HENRY: I've been a naughty boy. I have been caught up in my other hobby, music, and have neglected my story.
For whatever reason, I've had 4 or 5 people write to me this week asking about the story, so I guiltily submit Chap. 22, which actually was written in late March.
I've kept a rule that I would wait one chapter before submitting, but since I've been behind, I'll go ahead and submit Chap. 23, too, even though I haven't even started 24.
I may regret that, if things in 24 necessitate changes in 23, but what the heck.
So with Father's Day close, enjoy two chapters of Neighborhood Dad.
*****
I couldn't figure out what to do with myself for the next few hours.
Nothing on TV could hold my attention. The guitar on its stand just reminded me of Randi too much. I paced around the house, but every room reminded me of her.
That thought brought me to a stop in mid-pace. Every place reminds me of her - didn't I used to think the same thing about Beth? Charles once asked me if I was considering moving, but I couldn't imagine leaving the place where Beth and I had raised Paige. I always thought the memories of that childhood would keep me company whenever Paige went off to college.
It gave me some peace to remember that I found the strength to survive Beth's death. If I could do that, then I could find the strength to let Randi go and move on.
The weirdest thing about all this was thinking about breaking it off permanently without ever having a discussion with Randi. How can you have a breakup without speaking or even writing her a letter?
But I suppose that's the nature of a forbidden love. I couldn't afford to write her a letter or leave her a voice-mail that could be used to prove I had a relationship with a high school student. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and she could very well take such evidence to the principal or school board.
And I wasn't sure I had the strength to break it off face-to-face. The argument we had in our last conversation sucked the life right out of me. Ever since then, I felt like I was going through the motions of living. Ending things once and for all was a task I could not face. I suppose that made me a coward.
Finally, I could put all those thoughts aside as I saw headlights brighten the glass in the front door, signaling Paige's return. I went to the kitchen to get a drink so that I could settle in and hear all the details from the dance.
I couldn't help but smile as the door opened and Paige floated through like she were still dancing to unheard music.
We sat down at the small dinette table, and she described the decorations and commented on some of the dresses she'd seen.
"And then Rodney Haywood had to bring this sophomore tramp with him. Claudia. Uggh, her boobs were practically falling out of her top, and she just looked so smug to be there 'cause you know freshmen and sophomores aren't allowed at the prom unless they are somebody's date.
"I mean, okay, sure Autumn's dress was a little revealing; she had some cleavage going on -"
I really needed to go back and look at those photos.
"- but her dress was still pretty tasteful. And besides, Autumn is 18, and Claudia just turned 16. Sixteen! Can you believe her parents bought her a dress like that?"
I hadn't seen said dress, but I shook my head in general support nonetheless.
"What about Lori?" I asked.
"Her dress? What about it?"
"No, not her dress. You said she went stag. I hope you and Ricky weren't so caught up in each other that you ignored your best friend."
"No, not at all. She and I talked plenty, and some of the other girls were with us, too."
