My Blossoming Redemption

FIFTY-FOUR

"Dad, you don't need to keep your religion away from me. I'll tell her, thank you," I say. He smiles at me and starts cutting his steak. "How is your flat?"

"It's okay, it's not the best... I've got a couple of months left on the lease. It was never a long-term thing, just so I could get my foot in the door here."

It pops into my mind like a bubble, and I take a bite from my burger before blurting it out. "Well... Summer says she doesn't need my flat anymore. The only thing I'll be doing with it is selling it. If you wanted to, if I run the idea by her, you could always have it if you want?" I mention.

"The flat?" he questions.

I nod. "Makes sense. It's there, with furniture for you to start with or keep. Two bedrooms, it's owned by me, so you won't have to worry about tenancy agreements or what have you."

He smiles before finishing his mouthful. "Well, check it over with Summer, but that would be welcomed. Thank you."

"No problem," I say.

For a minute or two, we both silently eat our meals.

"How is Nicholas?" he asks.

"He's good! We both had a bit of a... rough time with Summer's loss, you know? Brought back memories of me with Joel, in a way. It brought back things for him, in a way. His sister was three years younger than him, and she had cancer. She died when she was fifteen. I think it was close to us both in a way, you know. But we've pulled together," I say.

"Oh, that's... that's awful."

We both finish our plates, and he stacks them in the middle of the table.

It's funny how you busy yourself doing the most mundane things when you don't want to do something. I notice him stacking the plates, and moving napkins and the sauces around the table. He's got something to tell me, I know that much.

"I know you have something to tell me, Dad, what is it?" I ask quietly. I sip my drink carefully while he prepares himself.

"So... you know how your mother and I have separated?" he asks.

"Well, of course," I answer.

"The last time we saw each other, when I moved my things out of the house... we had... an argument, Aspen. I... you know how your mother is?"

He's struggling to come up with the right words for whatever this is, I can tell because of the way his dark eyebrows knit together above his glasses. His hands are now busy folding a napkin into a small triangle to distract himself.

"Dad, just tell me," I whisper.

"Okay... so Anglican rules can be very... strict, right? While personally, I believe in some of them, my values are a little... looser than your mothers," he stammers.

I smile a little. "I remember some stories you told me about life before church, yes."

He chuckles. "Well, I definitely don't mind alcohol, or... intercourse before marriage, clearly. I also... have nothing against other sexualities."

"I know all this," I say. "Luckily, you've broken free from that."

"Indeed, anyway... your mother and I have had some very strong words since you told us about your divorce before Joel passed away. I managed to express my opinions on well, not just that but everything. She expressed her opinions and we've never really been the same since. Anyhow... the last time I saw her, she... we had some more strong words. She finally... she finally admitted to me why she's been so strict all these years."