Hollis stepped through the front door to be greeted by the smell of dinner. Calling out, she dropped her bag on the floor and walked into the kitchen. The sight before her brought a smile to her face. Her dad stood by the stove, whistling off-tune to a song that played on the radio. Raising an eyebrow, she let out a soft laugh at what she was seeing. Her dad was too immersed in the moment to notice her.
"You cooked," Hollis stated, unable to hide her surprise.
Grant turned around, spoon in hand. A smile spread across his face upon seeing her. "I didn't hear you come in." Excess sauce dripped from the spoon and onto the floor but he didn't notice.
"Yeah, well, you were too busy whistling." She stepped further into the kitchen and gestured at the spoon. "And your dripping."
"Huh?" His eyes trailed to the spoon and the small puddle on the floor. "Oh, shoot." Grant placed the spoon on the counter and proceeded to wipe the floor. "Are you hungry?" He asked as he straightened out.
Before Hollis could answer, her stomach growled at the thought of food.
"I'll take that as a yes." Grant chuckled. "Sit." He piled on a plate of food and placed it on the counter.
Hollis sat down. She watched the steam waft into the air, bringing with it different scents. It all smelled and looked delicious.
"How was your first day?" He asked, sitting down across from her.
"It was good," she answered truthfully. It had gone better than she expected it to. "Dreading chemistry and math." Hollis wrinkled her nose at the thought of the two subjects. "But," she continued, "It was a good first day. And I stayed after with Lydia and Allison to watch lacrosse practice."
"How was practice?" Grant asked. "And who's Allison?"
"Surprising. Scott did really well, so we're all hoping he'll get first line this year." Hollis said in between bites. "And she's new. Allison Argent, I mean."
Grant stiffened, lowering the fork-full of food from his mouth. "Did you say Argent?" His expression paled some.
Hollis nodded. "Yeah, she just moved from San Francisco but apparently her family moves around a lot." She noticed the peculiar look on his face and tilted her head. "Why? Do you know them?"
"No, no. Of course not," he answered, recovering quickly. "So, tell me more about your day."
Hollis studied her dad for a moment but brushed off his reaction. She proceeded to tell him more about the lacrosse practice and the upcoming party, which she reluctantly agreed to go to with Carter. Dinner went by quickly as the two of them chatted about their day some more before they ate in a comfortable silence. The music continued to play through the speakers, which broke through the quiet in the room.
"When did you learn to cook? Last time I saw you, the only meals you ever prepared were takeout." Hollis asked as she collected her silverware and placed it on the empty plate in front of her.
He smiled at her remark. "It's something I picked up over the years," Grant explained. "I couldn't live off of takeout after I, you know," he said, waving his fork in the air.
The joyful mood vanished at the unfinished sentence that hung in the air. The topic of his leaving was one that didn't get brought up. Ever. When her dad returned after the accident, they had evaded the topic. Between the funerals and the grieving, there had been no right time to talk. As time passed, they were able to move to a new father/daughter relationship. It wasn't perfect but it was something. Hollis wanted to keep it that way but, deep down, she knew it was impossible for it to last.
Hollis averted his gaze. She didn't comment on his answer and, instead, pretended that she didn't hear it. When she couldn't bear the silence any longer, she stood up and gathered her dishes.
"I need to talk to you about something." Grant took her dishes and placed them into the sink with a clatter.
She nodded. "Ok, what?"
"I'm starting my new job on Monday," he stated, looking at her expectantly.
A confused expression crossed her face. "OK," she said apprehensively, unsure of what he wanted her to say or how he expected her to react. She was about to ask him to explain but a thought dawned on her and she raised her eyebrow. "Wait, here? In Beacon Hills?"
Grant nodded happily. "Yeah, it's at the community college in Beacon County. The one your mom taught at." He waited for her to reply but, when the silence seemed to swallow them whole, he continued. "I'm taking over your mom's class, actually. It would have been cut this year but I offered to take over. I think Addison would have wanted that. So, what do you think?"
