“Hi, Dad,” I said in a whisper, instantly regretting the little bit of courage I had to call.
“Tate? Princess, is that really you?” I wanted to make some mean comment like who else could it be, his other daughter?But then thought better of it because maybe there was another daughter.
“You need to pay Mom. There’s no food. She’s working all the time. I never see her. You left us. Give her the money she keeps begging you for.”
“Honey, how are you? I’ve missed you. You haven’t answered my calls until now,” he said excitedly into the phone.
“You could have visited. I know Mom gave you the new address.”
“I live very far away now, honey.”
“Then you don’t miss me. Because if you did, you would visit. You would send the money Mom keeps asking for so I can eat something other than peanut butter and freaking jelly sandwiches!” I stomped, so angry with my dad for leaving us.
“I didn’t realize it was so bad. Do you want to come live with me?”
“No! I wanted you to love me and my mom, but you couldn’t. And then you took Dustin! You took everything from us! Just give Mom money.”
“You really just called after four years of silence for money, Tatum? Your mother and I raised you better than that,” he scolded.
“You haven’t been around to raise me, Dad. You left me. You never gave me the bike you promised. You never called to apologize. You disappeared like a ghost!” I screamed.
Silence. Absolute silence. I heard a woman’s voice in the background and wondered if that was his new wife. Because, for some reason, my mom wasn’t good enough.
“I’ll send the money. Will you call me again?” I think about the father-daughter dance I can’t go to this weekend, and a tear rolls down my cheek as I shake my head before realizing he can’t see me.
“There’s a father-daughter dance this weekend, and everygirl in school made fun of me. So, no, Dad. I will not call again.” I hung up and then sat down on the raggedy couch and cried while some stupid cartoon played on the tv.
The next day,Mom screamed when she got a notification about a deposit of money into her account. We went straight to the grocery store and bought all our favorite things. We made ice cream sundaes when we got home, something we hadn’t done in months, and for the first time in a while, I saw Mom smile.
Griffin had called the landline ten times, and Mom said it was rude not to answer, but I was still mad at him for ditching me. But if he hadn’t, I would never have called my dad, and my mom wouldn’t be this happy. So, when the phone rang the eleventh time, I answered.
“Fin,” I answered sternly.
“Tate,” he said back in the same tone.
“Call your boys.”
“Need you to come over. Wear something pretty.” He hung up, leaving me suspicious. I told Mom the news, but she was already grinning like she knew what he had up his sleeve. She helped me get ready, doing my hair and a little bit of mascara and lip gloss. I wondered where I would be going with the Silvers. Usually, all our plans were made well in advance.
Mom drove us to Griffin’s house. It was weird going to his house and looking over at what had been my home now filled with strangers who let the flowers die in the front and didn’t clean up their toys in the front yard.
“I miss living here,” I told Mom as we pulled into the Silver’s driveway.
“Me too, honey,” she answered, staring at the house wistfully.
Griffin was at the front door running down the steps to me in a little black tuxedo, his usually untamed hair gelled down, his gray eyes wild with excitement.What on earth was going on?
“I have a surprise for you, Tate!” he screamed as I opened the car door and stepped out unevenly in the heels Mom insisted I wear. Griffin, who usually towered over me, wasn’t so tall now. It was like we were kids again, both looking into each other’s eyes and not me looking up into his.I liked this.
He grabbed my hand and took off running through the front door of his house, through to the backyard. I struggled to keep up in the ridiculous shoes and giggled until my eyes landed on the elaborate scene in his backyard. There were decorations hanging everywhere, and music was playing. Mrs. Silver was standing in front of a table with drinks and snacks, grinning ear to ear, and there was a dance floor over the pool.
“Griff, what is this?” I asked, blinking back tears.
“You couldn’t go to the dance, so I brought it to you. Hunter and Graham helped me, which is why I couldn’t hang out with you. I’m sorry I ditched you, but it was with good intent.” He grinned, and my little heart exploded with love for this boy.
“Fin, you did this for me?” I asked, taking everything in as the sun set and lights turned on all around us.
“You’re my best friend, Tate. I’d do anything for you.”
