That Would Be Enough

30

Madeline didn't go to her father's for the next couple weeks. He called her multiple times a week, but she let it go to voicemail and then immediately deleted it. She didn't want to hear his excuses. She was his kid. He shouldn't be taking Charlie to broadway shows. One Saturday, she lazed around in her pajamas on the couch, watching television. Lin came to sit next to her.

"Your dad emailed me," he said, scrolling through his phone. "Are you ignoring his calls?"

"Yep," she said unapologetically. Lin set his phone aside.

"Don't you think it's time for you to forgive him and move on?" he asked her.

"He forgot me," she reminded Lin. "He'd rather take Charlie out than me."

"That's not true," he corrected her. "Everyone forgets every once in a while. Plus he's making an effort to get to know Charlie. That's not a bad thing."

Lin thought back to when he'd first started dating Kate. Madeline was an adorable four year old. It wasn't hard to get to know her. She seemed to love him instantly, and they played for hours. It was effortless. He felt a little bad for Jason, having to enter Charlie's life as a teenager. They weren't the easiest.

Maddie studied her nail beds. "I'm still mad at him."

Lin let out a loud breath, clearing his throat. "Are you gonna mope around here all day?"

"Maybe," she said.

"Well, if you're gonna stick around here I'm gonna put you to work," he told her. "Laundry, cleaning. I'll make a list."

Madeline glared at him. She could tell he was serious, and she couldn't stand it.

"You're such a jerk sometimes," she accused him, crossing her arms. Lin reached over and patted her bare feet a couple times.

"I have my ways," he admitted as he stood up. Lin knew the threat of extra chores would get her going. After her show ended, Madeline reluctantly hopped in the shower and got herself ready. She texted her dad that she was coming over later, but not spending the night. She wasn't quite ready for that yet.

Half an hour later, Maddie was out the door, riding the subway to SoHo. She let herself in. Charlie was there, of course. Her mother was probably out doing something.

"Maddie!" Jason greeted his daughter warmly, pulling her into a hug. Maddie half-heartedly hugged him back. She still wasn't sure if she forgave him. "It's so good to see you."

She smiled and had to admit it was nice to see her dad. He looked over at Charlie and said, "Charlie, do you mind going to get some coffee for a few minutes? I need to talk to Maddie."

She sighed, but turned off the TV and found her shoes. She left wordlessly, slamming the door behind her. Madeline and Jason sat on the couch, alone.

"Sweetheart, I wanted to apologize again for the other week. I just honestly forgot. It happens to the best of us," he said. "I wanted...I wanted to get to know Charlie more because..."

He paused, wondering if he should say it. "I want to ask Julia to marry me."

Madeline torqued her jaw a little at the news. "Wow. That was fast."

"I really care about her," he told his daughter. "And Charlie's great."

"I bet," she said. "Well, congratulations I guess."

"Thanks," he said, and they both knew it wasn't really sincere. "I'm still trying to figure out how to propose."

"So, does this mean they'll both be living here full time?" she ventured.