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Is This Goodbye?
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
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My Father's Best Friend A Miracle
Andrew“Black coffee,” I told the barista behind the hospital’s coffee bar.“Make that two,” a familiar voice chimed in from right behind me.Turning around, I found Bob. Before I could fully register his sudden appearance, he clapped me on the shoulder. “I know you’re probably thinking I should have called.”“I—”“But I did.”My shoulders slumped as my stomach fell. “Yeah. I haven’t been a very good friend, have I?”“You don’t need to be right now.” Bob dropped a bill on the counter and took both of our coffees. “A coffee kiosk in the hospital. Swanky,” he said as he walked over to some seats at the edge of the main waiting room.I followed, accepting my coffee cup and taking a seat next to him. “I haven’t known how to, ah, talk to anyone lately.”“Andrew. It’s fine.” He took a careful sip of his coffee and watched me over the lid. I cringed. Was he here to lecture me about breaking up with Lanie?Well, he could save his breath, because I’d already given myself enough grief about tha
My Father's Best Friend What Did She Say?
Andrew“Raven,” I gasped, crouched at her bedside. I rested my hand lightly on hers. “Raven, can you hear me?”She clenched her closed eyes tighter and groaned. My heart fluttered wildly as I pressed the button to call for the nurse.“She talked!” I nearly yelled the second the nurse appeared.The woman’s eyes went wide. “She did?”“Yes! I was reading to her, and she said it was boring!”The nurse came to Raven’s bedside. “Honey, can you hear me?”Raven’s eyes slowly fluttered open. Her eyebrows pinched together, and she blinked as she stared at the nurse. “Yeah,” she slowly said.Her voice was gravelly and uncertain, but it was hers. Raven was awake.“I’ll get Doctor Matthews,” the nurse said.I could only nod. Tears filled my eyes, and I pressed my fist against my mouth.Raven turned her face to me as the nurse left the room. “Dad.”“Yeah.” I bent next to her bed. “It’s me. How are you feeling?”“Crappy.”I laughed, and it almost turned into a sob, but I swallowed that down. I neede
My Father's Best Friend It's All Good
LanieI rubbed my eyes, realizing I’d read the entire staff email Principal Stafford had sent out and not understood a single word.“Okay,” I exhaled, leaning in closer to my computer screen. “Focus.”And yet I couldn’t. Again, the words on the screen turned into mush. It was like I’d forgotten all the English I’d ever learned.Dropping back into my chair in frustration, I looked around my office. For a while there, the place had begun to feel familiar. Now it didn’t. Now I felt like a stranger in my own life.Wherever I went, I felt out of place. School. My home. My car.On Monday, I must have spent a good two hours staring at the painting in my living room that Andrew had bought me, overwhelmed by competing urges to burn the thing or throw myself onto it, sobbing. In the end, I simply consumed half a bottle of wine and fell asleep on the couch.I’d been avoiding my parents’ calls, and I faked being sick on Sunday night to get out of yoga and drinks with Erica. Usually, after a break
My Father's Best Friend Everyone But Me
LanieJason shrugged a shoulder. “Maybe.”“It’s a long break.”“Exactly. And Raven’s gonna be in the hospital for all of it. I need to go and visit her.”The sentiment flowed from his words, and I couldn’t help but smile. Despite my initial impression of him, Jason was a really good kid. His sweetness couldn’t be ignored.“Raven’s lucky to have you, Jason. I mean that.”Smiling sheepishly, Jason ducked his head. “Thanks, Miss Jacobs.”We sat in silence for a few breaths before he looked back up. “This is helping. I might go on that snowboarding trip. I just don’t want to make Raven jealous.”“I think she’ll understand.”“Yeah. Maybe.” His grin broadened, and a faraway look entered his eyes as he gazed at the window behind me.“I think you’re going to do fine, Jason. You’re feeling pretty upbeat now, huh?”“Yeah, why wouldn’t I? Raven’s finally awake. I got to talk to her on the phone for a minute, and she said she doesn’t blame me. I know I have to make all this up to her, yeah, but s
My Father's Best Friend No Thanks to You
