Holiday in Holly Oaks

Chapter 15

The next morning, Tallie had nowhere to be so she let herself sleep in. The sun had already pasted its highest point when she finally pulled herself from her bed and she knew it must already be early afternoon.

Her stomach grumbled and she remembered in her rush to avoid any serious conversation with her parents she hadn't eaten last night. The further back she thought the more sure she was that she hadn't eaten anything yesterday except the scone she had grabbed on her way to the store.

She pulled on a big sweater and slowly made her way downstairs with only the thought of food in her mind. The house was quiet as she brewed fresh coffee, made eggs, and toasted a scone.

It wasn't until her stomach was full that she noticed how quiet it was. Even when her parents were in the backroom she could usually hear their low voices or hear her mom reading.

"Mom, Dad," she called out.

"I'm back here," her dad answered.

She headed towards to backroom and was surprised to find her dad alone.

"Where's mom?" she asked, plopping down on the couch.

"Out," her dad said as if this was a normal thing.

Tallie frowned. "Out where?"

"Joyce stopped by with a plate of cookies earlier and was telling your mom all about her kitchen remodel and invited your mom over to see it," her dad explained. "And you know how your mom and Joyce are once they get talking. We'll be lucky if we see your mom before the New Year."

Tallie smiled in amazement. "That's great. And you feel..."

"Good," her dad answered. "In fact, don't tell your mother this, but I have been enjoying having the house to myself."

Tallie shook her head in disbelief, her dad hadn't been alone in the house since he had been diagnosed. She could feel her eyes getting watery and she looked away. Such a simple thing felt like such a monumental thing for them.

She coughed to clear her throat. "Do you need food?"

Her dad shook his head proudly. "I got myself some crackers and cheese an hour ago. I'm fine."

Tallie had already started to pull herself up from the couch expecting her dad would need food, and his answer made her fall back onto the couch in shock. She looked at him unable to speak as she flitted through a rainbow of feelings.

"I was proud of myself too," her dad said, chuckling at her frozen state. "Do you need food?"

"I just ate," Tallie said, holding up her coffee cup.

Her dad saw that it was almost empty. "Well, at least let me refill your cup for you."

"Dad," she said. He didn't need to bother refilling her cup. She started to stand but he was already up and stopped her with a serious look.

"Natalie Joy if you get up from that couch you are grounded," he warned her, before leaving the room.

Tallie laughed in surprise at the very notion that they still had a father-daughter relationship where she could get grounded.

He returned a few minutes later with a steaming cup of coffee for her and she was overwhelmed by the simple action. Her dad had been incapable of doing most things for himself, let alone doing something for someone else, but here he was getting her coffee.

"Thanks, Dad," she said.

"Of course," he said, kissing the top of her head before sitting back in his chair.