I narrowed my eyes at him as I sighed.
Did he have that little faith in me?
“No, I was thinking more like an officer of the law.”
“Ooh, yes! I could just see you doing that.” Mom beamed. Dad stared into space vacantly behind me.
“Is that where your passion lies? It’s a vocation, Caleb; you can’t just decide one day you wanna be a cop,” he mumbled, sipping his drink.
I frowned puzzledly. I knew my Dad’s history was...colorful…but I didn’t think he would oppose me joining the force if I wanted to.
“He’s not exactly law-abiding at school,” Summer added, and I sent her a look.
“It’s not the law,Winter, so shut up.”
“Caleb! So a police officer? Anything else?” Mom pressed.
“Well, it’s that or an FBI agent. Start lower, I thought.”
Dad laughed then as he caught my Mom’s eye. “So we have budding Officer Fallon over here. What about my angel?”
“Well, I’m looking into event management. Ideally, I’d love to be a wedding planner.”
Mom gushed, and I lost interest, getting up to clear the plates. I noticed Dad observing me as he got up to follow me into the kitchen.
“So. The po-po.”
His voice still had that New York twang, despite having not been back in over a decade. Whenever he spoke to my uncle Drake on the phone, he changed completely, his accent heavier than I’d ever heard it.
“It’s just an idea.” I shrugged as I stacked the dishwasher, wondering if I could convince Jade to see me tonight. She was studying, but Ineededto see her.
Priorities and all that.
“It’s a damn fine idea.”
“Officer Fallon. Put ’em up!” I joked as he pretended to be wounded.
“Or if it’s a hot girl, pull ’em down, hmm?”
We cackled like kids when Mom walked in, looking at us in bemusement. “It scares me how alike you are.’
She pulled a bottle of chilled white wine from the fridge, and Dad slid two glasses towards her wordlessly.
“What did you want to be, Dad?’
“Your mother’s husband,” he said as Mom turned to him, her eyes shining with love.
“Aw, Cal...”
“You know I didn’t mean that I mean work-wise,” I groaned as they kissed.
Dad fixed me with his green eyes, raising his eyebrows. “Considering I fucking hated school, I never wanted to study. I did odd jobs. You know all that shit. I went with your Mom to New York...”
“People say you’re a gangster,” I smirked as he blinked, a strange smile on his face.
“Do they now? Hopefully, my reputation still holds me in favor with the locals. I’d hate to disappoint.”
“Were you?” I said, feeling brave. I wasn’t stupid. As I’d grown up, I noticed the weapons my Dad had that other houses didn’t—the locks on the windows and the insistence of us always being together and never alone stood out in my mind.
