Page 54 of Frosty Felicity
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Sweet Snowflakes
Dad pinched off a piece of white bread and tossed it into the water. The ripples were slow and small, then spread out, like angel wings. There weren’t as many ducks out on this dreary spring day, but the weather, a nice sixty-eight degrees, proved to be perfect for a walk in the park, and a rest on a bench.
Felicity sat next to him on the long wooden seat, ripped off a bit of bread from the loaf he held, then tossed it into the water, too. A black duck with a vibrant orange beak finally showed up, bopping its head about, and gulped it down.
“So, I suppose you were right,” he said sadly as he tossed another small bread chunk into the water. “I guess your dad is just an old fool, Felicity.” He laughed mirthlessly.
“You’re not an old fool, Dad, and I actually wasn’t right.” She sighed, then crossed her arms as she looked at the lake. Placid. Peaceful. “China did love you. I believe that now, but once her family and friends got involved, it got to her. They remarked about the age difference, and felt you weren’t financially well off enough to support her and her lifestyle. She caved to the pressure.”
“Well, maybe I wasn’t.” He sounded so sad as he angrily tossed more food at the ducks. “After all, I had to borrow money from my own daughter. I’ll pay you back.”
“I don’t need you to pay me back, Dad. I just want you to be happy, and to make good choices so your poor heart isn’t broken so easily in the future. I love you.” He nodded sadly, then turned away. “You said she packed and was crying the entire time. That doesn’t sound like someone who is happy about leaving and moving on. I spoke to her just a month ago, and that lunch did us good. Though she still wasn’t my cup of tea, I got to see past the superficial stuff and I realized she really did care for you, Dad. I was wrong… but, I still stand by what I said about how she spent the money. She wiped you out. It wasn’t right. It’s done now, though.” She shrugged.
“You know, I haven’t had much experience with relationships, Felicity. I was only with one other woman before your mother, and that was like in seventh grade.” He grimaced. “Doesn’t really count. Your mother and I met when I was in the tenth grade, she in the ninth, and we were inseparable. We didn’t find out until we’d married and had children that we actually didn’t like each other very much anymore.” He laughed dismally. “Well, we liked each other… I take that back. We just, uh… we changed. As we were supposed to. We were young. People grow.”
He fidgeted with the bread in his hand. “I still love your mother, and I’m glad she’s been happily married to Ian for a number of years.”
“They fight like cats and dogs.” She snickered.
“I know, but that’s how you know that your mother cares. If she’s not arguing or fighting with you, she’s given up. That’s what happened to us. She just shut down. Stopped speaking.” He shrugged. “Not to change the topic, but I wanted to let you know that I like Brett.” He turned towards her, his smile wide and genuine.
“I like him, too.”
“Well, I should hope so. You two are getting married.”
She chuckled at that.
“I told him I wanted a yearlong engagement before we plan the wedding. He agreed to it, but made me at least pick a date. I did, and I feel good about it. Dad, he’s such a good man, and we have a great time together. I couldn’t have picked a better guy for me if I had been given an order form from God, and told to write down what I wanted in a man.”
“I’m glad to hear that, because I told Brett he better treat my baby right!”
Dad patted her hand and she smiled at him, cherishing this moment together.
“You know what?”
“What?”
“I missed spending time like this with you, Dad. I didn’t want you all to myself, please don’t misunderstand me, I was willing to share you, but I wanted some of your time. It seemed, or at least felt like you’d forgotten about me, Fred, and Faith. You and I used to have the best conversations. I’m glad we’re having that again.”
“I never forgot about you!” His eyes teared up as if he were surprised by such an announcement. “I will say this: it was all new to me. I must’ve gotten carried away. I really loved China, but Felicity, I never intended to make you feel as if my children no longer mattered to me. You all mean the world to me. I’m sorry if I made you feel that way… If I ever meet someone else, I promise to not let that happen. Just tell me, okay?”
She nodded.
“Your mother used to say I was thick-headed and oblivious. I knew numbers and equations like the back of my hand, but couldn’t pick up on how people perceived me, even my own wife. Maybe she was right.” He sighed. “Instead of yelling at me, or being sarcastic, honey, just pull me aside and say, ‘Dad, I miss you. I want more time with you.’ I didn’t know.” He tossed up his hands. “You were just so cutting with words, and the unkind one-liners, I didn’t realize that was a cry for help. In retrospect, it makes sense. I swear to you it wasn’t on purpose, but what I will not do is sit here and tell you your feelings weren’t valid, or that I did nothing wrong. Obviously, I did. I won’t let that happen again. I promise.”
Felicity wrapped her arm around her father’s and squeezed.
When she looked back out at the water, there was only one duck, all by its lonesome. She imagined that’s how dad felt. Alone, on a peaceful, yet gloomy day. China abruptly left. She took off her engagement ring and gave it back to him. Her father suspected she had someone else, but she wasn’t so convinced of that.
Sometimes, people just get scared. Sometimes people realize that they’re not with the right person, and they have to leave, no matter how hard it hurts. Sometimes, they allow the past to dictate their future. Sometimes, they grow and change. Sometimes, they meet someone who makes them hot all over. Not just with sensuality, but with a new beginning, and the promise of the possibility of being able to trust again. Sometimes, people have to live, in order to learn…
…Three Years Later
“Oh my God!Brett! I saw Jesus and the three wise men! I went back in time, and then back to the future!” Felicity called out, breathing hard and heavy as she entered the house with their Great Dane, Hercules, then flicked the frost off her shoulders. She slammed the front door and locked it, shivering and in need of warmth. STAT. The big goofball was jumping around now, then flopped down on the floor to try and get the bits of snow wedged in the pads of his feet out.
“What happened?” Brett hollered from the kitchen.
