Love and Football (BWWM Interracial Love Story)

Chapter 40 Daddy Issues

After dropping Kendra home, I came home and relaxed. I was lying on the bed watching TV when I heard a knock on my door.

"Come in" I called.

The door opened and it was Josh.

"How was your date?"

"It was fun. She really liked the whole picnic idea".

"Thats cool. What's her name again?"

"Kendra."

"So is she your girl now?

"Yea.I asked her to be my girlfriend today so we're official now"

"That's what's up."

"Yea" I smiled placing my hands behind my head. "And I finally got a chance to kiss her for the first time..with no interruptions." I chuckled

"You'll never let that go huh?" Josh snickered shaking his head. "So I got a letter from dad..did you?"

"Yea" I said dryly.

"I was shocked. We haven't heard from him in like three years".

"He should've kept it that way"

"Well, it looks like he's trying to change and make amends you know after every--"

" I dont wanna talk about that right now Josh".

Josh paused and look down at the floor before he looked back at me and nodded. "...OK."

"Look" I said sitting up. "I'm sorry for cutting you off. I had a good day. Im in a good mood and I don't wanna ruin it with talking about him"

"Ok I get it." He nodded. "Just was coming to let you know the food is ready, Mom cooked". He said, turning to head out the door.

"Ok I'll be in there soon"

Before leaving the room, Josh turned around "People can change Jason"

I just looked at him and nodded with tight lipped expression.

Yea, people can change, but in this case, I would believe it when I actually saw it.

My earliest memories of my dad were happy ones of us playing video games, taking family trips, and taking care of horses on my grandpa's farm. He was a funny guy, his jokes would always make us crack up. He taught me how to fix things from toys to bikes. He promised one day he would teach me to fix cars, but that never happened. My Uncle Brantley taught me.

My dad and I bonded the most when we were fixing things together. He told me to always see the potential in what's broken. He was a good dad and a good provider. He treated my mom well too. I have vivid memories of them dancing to oldies in the living room, putting on a concert for us, as me and my brothers and sister sat on the couch laughing at their dance moves.

We were a happy family until I was about 8, then things changed. He changed. The story my mom told me is that after he got laid off and bills started piling up, he took a lower paying job and he made a few extra dollars working on the farm with my grandpa a few days a week. After he lost the first job, my mom went from being a stay-at-home mom to working as a waitress then a cook.

With all the hours he was working, they were still behind on bills. They were stressed out. My mom turned to prayer. My dad turned to the bottle.

He started drinking one can of beer every night and then it turned into two. Two turned into a six pack and it wasn't long before he started drinking straight out the bottle. The alcohol changed him alot. He was irritated all the time and isolated himself from us. When he got off work he went straight to the bedroom. He was no longer the happy-go-lucky dad we knew. He yelled about everything.