A Father's Love

The Ad

Things were going to be different. The paper between Hugh's hands crumpled beneath the weight of his determination as his gaze drifted upwards. He had been trying to keep his eye on the roof of the mansion, telling himself that he was admiring the unique architecture instead of letting it intimidate him. But it had just continued to grow the closer his car came to it until, without any hint of exaggeration, gold peaked fixtures eclipsed the sun. Standing in its shadow, clutching the only sense of hope he'd felt in years, he knew that he was out of his depth.

He never should have left his hometown. Everything he had ever known, everything he had ever been was in that ridiculous little city. But that was part of the problem, wasn't it? When it was all said and done, he had no idea who he was supposed to be anymore.

A husband? His wife left to be CEO of a new company with no room for a family lifestyle in her schedule.

A father? All of his children had gone with her, lured with the promise of freedom and change.

A caretaker? Hell, even the dog had gone too. Hugh supposed he couldn't blame him.

He couldn't blame any of them.

All that was left for him was an empty house; far too quiet and clean after all of the daily chaos had been taken away with the ones he loved. His therapist could only sympathetically smile when he asked if he was insane to miss harrowing adventures, or having to reconstruct his house and yard every other week. He did miss it; he hadn't had to repaint the kitchen in so long-- it just stayed the same, and somehow it just wasn't the same anymore.

So, he was trying something new. A new job in a new town with a new outlook on life. He didn't have to be any of those things anymore. Completely untethered, he could be whatever he wanted; and being a personal chef was something he could have only dreamed of before. But now he actually had a chance.

Yet, he was hesitating. Now, he was realizing just how big of a mistake this had been. He had already sold the house. He had packed up everything into the back of the station wagon. He had driven across the country, ready to answer the ad that he had seen in the paper that he read and reread at least a hundred times;  that the same paper he now had in a vice grip between his sweating palms. Opportunity was waiting for him and all he had to do was knock on the door-- so why now did he have to freeze?

That's just like you, Hugh. The words replayed in the back of his mind. You don't want anything more than... this.

But he did want more. There had to be more.

His chest swelled beneath the confines of his dark green sweater vest as he raised a defiant fist to pound against solid oak. But his heart was racing; had that been too aggressive? Scrambling to recover, he tried again, knocking softer this time, but with a bit more urgency.

An electric hum occupied the air beside him as an intercom crackled to life. "What?!"

He flinched, half expecting to find someone to his left but only found the device. What a terrifying voice.

"A-ah, yes! Hello, sir!" He raised a hand, realized there was no video camera, then dropped it down to his side. "S-sorry to bother you; I mean, that is to say--"

His sputtering was interrupted by a snarl: "What do you want?"

"Yes, of course. Ah, I'm here to apply. For the job in the newspaper?" Hugh's voice cracked from the nervous pressure that threatened to turn his quivering knees to liquid. He held tighter to the newspaper to steady himself. It was all he had left.

Silence answered him. He waited, perhaps for a minute longer than any proud man should, before he cleared his throat. "Er... hello?"

CLICK. The latch of the double doors tumbled free, unlocking them as they swung inwards. His lungs seemed to shrink as he tried to draw another breath, but as terrified as he was, he reminded himself that he had already come this far. With no other place to go but forward, he stepped inside.