Faith goes looking for her father to answer some of her questions left by her mother's return. Buffy tries to help as best she can, leading her to ask questions about her own relationship with her father and whether she should do the same.
I reach out and pick up the receiver, turning it so the numbers are staring back at me.
We haven't talked in so long. I have no idea what I'm going to say exactly, but B is right. I can't just leave this alone anymore.
Picking up the piece of paper with his number on it, I dial the number. When I finish, I put the speaker to my ear and lean back on the couch to hear the ringing. More than a couple rings go by before I hear the click of someone else answering.
"Yeah?"
It's him.
Silence on the line.
"Can I help you?"
This is the part where I should say something.
"Look, you'll get your money if you just..."
"Dad?"
Again silence is on the line for a while.
"Firecracker?"
Hearing him say that does something to me, making me close my eyes when I see Mom's face in my head, but I shake it off.
"Yeah dad, it's me. It's... Faith."
Both of us let things hang there.
I should probably try and speak.
"How are you?"
He doesn't respond right away.
"I... I'm okay... how are you?"
This time it's me who doesn't say anything right away.
"I'm... all right I guess. You know, whatever."
Why did I say it like that?
"Sorry, I... I didn't mean to say it like that. I just..."
"Didn't know what else to say."
I take a deep breath before responding.
"Yeah..."
We fall into silence together over the phone.
"It's, good to hear from you firecracker."
It is?
"It is?"
"Of course... I've been thinking about you a lot lately. Doing a lot of soul searching around what mistakes I made in my life and... most of them involve you and how I let you down growing up. So, I'm glad you called."
This isn't what I thought would happen.
"I thought about you lately too. I called because someone I know lost a family member recently. It got me thinking about stuff, like you and mom and growing up. I have a bunch of questions."
He pauses a while before answering.
"I guess that makes sense."
He thinks it makes sense?
"Why's that?"
"Like I said, I have been thinking about you too these days. What I did or didn't do for you. It probably messed you up good. I'd like to see if I can make up for it somehow."
He does?
I don't really say anything to that.
"If you'll let me anyway."
I don't know how to feel about that.
He seems to get why I'm not responding.
"Don't decide anything right away. You obviously have my number. Talk to... do you have someone you can talk to?"
He actually wants to know?
"I... yes, I do."
A few moments pass before he says anything.
"I'm glad. I-I'm glad you have someone you can talk to. Are they... are you happy?"
I don't know for sure how to answer that.
"I'm... better than I have been in a long time."
We let that hang between us.
Probably shouldn't drag this out too long.
"So... I'll call you?"
Again a moment passes.
"I'd like that."
"Talk later?"
"Yeah..."
With that, I pull the receiver away from my ear and hang up the phone.
That went a lot better than I thought.
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