Of all the chapters I have written chapter 4 was my favorite to write. I had planned that chapter out and loved the execution of it, but this chapter has taken its place a favorite one to write. I didn't think I would write this chapter the way I ended up writing, but I'm glad I did. Sometimes it is when things don't go to plan even better things can happen. As always thank you Tigersman for your input and editing.
Trevor waited patiently by the door for Katie to arrive at BD's Mongolian BBQ. The weather was supposed to be clear, but it started snowing an hour earlier. While it was a light snow, many of the drivers decided to take it nice and slow as the temperature was right at freezing if not a degree or two below. Ice was very likely to be forming on the roads and cause a few accidents. Thankfully a few minutes later he was relieved to see Katie's car pull into the parking lot and park.
Once parked Katie turned off the engine, got out of her car, and slowly walked to the restaurant, nearly slipping halfway through on some ice. Her dad opened it for her so she could walk in.
"I'm glad you were able to get here safely," Trevor said happy to see his daughter.
"Yeah, it was very slow going. I'm just glad I got winter tires put on the car. Made the driving a little safer."
Both of them went to the hostess who guided them to a table. They sat down and within a minute their waiter came by. He asked what they would like to drink and if they just wanted bowls. Both Katie and Trevor ordered their drinks and just asked for bowls. Once he got their order the waiter left to go get them their drinks.
"So how are things going with Scott?"
Katie smiled at the mention of Scott. "Things with him are going good. We're hit a rough patch recently, but we've gotten through it."
"That's good to hear."
"How is Carly is doing?"
"She is doing good. Still lots of energy and loves to fight for what she wants. I swear after the terrible twos and the trying threes there should be the ferocious fours."
That got a laugh out of Katie. "She certainly has a strong will."
"She also misses you. She keeps asking if Miss Katie can come over to play with her again."
It warmed Katie's heart to hear that piece of information. "I miss her too. I honestly would love to spend some more time with her before I go off to college."
"Well you are more than welcome to stop by the house anytime you want. You can also have Scott join us as long as we're home."
Their waiter came back with their drinks and bowls and left them. Katie and Trevor decided to get up and browse the food items to make their stir fry. Once their bowls were overflowing and not able to even fit another single noodle, they went to the grill and had the cooks cook their food in front of them.
"Does Scott like stir fry?" Trevor asked.
"Oh yeah," Katie said with a smile. "Every time he comes over for dinner we always make stir fry because mom and I know he loves it and will never complain about it."
Trevor shook his head still not believing that Jillian was letting Katie date Scott and have him over at their house. "I still can't believe you and Scott are dating. Never in my wildest fantasies did I think you would stop bullying him, much less become friends with him."
"Yeah," Katie said as she grabbed her arm and rubbed it while looking away. "I've been told that a lot."
A few minutes later their food was cooked, put on a plate and served to them. They went back to their table and started eating their custom-made stir fry dish. They each took a few bites from their plates.
"Well I definitely chose some good combinations," Trevor said proud of himself.
"From how it smells you certainly did," Katie complimented.
"Have you thought about having a date here with Scott?"
Katie shook her head and swallowed her food before she explained. "Don't see why we would. It is cheaper just to make stir fry at home."
"True, but you get to see what else he would like in his stir fry. Give him the chance to surprise you again."
"What do you mean by that? Surprise me again?"
"You know your mother and I are talking to each other again, right?"
"Um, yeah," Katie responded thinking that was a dumb question to ask.
"Well she's mentioned how she has been surprised by Scott more than a few times and she knows you've been surprised by him starting with his apology to you."
"Well yeah, I mean his apology was very surprising that he actually did it."
"And then at Homecoming he came to your rescue after you found your now ex was cheating on you and didn't let you have a terrible evening."
"Yes, that did surprise me as well," Katie said, still missing the point of what her dad was getting at.