AndrewI paused a few feet outside of Raven’s new hospital room, two hot chocolates in hand.“I felt bad going without you, babe,” Jason said from inside the room.Hearing someone call my daughter “babe,” a kid at that, made me both want to cringe and laugh.“Seriously,” Raven replied. “It’s fine. Let me see that picture of Josh and you again. Oh my god. He’s ridiculous,” She laughed.I smirked to myself. Every time I heard Raven laugh, I was reminded of how lucky I was to have her by my side.I would never slip on the gratitude again.Deciding I’d probably done enough eavesdropping for one day, I entered the room. “Knock, knock.”Raven briefly glanced up from where she held Jason’s phone in her good arm. Her leg and arm were still in casts, as was Jason’s arm.Jason straightened up as I approached. I got the sense he was still a little wary around me, which was fine. Keeping him on his toes was a good idea.“You went snowboarding with your arm like that, huh?” I handed him his hot ch
My Father's Best Friend We Were a Family
AndrewRaven’s tone wasn’t cutting, just sad. I opened my eyes and looked at her. The disappointed expression she wore made my heart feel like it was breaking in two.“So why isn’t she here?” she asked sadly. “Does she not want to come?”“Of course, she wants to come, I told you.” I paused. “You really want to see her?”“Yes, I want to see her. She’s, like, I don’t know.” Raven’s gaze dropped to the floor. “My closest friend. I know she’s too old to be my real friend, but whatever. She gets me.”Guilt hit me hard and heavy. I was going to have to tell Raven the truth, whether I wanted to or not.“Lanie and I broke up.”Raven’s jaw dropped, and her eyes widened. “What? Why?”“Because of what’s happened. Raven.” I rested my forearms on my legs and leaned into them. “I haven’t been giving you enough time and attention. A relationship between adults, it’s a lot of work. Having a girlfriend was starting to distract me from caring for you.”“What caring are you talking about? I was just lyi
My Father's Best Friend Unwrapped Presents
Lanie“Ring it, Lanie,” Mom encouraged me.Reaching forward, I rang the doorbell of the house half a block away from my parents’. The rest of the caroling group—mostly friends and neighbors of my mom’s, and none of them under fifty—bustled in excitement.Footsteps sounded on the other side of the door, and then it opened, a white-haired man looking at us all in surprise.“One, two,” Mom called out, and all six of us burst into a rendition of Jingle Bells. I mumbled along, hunching down in my jacket and wishing this was all over.I just wanted to go back to my apartment, back to the bathrobe I’d lived in since school got out, and back to all the depression I’d been allowing myself to wallow in.“Sing,” Mom hissed between her teeth, knocking her shoulder against mine.I forced a smile and picked up the tune. The white-haired man was nodding and smiling, enjoying the show enough for the whole neighborhood.“See?” Mom said to me after we wrapped up our three songs and were carefully stepp
My Father's Best Friend Blue Christmas
Lanie“I don’t think it will be okay, Erica. Not this time. Andrew was different.”“I know what you’re saying. He was special. But, hey, if the guy who made you feel the way he did isn’t for you, then just think about what it’ll be like when you do meet the right guy.”“Yeah.” I rubbed my forehead, not in the mood for a pep talk. I was still mourning the relationship. Taking on a chipper attitude was a long way off.A knock on the door made me jump. “Lanie?” Mom called. “Are you in there? Dinner is ready.”“Just a minute,” I answered. I waited until her footsteps receded to address Erica again. “It’s dinner time. I should go.”“Come over here after. We have enough whiskey to get us through the apocalypse.”“Thanks, but I told my mom I’d stay here tonight.”“Okay. Tomorrow?”“Yeah. Um, maybe.”Erica pursed her lips and gave me a knowing look. “Lanie. Don’t stay holed up for too long.”“Okay,” I agreed, not sure I could stay true to my word.Saying goodbye, we hung up, and I joined my p
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My Father's Best Friend Nine Months Later
