Sunflower || JJ Maybank/Cassandra Routledge

13. Unspoken Words Reveal The Truth

          "Hey, kiddo." Big John replies, barely acknowledging her presence. His voice is low, telling her he is focused on whatever he is working on, but Casey can hear the excitement in his tone. But, she doesn't know why the man seems to be over the moon at the moment. "What are you up to today? Going out with John B or the Pogues?"

          "I, uh," Casey stutters. She knows she should not be seeing her father right now. She knows this is not real. This can not be real. He disappeared months ago without leaving anything. Well, except for the tape but they have only just recently found it. But, whatever is telling her this is all in her head disappears when Big John turns around and she sees the smile on his face. "I, uh, don't know yet."

          "Well, either way, they are welcome here, you know that."  Big John tells her. John B and Casey may be his biological children, but he knows Pope, Kiara, and especially JJ, have trouble at home and he never wants them to feel like they can't crash at the Château. He may not be the best father, but if he can open his home to some wayward teens his children are friends with, maybe, just maybe, that can make up for his absence.

          "Uh, yeah." Casey stutters again. She doesn't know why she is being so cautious with her father, but something about this whole interaction is different. Almost familiar. She has never felt the need to be hesitant when she speaks to him, but right now it feels weird. "What are you, uh, what are you doing?"

          "Oh, nothing." The man replies. He takes a step to the left, and out of the way, for her to see an old boat motor sitting on the workbench in the middle of the shack. "Bird said the Pogue was running weird, so I figured I would take a look while he was gone."

          "Oh, yeah. That's what he was telling JJ yesterday before he and I..." The girl stops herself from continuing. Although she stops talking, she takes a step closer to the bench when she feels an overwhelming sense of déjá vu. She has had this conversation with her father before. Yes, the Pogue breaks down from time to time, but the motor malfunctioning after Big John has already looked at it isn't right. Her father knows what he's doing when it comes to fixing the boat and hell, JJ has also fixed it, so it should be running smoothly. Meaning the motor is fine, and the weird feelings she has is true. Something about this is wrong. Something about this whole day is wrong. "Wait..." She pauses again. Before she can find the right words to say, more so, words she has already said to Big John, a door in her mind opens and she realizes why this is so familiar. This is the same conversation she had with her father the morning he went missing. Before he and John B got into the huge fight. Before John B stormed off and hours later, the man standing in front of her disappeared forever.

          Big John watches Casey's face drop when the realization floods over her. At first, he doesn't say anything, waiting for her to continue, but when she doesn't, he takes it as his opportunity to speak. "You okay, Calla?" It's not hard to see the confusion plastered on her face, which is concerning, but it can't be anything too bad since they were simply talking about the motor.

          "Uh..." Casey stutters as she looks around the surf shack. She can't be here right now. No, this is impossible. If Pope were here, he would give her a lecture about how time travel is not possible and the long science explanation on how people have tried and failed. But he's not here. Which means she has to figure it out on her own. She has to figure out how she is speaking to her father hours before he goes missing. She clears her throat as she turns back around and tries to think of the right words to say. "Yeah, I, I'm okay. I'm just, like, I've had this conversation with you before."

          "You have?" He asks. He places a Phillips head screwdriver down on the workbench and Casey is quick to notice the way her father is not immediately confused, especially when a smile starts to form on his face. He knows something. Something she doesn't. "Well, if we have had this conversation before, then tell me, do I get this damn motor fixed or not?" He jokes, not taking her seriously in even the slightest bit.