The Delivery Girl

57. Blessing

Callen

"Callen?" Julie whispers.

I walk over to her, my pulse roaring in my ears. Each step feels impossibly heavy, like my body knows this moment is about to change my life.

"Sorry for the wait," I say, smiling.

I take her hands in mine.

–

3 weeks ago

I step inside the restaurant, nearly empty after a lunch rush.

"Callen?" Mei looks at me curiously from the host podium. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to talk to your dad."

She blinks. "What?"

"I want to talk about what happened. I think it's been more than long enough."

She nods slowly. "He's in the office at the back."

I walk down the narrow hall, passing by the kitchen and washrooms. The very last door is slightly ajar. I can see Julie's dad inside, sitting at a desk.

I knock and peer inside.

It's somehow even more of a mess than Detective Carne's office.

Several empty mugs and tea cups sit on the desk. Rusted filing cabinets overflowing with documents and folders sit on the opposite wall. Giant cardboard boxes of takeout containers and utensils sit in the corner, next to a mountain of bags of rice. Every surface is covered with a thin layer of dust.

However, there's a small shrine sitting in the corner of the room that's spotless. Polished, clean wood without a single speck of dust or dirt. Chinese characters are engraved along the sides, painted gold. In it sits a basket of neatly arranged fruit, a bouquet of fresh flowers in a porcelain vase, and two sticks of burning incense in a small bowl.

In the center sits a framed photo of a young woman.

Julie's mom.

The guilt from everything that happened suddenly hits me even harder. A man who lost the love of his life, just trying to figure out how to raise his daughters.

He raises an eyebrow. "What do you want?"

"I'm here to talk. May I come in?" I ask carefully.

After a long pause, he nods and points to the chair on the other side of his desk.

I sit down on the squeaky wooden chair. He stares at me, frowning, but a little bit curious. "I know things didn't end well the last time we saw each other. Emotions were high, I handled things badly. I've thought about it a lot, and I'm sorry."

He nods but doesn't say anything.

"I know I don't understand everything you and Julie have been through. But I feel responsible for what happened. For how she left. Don't get me wrong... I love your daughter and I'm so lucky to have her in my life. I just feel like I tore your family apart."

His expression softens. "It's not your fault."

I'm taken aback. I was expecting him to have kicked me out by now. "I still feel like I pushed," I admit. "I never meant to hurt anyone."

"I know you didn't." He stares at the desk, drumming his fingers on the surface. "She and I never got along. After her mom died, everything I did felt wrong. Too strict. Too distant. Too much or not enough. I pushed her away long before you came along."