Chapter 12
Lucas had dinner waiting by the time I arrived. Though we had finished work at about the same time, I’d made the excuse that I had to go home and feed Optimus. And though the cat needed to be fed, it didn’t have to be right that moment. What I really wanted to do was call my dad.
As always, he listened with an attentive ear, never interrupting, and letting me ramble as much as I wanted to. He made all the right noises, letting me know that he was not only hearing me, but really listening. When I finally ran out of steam, and all my worries and insecurities were laid bare, my dad took a deep breath and let it out with a hum.
“The way I see it,” he said, his voice a deep rumble, “is you only have to answer one question. Do you love him?”
“Yes.” The word was out of my mouth bef
