Brody looked behind him as he walked a few steps ahead of me at the airport. “Why are you so slow today? Are you that nervous about seeing Dad?”

I hadn’t been back to the office since April turned me down. It was my fault for even trying when I knew she was seeing someone else, but the rejection still hurt. I should’ve shown up the next day as if it didn’t bother me, but I needed a couple of days to prepare for the trip to see Dad.

“I’ll be fine. I’ll be back to normal in a few days.”

“Normal?” He scoffed. “I’d settle for decent. Dad isn’t going to give us two seconds with that scowl on your face.”

“Not everyone can be happy like you and Maggie. Not all of us are that lucky.”

He stopped and waited for me to catch up. “Yes, you can be. Swallow your pride, get on your knees, and beg her for forgiveness.” He smacked the back of my head. “And quit being a dick.”

“You think you’re so smart. You don’t know everything.”

“So tell me. I’m willing to listen.”

“No, you want to bathe in my humiliation.”

“Bathe?” He shook his head. “You’re not making any sense.” He grabbed my bag and threw it onto his shoulder.

“I can carry my own bag.”

“You have too much weight on your shoulders right now. Let me take some of it for a change.” He stopped me and placed his hand on my shoulder. “All you need to do is ask. I asked you for help in coming with me today.”

“It isn’t that easy.”

We stepped outside the airport and looked for a cab. “You know, it isn’t that difficult, either. Apologizing can go a long way, my friend. Talk things out. I know she loves you.”

I leaned against the wall and waited for a cab. I wasn’t sure why I started talking. “I did try. A couple of times.”

He looked at me. “What did she say?”

“I haven’t been very good to April. She’s had enough.” I stood when an empty cab pulled up. “We should get that.”

* * *

I took a shower and stayed under the spray for as long as I could hold my breath. Brody was right about having too much weight on my shoulders. A warm shower usually made me feel better. Not much helped when it came to the ache in my chest where April was concerned. I turned the water off and reached out for a towel. I rubbed it over my hair before rubbing it over the rest of me.

I was supposed to meet Brody in an hour to go over the game plan once more. I knew what was going to happen. No game plan was needed. We’d knock, he’d open the door and slam it in our faces as soon as he realized who we were.

I scoffed as I walked out to get dressed. “Fuck, Brody!” I took a step back and put my hand on my chest. “You almost gave me a fucking heart attack.”

He turned his head sideways as he looked at my dick. “Holy shit. My little brother’s packing.”

I put the towel in front of me. “Had I known you were out here, I wouldn’t have come out like that. How did you get in here, anyway?”

“I told housekeeping I locked myself out. She just saw us check in, so it was easy. You should have no problem getting April back when she’s had that.”

I ignored him. “Did you get the rental car?”

“Fine. We will talk about this, little brother. It doesn’t really feel right calling you ‘little’ anymore.” He stood and looked at himself in the mirror to check his appearance. He was nervous. “I did. I had to upgrade it to something I could fit into, but I couldn’t do anything with those compact cars they claimed were SUVs. I should’ve reserved one online or at the airport, but I figured we’d just use a cab. You’re right. We probably will need the quick getaway, though.”

He turned to me. I’d only seen him that serious and nervous one other time. The day he got married. “I wasn’t giving myself any doubt that he’d actually talk to us. If I thought he was going to kick us out the second we got there, I probably wouldn’t be here.”

I slipped my underwear on under the towel and tossed the towel onto the bed once I was covered. “That’s how I was the first time I called him.”

“He didn’t say anything?”

“He asked how I was. When I told him I was fine, he told me he was happy for me and hung up.” I grabbed my slacks out of my bag. “I thought it was disconnected, so I called back. He asked if I needed a kidney, but didn’t let me respond before he told me he wouldn’t give it to me. Then, he hung up again.”

“Fuck. I’m sorry I dragged you here. This will probably turn out the same way.”

“Nah, he’ll probably try to have us arrested for trespassing.” I tried to smile to ease Brody’s nervousness, but it wasn’t doing anything to ease mine. “Besides, I’d like to look that fucker in the face just once and tell him to eat shit and die.”

“Tim.”

“I’ll only say it if he tries to shut the door.” I buttoned up my shirt and sat to put my socks and shoes on.

“Regardless what happens today, I appreciate you coming with me.”

I nodded.

* * *

We sat on the street for a few minutes looking at his house. Neither one of us was ready to knock, but we couldn’t sit out on the street all day, either.

“I’d say he’s home.” I pointed through the windshield to his driveway. “There are cars there.”

Brody looked at me. “Yeah, cars. He might have company.”

I shrugged. “Let him look like an asshole in front of them.” I couldn’t sit there anymore. If Brody wanted to be a chicken shit and sit in the car, he could sit there without me. I needed it over.

I got out and Brody scrambled out and jogged to catch up. “I thought we were going to go on three.”

“It’s amazing the things that bring big, bad Brody down.”

