494 Memories of Dad (1/2)

We took some more time to watch the waves come in and crash into the shore before finally going back. Coming home the house was empty, even missing Mrs. Atkins.

”Maybe you can find Noah and Zeke at the park?” Mr. Atkins told me as I looked a little lost on what to do.

I shook my head. ”No, I rather not.” I paused. ”Do you think you can get Jeremy's phone number?”

Mr. Atkins face softened. ”Yea. I can do that.” He went into his office, made a call to Mr. Duncan and then came back out. We sat at the kitchen table, just the two of us, and his phone. ”I'll be right here. Just be upfront with what you want to talk about, okay?”

I nodded.

Mr. Atkins dialed the number he was given and put the phone on speaker.

”Hello?” He answered.

”Hello, Jeremy. This is Wayne Atkins.” He told him. ”I got your number from Doug, I hope you don't mind.”

After a pause, he spoke up. ”No, no, not at all. It's fine. It's good to hear from you so soon. Is Jake...? Does Jake..?” He couldn't form a question, making him sound just as lost as I felt.

”Jake is right here. You're on speaker.” Mr. Atkins told him in a light tone. ”He just had some questions for you so I thought we'd give a call since we know you have today off.”

”No, I mean yes. That's fine.” He paused again. ”Jake?”

”Do you think Dad loved me?” I blurted out.

”Yes.” He answered without hesitation, surprising me.

I looked up at Mr. Atkins and he just nodded at me, encouraging me to go on.

”How can you be so sure?” Knowing him, shouldn't he have said otherwise? How could he easily say that our dad loved me?

”Because Dad loved you before you were born.” He sighed over the line. ”When that woman was pregnant, they fought all the time and she had said...that you weren't his. I didn't understand what that meant until I got older. But looking back, Dad wasn't bothered by those words. He tried to coax that woman all the time during her pregnancy. And then when you were brought home, he always had his eyes on you.” Jeremy cleared his throat. ”I used to be jealous of you. Dad would constantly be holding you every time he was home. Sometimes he would even throw me a ball with one hand, even while holding you in the other.”

My vision blurred as my eyes got watery.

”As we got older, I understood more and more that the woman in that house wasn't like a normal mom at all. She said hurtful words to anyone and everyone. To Dad. And then to us when he was away. After he passed away, Uncle Jack came around and he was like my saving grace. He pulled me away and we started a new life.”

”I don't want to hear about you.” I told him boldly. ”I only want to hear about Dad.”