CHAPTER 20
Benjamin
“See anything interesting?”
I can’t help but smile as I pull my head away from the telescope at Griffith Observatory and turn to address the voice, which I’d recognize anywhere.
“Nothing as interesting as who’s standing in front of me.”
“Oh daddy!”
My daughter runs to me and we hug.
“I’m so glad you’re safe.”
“You know me. I’m not about to run off and get hurt and leave you down here all by yourself.”
“I know, but dad…please don’t scare me like that again.”
“I’ll try not to, pumpkin,” I say as I lean down and kiss her on top of her head. “Want to walk a little?”
“Sure,” she says.
We slowly make our way across the grass.
“You picked the perfect night,” she says.
“Every night with you is perfect. You’re my little girl. We need more moments like these, don’t we?”
“We do,” she says, looking up at me and smiling. I reach my hand over and with the back I rub the tear out of the corner of her eye. “Just not under the same circumstances. You really scared me.”
“I can’t lie. That was a close call.”
“Way too close. And it was even on TV.”
“That’s the part I don’t like.”
“You don’t like. What about me? I watched it live knowing it was you the whole time. I could tell by the way you move it was you. They were trying to identify the brave firefighter, the newsperson from the helicopter said. I knew, and I think my professor knew too.”
“Your professor?”
“Yeah, she was watching it live just before class started. She flipped on the TV in the room so the whole class could see. I was terrified, but when you pulled him out the entire class gave you a standing ovation.”
“Did they know I was your dad?”
“No, and they still don’t.”
“That’s good. No need to bring attention to it…unless it helps you get a better grade.”
“Dad!” she says, slapping me on the shoulder.
“You’re getting stronger. Been working out?”
“Not as much as you apparently. I can’t believe you carried him out of there like that. He looked like a little sack of potatoes on your shoulders, and I know he’s not a small guy.”
“So you know who it is?”
“Of course I do, which makes this thing all the more amazing.”
“You’re not the only one who thinks so.”
“What do you mean?”
“Hollywood is already knocking. They want the rights. And there are a few publishers who’ve called me to say they’ve lined up ghostwriters and they’re ready to tell the story. I think they want the book out there as soon as possible.”
“It’s an amazing story, no doubt. I’d read it. Of course I’d think it were fiction if I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes. And you should have heard what my teacher said.”
“What did she say?”
“She told the class she hasn’t watched one of those helicopter live freeway news things since OJ Simpson, and was glad this one had a much better ending.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, I never in a million years expected to be mentioned in the same sentence as OJ.”
“You can say that again.”
I turn my gaze back forward as we keep walking. Everyone’s been through a lot lately and I don’t really want to add more chaos to everything that’s already happening. I don’t want to, but I have to. I need to come out with this. I don’t want to keep this a secret anymore. I’m proud of what Amy and I are building and I want everyone who’s close to me to share in my happiness.
“Dad?”
“Yes, dear.”
“Is there something else you want to tell me?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean…well…I was just thinking about everything that’s happened lately. It seems there are a lot of coincidences, but when they’re all looked at under the same microscope they don’t seem so much like coincidences anymore.”
“You know they always say that parent’s should try to pull the wool over their kids eyes. That kids are smarter and more intuitive than we give them credit for.”
“You’ve never pulled the wool over my eyes.”
She holds out her hand, which I proudly take in mine. I may be forty-two and she may be twenty-one making us both adults, but she’ll always be my little girl. And I’ll hold her hand and walk around Griffith Observatory tonight just like we did on the night of her fifth birthday.
“You never deserved to be treated that way, to be left in the dark or deceived, and you certainly don’t deserve it now.”
“It’s okay, dad. I already figured it out.”
“Figured what out?”
“You. You and Amy.”
“Oh. You did?”
“Yeah. I had a hunch after that night I made the phone call. I mean, even if your buddies changed your ringtone, how unlikely was it that they changed it to the exact same one she had. Plus I went over to her house to return a sweater and she wasn’t there. Her parents thought she was at our house.”
“I guess technically she was,” I say.
“Was. That’s something else I need to talk to you about. Since I’m taking summer classes it’s going to allow me to graduate after the fall term, a full semester ahead of schedule.”
“That’s great.”
“And what’s even better is that there’s less competition for jobs that time of year, so much so that I already have an offer. One that I accepted.”
“Unbelievable! The good news just keeps coming,” I say, hugging her tight.
“Thanks, dad. So I guess that was my house, but now it’s your house. Yours of course and, well, kind of Amy’s depending on how things go.”
“Things between us are going great, and they will continue to do so, but no matter what that’s always our house. You don’t just stop being my daughter, and you know what that means. I’m always going to be looking out for you and you’re always welcome to come back to dad’s house for as long as you want. The door’s not only always open, but the welcome mat is always rolled out too. Scratch that…it’s a red carpet. You’ll always be a VIP in my house, whether you’re technically living there or not. And you’ll always live with me, in spirit and in thought.”
“Dad?”
“Yeah.”
“Amy’s making you soft.”
“What do you mean?”
“Live with you in sprit? You’re starting to sound like one of those NorCal hippies!”
“Very funny.”
“It’s not a bad thing. I mean Ben and Jerry were hippies right? Followed the Grateful Dead around before they started making ice cream.”
“You want some?”
“Can we?”
“Always, honey.”
“Which one are you going to get?”
“Cookie dough. You?”
“Chocolate fudge brownie.”
“Ohhh, a great choice.”
We turn direction walking a little quicker now making our way towards our cars.
“I’ll follow you to the Albertsons right by the house.”
“It’s a deal. Meet you in the ice cream section.”
“Let’s walk in together. Once you move out we won’t have the chance to do that so much anymore.”
“You got it dad.”
“Love you.”
“Love you, dad. Oh, and dad.”
“Yeah.”
“Life is short. This whole episode really reminded me of that. We’ve got to go for what we want in the limited amount of time we have on this planet, and I’m proud of you for doing just that.”
“Thank you.”
“And the more I think about it…you two make a great couple.
Her blessing means more to me than she’ll ever know, just as being my one and only little girl does.