Better Than Nothing: Part 3 of On the Edge Series

Chapter 26

The tension was thick from the second Billy arrived with the kids for dinner. Billy and Viv were both on edge because of Viv's impending leap into dating. Billy and I were awkward at how to interact around his kids. It made the meal quiet and littered with cumbersome starts and stops. We were all relieved when Mary popped up and cleared the table.

"Okay," Billy sighed to Viv, "you sure you don't want to just hang out with us tonight?"

"Dad!" Viv chided. "You promised you'd be cool too," she reminded.

"And I reminded you I'm always cool," he shot back. "I'll get you that pony," he added in a lower voice.

Viv's only response was a glare.

"Okay, no pony." He threw his hands up in defeat. "Have I ever been uncool?" He argued.

"Yes! Okay, since you asked..." Viv began, "no stories that you think are adorable, but are actually cringy; no 'when I was young stories'; no jokes; and do not call me Little Ghost."

"Don't call you Little Ghost?" There was a hint of hurt in his voice that made me wince for him.

"Not in front of Chris!" Viv exclaimed.

"Fine, why don't I stay mute the whole time? I'm nothing more than the hired help," Billy lamented.

"That'd be amazing," Viv eagerly agreed.

"Ouch, Viv. I was kidding. I'm your dad, not hired help."

But Viv didn't notice the hurt tone of Billy's voice; her mind was whirling through her anxiety about the date. Billy's eyes caught mine for a moment, and all I could do was give him a sympathetic shrug.

"Billy, I was hoping Lily and I could put up the last holiday decorations tomorrow. Do you mind showing her where the lasts of the boxes are?" Mary absently asked as she packed away the leftovers, but I knew what she was doing. She was building an alibi for Billy and me to have a moment.

"Yeah," Billy said, still dejected from Viv. His mind was in complete turmoil at the possibility that he may not be the only man in his daughter's life for much longer.

I followed him in silence down to the basement and to a back corner. Billy began to knock around the boxes, looking for one that was not empty.

"I think she may have lost it; she has all the decorations up already."

"Billy, she knows they're all up." I gently spoke as I let a hand fall to his arm. His eyes first fell on my touch and then lifted to my eyes. "How are you doing?"

He sighed as he turned and let his hands fall to my hips. "I know I want her to grow up and have all these experiences, but I also really don't want her to grow up and have all these experiences."

"I know." I lifted to my toes so I could wrap my arms around his neck as he let out another big sigh while melting into me. "It'll be fine," I promised.

"She's embarrassed by me. She doesn't want me to talk at all. She doesn't even want me around."

Billy's words sunk into me as I recalled similar moments from my youth. When I was a kid, I didn't think of what it felt like when I pulled away from my parents' comfort and flexed my independence, but I was confident that my dad had this exact moment himself.

"As someone that loved their dad as much as Viv loves you, I can tell you that there'll be no one she loves more than you."

"No one?" Billy pulled away and inspected my face.

"Sorry, Hun. You're a close second, but you'll forever be second to my dad."

He pulled me back into a tight hug. "I've never been happier to hear that you love another man more than me."