"She would have loved that," she agreed, although she was still registering his words. "But what about Seattle?"
"What about it?" He asked.
"Well, your apartment and job are there. So..." She shrugged, letting him fill in the pieces.
"I quit that job when I came here and, the apartment's been on sale for weeks now."
"So, you're staying here? Like permanently?"
"Yeah, Hollis." He moved from around the counter, towards her. "Did you think I was going to leave?" he asked slowly.
She shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know," she said with a shake of her head. The topic, although it had crossed her mind some time ago, wasn't one that she dwelled on.
"I wouldn't just leave you here alone." A mixed look of surprise and hurt appeared on his face. He took a step closer to her but Hollis stepped back.
"No offence, but you've already done that. I mean, it's kind of your thing," Hollis stated as his words swam around in her head.
"Hollis..." he trailed off with a sigh. "That was different. When I left, I knew that you were going to be ok. Your mom was here to care for you but-"
"But now both my parents are dead," she said matter-of-factly. "So, what now? You're going to step up and take the role as my dad after six long years?" She questioned as anger fueled her. So they were going to have this conversation, she thought sourly. Shaking her head, she crossed her arms. All this rage that had been bottled up inside her seemed to rise to the top, making her a ticking time bomb. Hollis should have been happy to hear that her dad was here for her, that he wasn't going anywhere but she wasn't. Rather than happiness, she felt anger towards him. "You don't get to do that. You don't get to just leave and then come back as if nothing happened."
The hurt on his face increased, although he nodded. "I can't tell you how sorry I am, sweetheart."
"Sorry doesn't really make it okay, dad." She felt the bitter sting of tears and angrily wiped at her eyes. "Would you have even come back if mom and Mark hadn't died? Or would you still be gone for another six years or more?"
Grant opened his mouth and closed it.
"That's what I thought," Hollis said bitterly. "Do what you want." She took a few steps back. "But I was fine without you for those years, and I would be fine if you walked out the door again." She hated herself for causing him pain. Hollis knew he was trying to make amends and, deep down, she had started to forgive him but she couldn't bring herself to admit it. She lashed out on him instead, using all those years of pain and betrayal to hurt him back. Without another word, she grabbed her bag and ran up the stairs to her room.
"He's really back for good?" Lydia asked, pressing a dress to her body as she stared into the full-length mirror.
Hollis flipped through a magazine absentmindedly. "Yeah, that's pretty much what he said. I mean, he starts a new job on Monday." With a sigh, she closed the magazine. The words and pictures blended together and started to make her head hurt.
"I'm not sure if it's the color or the style that I hate more." She turned from the mirror and dropped the dress onto the bed beside Hollis. "So, what did you say?"
She shrugged, her eyes taking in the dress that lay next to her. "It's a pretty color. But I think it's too spring." She looked up at her friend who was holding another dress in front of her. "I kind of told him I didn't need him around."
Lydia turned to look at Hollis with that look on her face. It was the 'that was incredibly dumb of you' look.
She tilted her head to the side, closing her eyes. "I just...freaked out, ok? We avoided this for months and now he just...he just brings it up casually like 'hey, I got a new job and I'm going to be your dad again' and thinks that I'll be okay with it. Like I can't just ignore his absence for six years."
"I know he hurt you but he's still your dad," Lydia said, turning back to her reflection. "He came back for you."
"Seriously, Lyd?" Hollis sighed, shaking her head. "I thought you would be on my side with this."
"I am on your side." She turned around and sat down next to her. "My parents divorced, remember? After my dad left, all I got from him was a birthday and Christmas card. Not exactly father of the year material."
"Well, at least you heard from him."
"True. But your dad didn't force you to decide who to live with. Mine did," she pointed out.
It wasn't the same and both girls knew it but it somehow made her feel a bit better.