Andrew“How are you doing?” I rubbed Lanie’s shoulder, feeling silly for asking the question.She huffed out a breath, looking out the window instead of at me.I nodded. Right, then.What was it I learned in that maternity class we took? For the life of me, I couldn’t remember one thing. My pulse was racing a million miles an hour, and all my nerves were bunching up in my stomach.Lanie exhaled again, long and low, as she had another contraction.The door opened, and the doctor strode into the room with a big smile. “Let’s check you out,” she said.Lanie just pressed her lips tight together and nodded, her face growing red.“You’re doing great, honey,” I told her.She smiled up at me, but I could see the exhaustion in her eyes. She was ready for this to be over with.Taking her hand, I held it tight as the doctor checked her dilation.“Ten centimeters,” she announced. “We’re ready to push.”“Thank god,” Lanie gasped. She gritted her teeth and squeezed my hand so tight, I thought it wa
My Father's Best Friend The Honeymoon
LanieI whisked the curtains open, taking in the white beach and the sparkling blue water. Palm trees and other foliage covered the far side of the bay. A few people surfed, but other than that, the area was empty.“Oh my god,” I breathed. “It’s beautiful.”Andrew’s strong arms wrapped around me from behind. “Yeah?” he murmured, laying a kiss on the side of my neck.We’d gotten to the resort after dark the night before, and all I’d really gotten to see were the patios and the lobby. I’d pored over the brochure, though, listing all the things I wanted to do.“I can’t believe we’re here for a whole week.” I rested my arms against Andrew’s.“What do you want to do today?”“Mm.” I leaned against him, thinking about it some. “Sunbathe? Take a surfing lesson? I dunno. What do you want to do?”“Spend time with you.”I spun around to face him. “I like that answer.”A knock on the door made me look over his shoulder. “It’s so early. Who is that?”Andrew shrugged but couldn’t hide the knowing l
My Father's Best Friend Mine Forever
AndrewThe door of the old house opened, and Erica came out first. She smiled at everyone over her bouquet, and a low whistle came from somewhere in the crowd.“Inappropriate,” Saxton dramatically gasped under his breath. For a moment, my nerves loosened, and I almost laughed—but Raven was coming out the door then.She wore a blue dress like Erica, just cut in a different way, with the skirt longer and no sleeves. Smiling wide, she made her way down the aisle. She walked with the slightest limp, one that might have been unnoticeable if you weren’t paying attention. It was the one leftover symptom from the car wreck, something that would likely be with her for the rest of her life, as she’d broken her leg so badly.The limp didn’t get her down, though. Overall, she’d been positive about the whole thing. Now, as she reached the end of the aisle, she looked my way and absolutely glowed.Love and pride filled my heart. Our relationship had gone through some tough times, but the last six m
My Father's Best Friend It's Really Happening
Andrew3 Months Later – The Wedding“Your tie looks fine,” Bob told me.“Huh?” I dragged my gaze away from the line of trees ringing the field. “What’s that?”“You were messing with your tie again.” Bob grinned. “You ever wore one of those before?”I frowned. “Almost every day.”Bob clapped me on the back. “I was kidding, Andrew. Relax.”I took in a long breath. “Sorry.”All around us, wedding guests chatted and catering staff hurried to and from. The day was amazing, a balmy June morning. The venue Raven and Lanie had discovered couldn’t be more perfect. What was once a mansion on the outskirts of the city had been turned into a preserve complete with hiking trails and a covered area for events.“Were you this nervous?” I asked, looking Bob over.I expected him to answer in the negative—Bob was just that confident about everything. I’d only asked because I needed to keep myself busy somehow. If I didn’t spend the last fifteen minutes before my wedding talking, I’d probably die of anx
My Father's Best Friend I Want to Feel You
LanieLast night, he’d pulled out every time and played it safe. I knew we were taking baby steps. Going from using a condom every time to suddenly doing away with them was a leap. But I was on birth control, which I’d told him, and immediate pregnancy was extremely unlikely. I just wanted to know what it felt like to have his come fill me up.“Please baby,” I moaned. “I want to feel you.”Andrew groaned above me, and his hands tightened on my ass. I was doing him over with this talk, and I knew it. He loved it. And he probably wanted the same thing I did. So I encouraged him again by looking over my shoulder and looking him in the eye as he fucked me.“Andrew,” I purred. “Fuck me until you come inside me. Please.”And he did. He bucked wildly against me, and I came as he shot his warm silky load inside me. It was what I had needed. A closeness that we’d never experienced before. He was bent over me and kissing my spine and my shoulder blades as his orgasm ebbed away and my body thrum