"Well, let him surprise you again. You, your mother and even I have him in a box of what we believe he is, whether because of his autism or because he is the son of his father. Give him the chance to change your misconceptions of him."
"And bringing him here to let him choose how he wants his stir fry to be made will do this how?"
"By seeing if given the choice of staying safe with what he knows he likes or trying something completely new. We can't just expect only certain things from people like him."
"Don't make it sound like that," Katie interjected.
"Sound like what?" Trevor asked confused.
"Don't say 'people like him'. Scott is autistic, but not less human than anyone else. Just like..." Katie had to stop and really consider if she really wanted to say what she was about it. "...you are not less human for cheating on mom," Katie said finishing her thought, looking down at her plate of food regretting bringing up the fact again the Trevor cheated on her mother.
They ate in silence for the next few minutes. Katie couldn't even look at Trevor, feeling ashamed for what she had just said knowing full well it wasn't fair to him. She was supposed to be trying to make peace with him, not bring up old wounds.
"Thank you for saying I'm not less human," Trevor eventually said.
"You're welcome," Katie muttered, still feeling guilty.
They finished their food and set aside their plates. Their waiter came by soon after and got their plates and asked if they wanted the check. Trevor said yes and that he would be taking care of it. The waiter nodded and took away their plates. A couple of minutes later he came back with the check and handed it to Trevor.
"I know this isn't easy for you Katie, having dinner with me and trying to act nice to me even though you still resent me for what I did." Katie didn't look up at him, but just kept her head down. "Just know that I still love you and am proud of the beautiful, young woman you have become. I will understand if you can't forgive me for what I've done, but just know...I'm happy that you are choosing to spend time with me. It means a lot to me."
Trevor put his credit card in the billfold and set it aside on the table for the waiter to take it.
"Scott was the one who suggested that we have dinner together," Katie said with her head still down.
Trevor shook his head wondering if he had heard his daughter correctly. "Scott suggested this?"
Katie nodded her head and looked up. "Yeah, he did."
"Ok," Trevor said caught off guard by the admission. "So you're just doing this to make Scott happy."
"No, at first I told him I would never make peace with you and we ended up having a heated argument over it. I ended up leaving his house still mad at him," she lied not wanting to tell her dad about how Scott scared her when he got angry, "but when I got home I started thinking about why he suggested it and the fact he didn't ask me to do this without seriously thinking about it. I also realized that I can't hate you forever, not if I want to spend more time with Carly. Hating you...will never make the pain go away. But trying to at least make some sort of peace with you is better than nothing."
"Well, I'm glad you're at least willing to try. I know I hurt you and can never expect you to forgive me."
"I don't know if I ever will, but...if Scott can forgive me for everything I have done to him, why can't I at least try to find a way to make peace with you."
Trevor appreciated hearing Katie say that she was willing to at least try to make peace with him. His daughter had grown up so much without and he hated the fact he couldn't be there to watch it happen day by day. All he could hope for would be some form of peace made between them.
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"Ok, so should I move the rifleman here or move back to my city that is about to be attacked?" Scott asked himself out loud as he was playing Civilization on his computer. This was the only thing he knew that would distract from thinking about Katie having dinner with her dad and could go very, very wrong with it. At the same time if she decided to call him that night he could just stop what he was doing and answer the phone as Civilization is a turn based game.
He played out several more turns, conquered another civilization by taking over their last city when his phone started ringing. He glanced at it quickly, saw it was Katie calling and answered it immediately.
"Hey Katie."
"Hey Scottie. How are you doing?"
"Oh you know, playing Civilization, waiting for my beautiful and amazing to girlfriend to call me."
"Beautiful and amazing huh? Sounds like you're trying to get a head start on something."
"Maybe, just in case dinner with your dad didn't go all that well."
"Well, it didn't go horribly," Katie admitted, "but I haven't made peace with him either."
"Were you not civil with him?"
"No, I was civil and actually enjoyed having dinner with him. We talked about us, Carly, and school. Usual small talk and all that."
