Hold Me In Your Everlasting Arms

Part 17: Did Ya Kiss Him?

I walked up to my Dads house and heard the echoing of typewriter keys emerge from the open window. I knocked loudly and they paused, then picked up as though they hadn't stopped.

"Dad!" I yelled through the window

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click click click

I knew that he wasn't ignoring me, but that he had "broken through" in his writing. I waited a few minutes before shamelessly emerging myself through his side window.

"God damn these women hips", I shoved my way through and face planted on his bath room floor.

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pause

cough

click click click click click

I fixed my shirt and walked into the kitchen helping myself to whatever was in the fridge. Usually in the midst of these binge writing fits he forgets to go to the bathroom, and perhaps on one of his frantic sprints I could catch his attention.

Chinese food. Nothing else in the fridge besides 5 cartons of soggy, half eaten chinese food.

I pulled out some white rice and texted Ezra.

Only to see that he had texted me first

'I already miss you'

the words read accross my screen like poetry

click click click click

pause

'Do you miss me, or my pancakes?'

I ate another spoon full without looking and the probably nauseating contents. I heard the slam of a chair and foot steps shuffling up the stairs as though it was children on Christmas morning.

a flash by and he busted into the bathroom

'can I see you tonight?'

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pause

'yes'

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flush

sink

'Good, I want to take you to my favorite spot'

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door creek

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shuffle

"Maude!" my dad exclaimed exasperated.

I laughed looking at him bent over in relief.

"Im glad you came back, after you ran off like that. . . "

I cut him off before I choked up.

"Dad im sorry, I just didnt understand. It was so overwhelming, but im ready to talk."

He looked longingly down the basement stairs than back at me. "Im glad you came back" he said walking towards me.

I smiled sending one last text to Ezra before my dad sat down. He had one of those 'all knowing' smiles. "So have you kissed him?" I hit my fist on the tabke in surprise and my dad laughed at my response. "Dad!" I yelled,

"Okay, okay just having some fun." He responded.

We talked about the reality of the situation.

My dad's cancer was not fatal. It was however draining his bank accounts and his energy. He wanted me to understand that he didnt want to tell me because he thought I would think of him differently. My mom knew, my sister didnt, and he wanted to keep it that way.

I left his house and ran into my moms parked Sudan sitting across the street. I didnt want to talk to her about it because I didnt want her to say the wrong things.

I checked my phone and it was noon, I still had time to finish my homework and hangout with him.

"Daniel came over looking for you."

my mom said optimistically.

"Really?" I turned back in surprise, Daniel hasn't just popped over to my house since grammar school.

"Yeah, I said you were at your dads and he asked me to ask you to give him a visit when you got back" She said confused, but she liked Daniel more than any boy ive been with.

"Thats weird" I mumbled, he had my number why didnt he just text me?

I changed the subject.

"Im going out with Emily and Blake tonight! I think were going to grab something to eat." I said

"Thats nice, who's driving?"

"Blake's brother" (whom my mom had never met)

"okay, that sounds fine"

I texted Ezra and okayed the plans, and as that message exited my fingers I realized I was hooked.