I stared across from my dad, waiting for the punchline. He looked back at me with a strained smile on his face. Then he attempted, yet again, to take a sip from his empty coffee cup.
"You can't squeeze blood from a turnip, Dad," I said.
His cheeks flushed as he quickly stood up with his mug and walked to the coffee pot to get a refill.
I sat by myself at the dining table, my cinnamon toast long forgotten and growing cold. It was already four in the afternoon, but cinnamon toast was my go-to snack. Holding onto my mug of tea was my only source of warmth. The familiar heat on my cold and shocked fingers was somehow comforting.
My dad came back in, patting my bright red hair as he walked by. I looked so much like my mother that I could have been her little twin. Meanwhile, my dad had light brown hair and golden eyes. He was super well built which freaked out my friends and intrigued them. Which in turn freaked me out. Seriously, who wants to hear their friends tell you that your dad's hot?
Mom went out a bit ago, saying that my dad had something he wanted to talk with me about. It was odd because mom was typically the one who had 'discussions' with me. I am tired of these 'discussions' though, they're never any good. They're never about things like going to the movies or buying me a car. This particular 'discussion' topped the cake since it was about moving across the country to a frozen wasteland.
"So, you're joking, right?" I said as soon as my dad was settled in his seat across from me at our little round dining room table in our eat-in kitchen. Our apartment wasn't the biggest, but it was just the three of us and what did you expect from an apartment downtown? It had an eat-in kitchen, two small bedrooms, and a small living room. It wasn't much, but it was home. I wouldn't complain about getting a bedroom bigger than a broom closet, but that didn't mean I wanted to move away!
He looked down at his cold toast and took a sip of his coffee.
I held onto my mug tighter while I continued speaking. "I'm halfway through my senior year. I have varsity volleyball, yearbook committee, and honors choir. I already chose my college and am about to have my tour."
"Ron also asked me out. You know, Ron, the guy I've been crushing on for the past five years. We just became officially a couple last week! I was going to go dress shopping with Carla soon!"
"Then there's my graduation party, I already prepared everything for it with Mom and Carla and sent out invites. We rented out the 'Labyrinth'. There's going to be a DJ and catering. Mom put down the rental fee already, it's nonrefundable," I said.
Ben sighed and leaned back in his seat looking tired and defeated. Hope sprang in my heart, hoping that I'd somehow won and changed his mind.
"I'm sorry, Little Strawberry, there's nothing I can do. I've already transferred over and I'll be starting work in Glacier Falls this coming Monday."
My eyes widened and I tightened my hands around my mug until they were white. "That's less than a week away! It's already Wednesday. What am I supposed to tell my friends? What am I supposed to tell my teammates? We have a game in two weeks! What am I supposed to tell my boyfriend?! We just started going out! Do you think I'll be able to keep him as a long-distance boyfriend? He'll break up with me! I've had a one-sided crush on him forever. One sided! As in me! I've been the one mooning over him all by myself! I just managed to get him to notice me properly and now I'm suddenly leaving. Do you have any idea how messed up that is? My life is ruined!"
Ben snorted and took another sip of coffee, trying to not laugh in Summer's face. He knew from experience from his petite wife, Candice, that laughing in an angry woman's face would complicate matters. In the end, he made a choking sound and sputtered a bit of coffee onto his cold toast.
My eyelids lowered in suspicion towards my father. He glanced up at the ceiling and lightly hummed, then jumped up from his chair, knocking it over. "I just remembered something else I need to do before the move. Tell your mom that I'll be back before dinner!" With that said, my dad rushed towards the living room and out to the entryway. Right as he got to the door, he turned around and looked me in the eyes. As our eyes met, my heart dropped. All hope I had left in her heart evaporated into mist.
"I'm sorry Summer, truly. I wish that I could give in, but there's no helping this. I can't explain myself in a way that you'll understand but be assured that you'll understand in time. This is the best thing for you." He turned away from me with drooped shoulders and quietly left out the front door.
I sat there staring at the knocked-over chair in silence as the clock ticked ever forward. I could not stop time any more than I could turn back time and change what was happening now. For whatever reason, my dad was dead set on us moving and there was no stopping it. I knew that look and tone of voice. There was no changing his mind. I could give him a million reasons and it still wouldn't be enough.
Tears pooled at the bottom of my eyes, tickling my eyelashes. I blinked and a tear dripped over the edge. More tears quickly followed until I was blinded by them. A wave of misery that I'd been desperately holding back, washed over me and I welcomed it. I was losing everything that I knew, everything that I'd hoped for. It was all gone like a puff of smoke as if it had never existed in the first place. Visions of what had been and what I'd hoped for flitted through my mind, one after the other. Until a guttural cry started low in my belly and broke through my lips. Once the dam broke free, I couldn't hold back, letting out heartbroken cries.
After some time, I felt my mom's comforting arms encircle me in a hug and felt her lips touch my forehead. "Mom." I croaked out through my cracked lips and a burning throat.
"Shh, shh. I know sweetheart," she said while petting the top of my head with one hand and hugging me with her other arm. Let's tuck you into bed, I'll bring you some warm soup to soothe your sore throat in a few minutes and some fresh chamomile tea. Does that sound good?"
I silently shook my head yes and allowed my mom to help me stand and go to my room.