He grabbed my arm and swung me around. “Look, I’m not used to this vulnerable shit, but I got a kid on the way. I had a fuck of a father, and I want to find out why. Maggie’s dad wasn’t any better, but she knew him. She knew he was just an asshole who only thought about himself, and he was still in her life.” He shoved me. “Where was our dad? What did I do so wrong that he couldn’t stand to be around me?”

“I don’t think you did anything wrong.”

“Well, that’s what I’m here to find out. This is the last of my baggage, and I’m zipping it up. Nothing will stop me from being a good father.”

I pulled on his arm as he walked by. “Just being here proves you’re a better man and father than him. No matter what happens today. No matter what his reaction is to us knocking on that door. You are the better man in this family. You’re better than all of us.” I walked past him and walked up the driveway. Brody was right. We all needed this baggage zipped.

I rang the bell and stepped back just as Brody stepped up onto the porch with me. He slipped his hands into his pockets and stared at the door. We both stared at it. It was slow to open, but when it did, we had to look down. A girl with the biggest green eyes looked up at me and smiled. She looked at Brody and screamed. I wanted to burst out laughing until I heard his voice inside.

“Now, what’s all that about? Did you find another spider?” Our father opened the door wider and lost his smile when he looked at us. “You go find your mom, and I’ll take care of these two.” He turned back to her and bent down a little. “Go on, Kennedy. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

He shooed her out of the doorway and shut the door behind him when he stepped onto the porch. We stayed where we were. At least he knew who was at his door.

I knew it had been ten years since I saw my old man, but seeing the lines on his face and gray in his hair made the time seem longer. I wondered if how much we aged was as much of a shock to him as his aging was to me.

“What do you two want?”

Brody put his hand on my shoulder and spoke for us. “To talk. I’m not asking to be a permanent part of your life if you don’t want me to be, but I do have questions I deserve answers to.”

My father turned to me. “What about you? You’ve got questions, too, I suppose.”

“Nope. I want nothing from you. I’m here to support Brody.”

“That’s all you ever wanted to do. Fuck everyone else.”

“If it were up to me, I’d tell you to eat shit and die, but the man I’m proud to call family wants to find out some answers. I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

“Well, I’m not answering it here today. I’m busy.”

Brody crossed his arms. “I’m not leaving until you do.”

He looked up when Brody spoke. Brody was a good foot taller than him and three times the mass. I didn’t expect our father to be so small. The only reason I filled out to the size I was was because I worked out as much as I did to keep up with Brody when we were younger. I probably would’ve been the size my father was had I not.

“You heard my granddaughter. I’m not going to let you in and terrorize her. Come back later or not at all, but you’re not getting in there now.” He turned and walked back inside, slamming the door. We both heard the deadbolt lock and looked at each other.

“Well, I think that went better than I anticipated.” Brody seemed pleased.

I narrowed my eyes. “How the fuck did that go well?”

“He told us to come back.”

We hit the last step off the porch and heard the door open again. We turned to Lila coming out. She looked exactly like our mom did. I knew Brody saw it, too, when he shrank a couple of inches. Her long dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and she matched me for height. I looked down to see if she was wearing high heels, but she had on sneakers.

Her frame matched more of our father’s since she wasn’t bulky with muscles like we were, but her stance and mannerisms were all Mom. Apparently, her sass was, too.

She leaned on the door after she stepped out and looked at us. “What, you’re only here for your dad? Your sister isn’t good enough for you?”

Brody looked to me and back to Lila. “You look like Mom.”

“Is that why you didn’t want to see me, or is it that you forgot I existed? I keep hearing you two talk about wanting to talk to our father, but I’m never brought up. Why not?” She looked at me.

She was right. I should’ve thought about her. “After Dad shut me out, I didn’t figure there was any point in contacting you.”

“I’m my own person, you know.”

Brody regained the few inches he lost when he saw her and stood up straighter while crossing his arms. “You always could’ve contacted us.”

“I tried, but I only had the phone number and address to Mom’s.” She looked away. “She isn’t there anymore.”

Brody hit the back of his hand against my chest a few times. “Give me a card.”

I shoved his hand off me. “Fucking chill out.”

Lila smiled. “Yep, just like I remember you two.”

I handed a card out of my wallet to Brody. He flipped it over and wrote his number on the back before giving it to Lila. “Just in case we don’t get this far tomorrow. I can’t stay past that.”

She took his hand and turned it over. “You’re married?” I slipped my hand into my pocket before she could look at mine.

“Last month. Maggie’s great. I’d love for you to meet her some time.”

She continued to hold his hand as she looked into his eyes. “I’d love to meet her.” She cupped his face with her other hand. “I’m so happy you’re healthy now.”

She put her arms up as he bent down to hug her. I walked to the driveway and made it halfway before they noticed I was gone. I was glad he was reconnecting with family, but he didn’t need me anymore. Lila could help him with Dad.