My Father's Best Friend Not Messing Around
LanieI woke up in the morning with Andrew’s hand on my hip. I was lying on my side, and he was behind me. I could feel his cock pressed against the small of my back. His breath was on my neck, and his closeness turned me on immediately.I was always horny in the morning, and waking up next to him was intoxicating.It was early. The room wasn’t as bright as it would be at say, seven or so in the morning. It must have been earlier, maybe six, possibly just after five. But we were both awake, and I wanted to take advantage of it before I had to leave for work at eight thirty.My life had somehow mended itself. Erica’s weekend getaway had helped, and so had Andrew’s willingness to take a good hard look at himself in the mirror and figure out what he wanted and whether or not he was willing to do what it took to get it. He shifted against me and yawned deeply.“Morning,” I whispered.His hand moved around my hip to my belly, and he pulled me in closer to him. His cock shifted between my a
My Father's Best Friend With Whipped Cream
AndrewHow had it taken me so long to figure out that this was what I needed? I hadn’t felt this good in years, or maybe even a decade, to be honest. Hell, maybe longer. My career had consumed my life. I’d nearly let it destroy my relationship with my daughter. Had it not been for Lanie, my life would have already imploded. Not only did she rescue the crumbling relationship with the person I loved most in this world, but she also showed me support and kindness and softness.“You’re a lucky bastard.” I smiled to myself as I rolled out of my chair and made for the kitchen.I chopped up some strawberries and tossed them on a bed of whipped cream. I added a sprinkle of icing sugar and some chocolate drizzle and left it in the fridge so that the whipped cream wouldn’t melt by the time Lanie came back down.I waited, much too nervous to do anything but pace the kitchen floor for a whole thirty-five minutes before Lanie appeared in the kitchen doorway. She was wearing a smile that eased my n
My Father's Best Friend Lucky to Have Her
AndrewWhen I told Lanie that Raven was home, it took a lot of effort for us to cool down. We were all giggles and flirting as we went to the kitchen and each got a glass of water. Then we went out back to the patio and sat in the sun. Lanie kicked off her sandals, rested her feet in my lap, and let the sun kiss her bare legs. I ran my hands up and down them as she told me all about her weekend with Erica.“It really was beautiful there,” Lanie said. “We should go some time. You’d love the hot springs. I can only imagine how stunning it would be in the winter. And cold.”“I’ll take you whenever you want to go.”“I’ll tell you when I start to get the itch again.”“Good. What else is new? Tell me.”Lanie shrugged and sipped her water. “Besides getting totally pampered all weekend? Not much. I had some good chats with Erica, though, and I was able to sort through some things that were taking up too much space in my mind. Things about us.”“Oh?”“We need to be better at communicating,” sh
My Father's Best Friend Has He Lost His Mind?
Lanie“Lunch on the corner. I saw you guys walk by and had to come after you.” He ran his hand up my hip to rest it on my waist. “Lanie, I have to apologize. I’m sorry for all this shit the last few weeks. I’ve been an ass. I want to make this work. Really. I want to be with you.”I thought I might start crying. Again. But I held on to my emotions and smiled instead. “I want that too. So badly.”He kissed me again. My heart raced and tried to fly out of my chest.He broke away and threw his arm out to flag down a passing cab. We both piled into the back seat, and he told the driver his address. Then he pulled me into his lap, pushed my skirt up so he could rest his hands on my bare thighs, and crushed his mouth against mine.“What about your car?” I asked him and pressed against him tightly.“Fuck it. I’ll get it later.” He slipped his hands into my hair and pulled me down for another long round of kisses.I clung to him and didn’t care that there was someone in the car with us. He wa
