable to believe what she was seeing. “Daddy, I can’t believe you’re here.”
Her father got up and crossed over to her, sitting down on the loveseat next to Dar and putting a gentle hand on her knee. “S’allright, I can’t neither,” he said. “Had me a real rough time and it’s hard being here and seeing ever’thing.”
Dar studied his face, so seamed with scars anyone who knew him less well than she did might even have passed him by in the street. She could see pain there, and a haunting she could only guess at, but the eyes, the pale eyes she saw in the mirror every morning hadn’t changed at all.
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Her Daddy. Dar found a smile somewhere and exhaled. “Have you called Mom?”
Her father’s eyes shifted, and went past her. “No.”
The door bell chimed softly and Dar hesitated, then relaxed as Kerry appeared from the kitchen and crossed behind her to answer it.
“Thanks.”
Kerry ruffled her hair as she went past, but didn’t answer.
Andrew got up and resumed his seat on the other couch, clasping his hands as Kerry returned from the door with a tray and set it on the table between them. She knelt beside the table and started sorting things out, one hand lifting briefly to tuck a bit of hair behind her ear.
“Kerry had a tough day.” Dar broke the silence. “I walked out and she had to clean up the mess I left behind.”
“That’s not really true.” Kerry offered Andrew a burger and fries on a plate, and handed Dar one just like it. “I left too.” She put a hand on her own plate. “Why don’t I, um...” She started to get up and move towards the kitchen.
“Sit down.” Dar grabbed the back of her waistband and yanked her backwards onto the loveseat without ceremony. “I thought you got lost in there. I was going to send Chino after you.”
“Um, okay. I guess I will.” Kerry pulled her plate over and settled it onto her knees, keeping a little distance between herself and Dar and taking her fork to her broiled salmon. “I thought maybe you two would want to talk,” she said. “Alone, I mean.”
Andrew looked up from his plate. “Ah look like the kind of man who’d chase a gal from her own place and make her chow by herself?”
Kerry blinked at him. “Um.” She cleared her throat gently. “I just met you.” She glanced at Dar for support, but her partner had her eyes firmly fixed on her fries. “But if you’re half as chivalrous as your daughter, no.”
Dar blushed visibly. Andrew smiled, as much as his scars would allow.
A silence fell, as they concentrated on eating, and keeping their plates out of Chino’s range.
KERRY EMPTIED THE remains of their dinner into the trash, setting the plates into the sink for later washing. She turned as she heard a sound behind her to find Dar entering on her crutches, a tired but happy look on her face. “Hey.”
“Hey.” Dar moved forward and stopped next to her. “What a night.”
Kerry leaned over and gave Dar a kiss on the arm. “Incredible.”
Dar fiddled with her crutch grips. “It’s late,” she said. “I’m going to see if he wants to stay over.” Her eyes lifted to Kerry’s. “If that’s okay with you.”
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“Dar.” Kerry looked at her. “You’ve got to be kidding me if you’re seriously asking me that.”
Her partner shrugged. “I’m too tired to think straight,” she admitted. “I need to take a few aspirin and sack out.” She leaned against the counter. “Brain overload.”
“Yeah.” Bed sounded almost impossibly good. Kerry hesitated though. “Listen.” She glanced past Dar, then up at her face. “Want me to sleep upstairs?”
Dar’s brows creased. “Huh?”
“I know you said your folks were okay with you being gay, Dar, but...you know.” Kerry hesitated. “Saying something and being hit in the face with it are two different things.”
Dar started chuckling. “Uh, no. It’s okay,” she said. “He knows you live here...with me.”
“Well, sure but...” She glanced at the floor. “We could be roommates.”
“My father’s...” Dar paused, shaking her head a little. “Talking about him in the present again. Damn. “ A gentle smile appeared. “This is so incredible.”
Kerry leaned against her and grinned. “I am so happy for you,” she whispered.
“Anyway.” Dar cleared he throat. “My father’s definitely a man of the world.” She gave her partner a kiss
on the head. “He saw the picture on the TV stand,” she said. “Honest, Ker, it doesn’t matter to him. Never did.”
Kerry felt a little foolish. “Oh. Right.” She rubbed her temple. “I think I’m a little overtired too,” she murmured, “and after everything that happened today, I’m on spin cycle. I don’t know what to feel or think right now.”
Dar kissed the top of her head. “C’mon,” she said. “I think this just put tomorrow into perspective.”
True, Kerry had to admit, finding herself almost at the point where she’d stopped caring. “If I quit tomorrow, can we go somewhere?” she asked. “Camping or something?”
“Hell yeah.” Dar followed her out into the living room. “Anywhere you want.”
DAR SAT DOWN on the edge of the waterbed, studying the bruised flesh under her just removed brace. She rested both hands on the rail and exhaled, listening to Kerry puttering around in the bathroom, getting ready for bed.
The bedroom was dim and she slowly swung her legs over and laid down flat, resting her head on the pillow and letting her body relax at last, with a tiny groan as her muscles unlocked and she could close her eyes.
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and her mind able to step back from all that had happened and just think for a little while.
A swirl of emotion went through her and she rested her arm over her eyes as she felt the bed move a little, and then the space next to her warmed up with Kerry’s presence. “Ugh.”
“Ugh,” Kerry repeated. “How are you doing?” She rubbed Dar’s belly lightly.
Dar let her arm drop and she turned her head, studying Kerry’s dimly lit profile. “Damned if I know,” she sighed.
“Likewise,” her partner admitted. “But at least we had a fantastic night.”
“Yeah,” Dar whispered, after a pause. “It’s so damn hard to believe.”
Kerry propped her head up on one hand and reached over to run her fingers through Dar’s hair with the other. “I like your father.” She watched Dar’s lips twitch into a smile. “He reminds me a lot of you.”
Dar nodded slowly. “Everyone always said that,” she murmured.