Daddy’s Law by K.C. Crowne

Chapter 34

Theo

It was Cory’s idea to have a small Fourth of July get-together. He packaged it as an opportunity for me to finally meet Emilio’s parents, but I knew Cory just wanted an excuse to invite Emilio to our place. Given all the times Cory had stayed over at theirs, I figured it was about time.

Mr. and Mrs. Gomez —Markus and Leona— were good folks. He was a senior accountant at the Blue Cloud Shipping HQ downtown, while Leona was a full-time homemaker. They’d recently moved to Chicago from Texas due to his job. They were pleasant, easy to be around, and the fact that they brought a whole case of beer for us adults to split was an added bonus. I helped myself to a can.

I was on vacation, after all.

This was the most activity my backyard had seen in years. My old barbecue was getting a workout, cooking juicy burgers and hotdogs and vegetable skewers. The boys played in and around the treehouse I’d built for Cory years ago. It was a miracle it was in such good condition, but then again, I did build it to last.

“They grow up so fast, don’t they?” Leona mused. “Next thing you know, they’ll be ignoring you and going through their emo phases.”

“I sincerely hope not,” I replied.

Markus laughed. “We all hope not, but I’m pretty sure it’s a rite of passage.”

“Mijo,” Leona called out to Emilio. “Do you want mustard on your burger?”

“Yes!”

“What about you, Cory?”

“No but thank you!”

Leon smiled. “Ah, your boy is so well behaved.”

I smiled, pride filling my chest. “Thank you.”

And it was all so wonderful. Perfectly normal. Mundane, even, but in a good way. I couldn’t remember the last time I took a second to slow down. Appreciate the little things. I watched my son from afar. He looked just like I did when I was his age, but his demeanor, that was all Cassandra. And his interest in art…

That was all Ava.

I wondered what she was up to. Wondered if she thought about me as much as I did her. Try as I might, she was all I could think about some days. If life had dealt us a different hand, I wondered what I could have done differently.

She should be here, enjoying the holiday with us. I missed the sound of her bright, bubbly laugh. I missed her gorgeous smile. I missed how happy it made me to see her with Cory, loving and nurturing.

I’d said there wasn’t a future for us, but all I could do lately was think about a future with her in it. Some way, somehow. I allowed myself the luxury of picturing Ava by my side. Waking up to her sleepy face. Eating the breakfast she prepared and cooking dinner for her later that same day.

I imagined clearing out the basement and turning it into an art studio for her and Cory to use. I could tear up the floors, install sturdy shelves so they could store their supplies, put in a new set of lights so they could see every stroke of their brushes and lines of their pencils.

I could take them both to Disneyland. Make some new memories there. Not to replace the ones I had, but to honor them. Cassandra would want nothing more than to see Cory happy like he was that day.

Why are you pushing me away, Theo?

Her words played on repeat in my mind.

I realized now that I had pushed her away because I was scared. Scared that what we had was too good to be true. That she would realize she didn’t want an old man who wouldn’t give her kids of her own. I was afraid of how unbelievably complete she made me feel and the guilt that came with it. When things first started between us, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to move on. Now I knew I was and it was too late.

Ava was gone, hidden behind walls that I put her behind. To protect her.

To protect me.

“Dad!” Cory called.

I looked up from the burger I was working on. It was burnt to a crisp under my negligent eye. “Yeah, buddy?”

“Can we light fireworks now?”

I checked my watch. I could hear distant neighbors setting off their own mini-light shows, so I figured we may as well. “Sure, let me grab them from the garage. We’ll light them in the driveway.”

Cory and Emilio cheered, rushing out ahead of the adults. I retrieved the box of fireworks from the highest shelf in the garage and joined them out front. I didn’t buy anything particularly wild, just a couple of sparklers, a few fountains, and a handful of rockets. I told the boys to sit on the porch a safe distance away before I lit any of them.

Colors filled the darkening sky, sparks glittering as they arced down on the gentle breeze. The satisfying pops and crackles and fizzing sounds were loud above our heads, our collective oohs and ahhs muffled by the fireworks. It was so loud and beautiful that I almost didn’t realize that my phone had been going off for the better part of a minute. I only answered when I detected the faintest vibration from its buzzer in my back pocket.

It was Jesse.

“Hello?” I said, straining to hear.

I couldn’t hear him. Our neighbors were out lighting their own fireworks, too, blasting pop music over their radios while cheering and laughing and partying like no tomorrow.

“—need you to come and—”

“Can you repeat that? I can’t—” I plugged my other ear in the hopes that I could concentrate on the sound of his voice. “Come again?”

“—Ava!” Jesse snapped. “For God’s sake! She went out for a walk and was attacked. Wilson’s in the hospital in serious condition. She’s been kidnapped!”

I could no longer hear over the rush of my blood past my ears. I could no longer see past my blinding rage.

Ava. Kidnapped.

Not on my fucking watch.

“Hold on one sec.” I turned to Emilio’s father. “Can you watch the boys? Something important came up at work.”

“Of course we can,” Leona said, sensing the gravity in my voice. “We’ll be here.”

I nodded, briskly turning to head back to the garage. I wasn’t going to take the truck. It was too big and heavy, meant more for cabin security and sturdiness. I needed something much faster, more flexible.

I dusted off my Ducati.

Now was as good a time as any to take her for a spin.