The Lucky Ones(41)

She started down the stairs, slowly at first and then faster, until she was practically skipping down to the bottom. When she reached the final step, Dr. Capello opened his arms and she stepped into his embrace. Once she was there, wrapped in his warmth, she forgot it had been thirteen years since she’d been taken from this house, thirteen years since she’d seen this man, thirteen years since she called this place home. She’d even forgot he wasn’t her father anymore, so when she found her voice to speak again, she said what she’d said a thousand times before.

“Hi, Dad.”





Chapter 14

As soon as Dr. Capello was in her arms, Allison regretted the force of her greeting. His shoulders were thin and bony, sharp as stainless-steel cutlery wrapped in a paper napkin. He smelled like a hospital, like Lysol and medicine. She started to ease up on her embrace, and he whispered, “Not yet, doll face. I’ve waited a long time for this.” So she clung to him, for his sake and hers, because she’d waited a long time for this, too.

“Missed you,” Allison whispered.

“Missed you more,” he said.

She pulled back from the embrace to look at him, at this man who should have been her father had the world worked out according to a child’s wishes and not adult rules and whims. He looked mostly the same as she remembered, except in negative. The hair Allison remembered as brown with streaks of gray was now gray with streaks of brown. His tan skin was now sallow and his brown beard now white as snow. Only the eyes were untouched by time. Bright brown eyes, full of mischief and full of joy, just like she remembered.

“It’s good to have you home again,” he said.

He patted her face and she grinned, happy as a child.

How she had loved this dear old man...how she had missed him. She’d missed his whiskers against her cheek. She’d missed the way he patted her back when he hugged her, rough and tender. She couldn’t recall a single instant when he’d lost his temper with them, or raised his voice in anger. When he did yell it was, “Be careful, kids! Watch each other!” as they ran from the house to the water. And they were careful because they loved him and never wanted to hurt him. Oh, Deacon talked with his mouth full. Roland forgot his homework. Thora made messes. Allison hated taking baths and would cry when anyone gave her a cross look. For all that, they’d been a happy family, if a bit mismatched and ragtag, and all thanks to this one lovely man who gave the best hugs in the world.

“Look at you,” he said, shaking his head and smiling. “You were a cute kid, but you’re a stunner now.”

“Stop it. You’re such a dad.”

“I swear, seeing you come down those stairs gave me an extra six months to live.”

“Then I’ll go back up and come down again,” she said.

“I wish that worked,” he said.

“Surprised?”

“You’re lucky I didn’t have a heart attack when my eldest told me you were here,” he said, shaking his head. “Never. I never dreamed... Hoped, yes, but never dreamed.”

“I dreamed,” she said. “But never hoped.”

He kissed her cheek again.

“How long are you staying?” he asked.

“I have to get on the road sometime today,” she said. “But no rush.”

He didn’t seem to like that answer but he didn’t argue with her about it, either.

“You been swimming yet?” he asked.

“Swimming? The water’s freezing.”

“Never used to stop you kids.”

“We swam in summer. Need I remind you today is the first day of October?”

“Hmm...how about wading, then?” he asked. “Will you go wading with me?”

“You got back from the hospital two seconds ago,” she said, looking over his shoulder at Roland, who’d come in from the kitchen. Roland stood in the kitchen door, quietly smiling at the two of them. It was the first time she’d seen him since last night. He wore the same clothes as yesterday except he’d changed from a yellow-and-black flannel shirt to red and black. There was so much she wanted to talk to him about but that all could wait. It would have to.

“Is he trying to talk you into letting him go skinny-dipping?” Roland asked.

“It’s on my bucket list,” Dr. Capello said.

“Either get a new bucket or get a new list,” Roland said.

“Do you really think we should go to the beach?” Allison asked him.

“I’m tired and I’m dying, but I’m not dead yet. And you better believe I’m going to spend as much time on the beach as I can before I go. With or without you, doll,” he said.

He said it all so casually, as if being tired were as much his issue as his dying.

“All right,” Allison said. “If Roland approves, we’ll go wading. But just wading. You keep your clothes on.”

“One of these nights when your backs are all turned...” he said as Roland helped him into a light jacket.

“I’d prefer it if we had as much time with you as possible,” Roland said. “If you don’t mind.”

“No,” he said. “I don’t mind. I’ll keep my clothes on. But only for you. And Allison. And anyone with eyes.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that,” Roland said. “Now you two go and have fun. Allison, don’t let him in past his knees.”