Lydia smiled and placed her arm around her shoulders. "I'm not saying you should forgive him but try to give him a chance. I just don't want you to regret anything."
Hollis brushed a hand through her hair. "I guess. I just...I don't know." She sighed in frustration, leaning into Lydia. "Things finally felt like they were returning to normal, you know? Now it's like they're falling apart all over again."
"I know. It'll be OK," Lydia reassured her gently.
They sat like that for several minutes. The sound of the doorbell and feet padding up the stairs ended their moment. Seconds later, Allison poked her head into the room, a smile already plastered on her face.
"Sorry I'm late. My mom had twenty questions before I was able to leave the house," she said with a laugh. "Did I miss anything?" She asked, eyeing the piles of clothes.
It was Thursday afternoon, and the three girls had agreed to meet at Lydia's after school. When Allison told them she would be going to the party after all, Lydia had insisted on meeting to discuss outfits.
The room looked like the closet had exploded, if exploding could be done in a tidy manner. Clothes were placed on each surface of the room and carefully arranged. Before Allison had arrived, the two of them had tried on dozens of outfits that had made it to the 'no' pile. Now that Hollis and Lydia's outfit were pretty much planned, it would be Allison's turn to pick something out. Lydia already had several articles of clothing that she deemed 'perfect' for the brunette.
Hollis sat on the bed and eyed her two friends. The first few minutes of Allison's arrival were filled with Lydia's fashion opinions. She stifled a laugh every time Lydia tried to force an article of clothing on Allison and watched with interest at the back and forth banter between them. She found it oddly entertaining, which earned her several glares each time she laughed. When the battle of the clothes was over, Allison sat down next to her, clearly defeated and tired.
"So," Lydia began as she hung the unwanted clothes back in her closet. "Tell me again how it is that you're going to the party with Scott."
Hollis rolled her eyes. "Lydia."
"What?" she asked innocently. "I'm curious."
Although she had already briefed them on Scott asking her to the party, Allison delved into her account of the night before. Once she was done telling her story, a blush had crept onto her face.
Lydia shrugged. "I just don't get it. There are so many other guys you could have gone with."
"Well, I think it's great," Hollis told her honestly. She was happy that Allison had said 'yes' and that Scott had worked up the nerve to ask her out. She couldn't help but feel a little bit responsible for setting them up.
"Don't get me wrong," Lydia said with a shake of her head. "I'm happy for you, Allison. A little confused, but happy," she said, ignoring the look that Hollis threw her.
Allison smiled in response, glancing at the magazine Hollis had been reading earlier. She leafed through a few pages. "Are you sure it's ok that you're having the party here?" Allison questioned, briefly looking up from the article she was skimming.
Lydia nodded. "I always have the parties here."
"She's kind of the party queen," Hollis explained. "Everyone knows that Lydia throws the best parties around."
"That is true." Lydia closed the closet door and sat down between the two girls. "Are you going to be okay coming to the party, Hollis?"
"Yeah," Hollis answered. "I mean, Carter's right. I've locked myself away in my room all summer and, I think it's time that I join the land of the living." She had told Allison the other day about the accident, knowing that she would have heard about it eventually. She was touched at the empathy that Allison had given her when she revealed the events of that night. "Besides, you two will be there." Hollis looked from one girl to the other with a small smile. "Anyway, it'll be fun. I'm kind of excited." Even as she said this, a pang of nerves hit her.
Lydia nudged Hollis with her elbow. "My parties are always fun," she stated, a smile tugging at her lips.
"Leave it to you to be modest about something," Hollis joked, gently shoving her friend back.
"So, are we all meeting for the scrimmage after class?" Allison asked, giving up on the magazine. She closed the glossy pages and placed it behind her.
Hollis and Lydia exchanged a look and nodded. "Yeah. I think you and Lydia have last period together so why don't we meet on the field?"
They all agreed, excited for the following day.