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All Grown Up

Author: Ali Parker
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56

Evie

I couldn’t shake the heavy feeling on my heart and mind. I missed Xander. Each day he stayed away served as confirmation our relationship was not what I thought it was.

He had his own life. He was making plans and moving on. His plans did not include me. I did believe he felt something for me, but it wasn’t enough to bring him back to me.

“You look like you haven’t been sleeping,” my father said.

I looked across the table and offered a small and what I hoped was a reassuring smile. “I’ve been working a lot.”

“I don’t think that’s the reason for your lack of sleep. If anything, you would sleep like a baby after a long day at work.”

“I have a lot on my mind,” I said with a sigh.

He sipped his tea. I could never understand how he could drink hot tea on a hot day. “Do you want to tell me what happened? You’ve been so busy—or maybe you’ve been avoiding me—you never told me if you found Xander.”

“I found him,” I said. My mind flashed back to the moment I found him at the funeral. Then
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    Xander“No, I don’t suppose it was. You did it for yourself. You made something of yourself. I’ve kept my head in the sand, trying to ignore what you’ve been doing. I did a little research. You have changed the world, just like you said you were going to. You really did something remarkable. Your mother used to show me newspaper clippings with your name. I know I didn’t say it, but I’m proud of you. I’ve always been proud of you.”I put the bottle of beer down. I could not continue to drink it if he was going to send me into coughing fits every time he dropped one of his little bombshells. “You are?”“I am. I should have told you before. You are my son. I’ve said some pretty shitty things. I don’t know how to make them go away but I was hoping we could try and start over.”I felt like I was being pranked. Maybe I was dreaming. In thirty-two years, my father had never believed I was worthy of his last name. “You want to start over? I’m sorry, Dad. This is all coming out of left field.

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