Jackson leaned over with a small smile. “One day at a time, remember?” he whispered in my ear.
“Is that your milkshake wisdom of the day?” I grinned back.
“Something like that. Did it work? Or do I need to run out and grab the Oreos and ice cream?”
We reached the double doors leading to the grand garden my mother was so proud of when I paused. I kissed his cheek fondly. “It was perfect. Let’s go fraternize.”
“Do I have to hold my pinkie up when I drink?” Noah asked, somehow managing to make me giggle at just the right time.
“Be a rebel,” I answered, looking over at him with a smirk. “Pinkies down.”
He gave me a sheepish grin as Jackson opened the massive glass door, and we stepped out onto the patio. Everything was exquisitely decorated down to the twinkling lights and the floral arrangements that probably cost more than my car.
All of this—the lavish party and huge expense was just an elaborate effort to raise money, so my father’s team could spend it on additional campaign functions to collect even more cash. My head started to spin from just thinking about it.
“Olivia!” my father’s exuberant voice called out through the crowd.
Dressed in a tailored jacket and slacks, he looked exactly as I remembered him standing on that stage all those years ago while watching him deliver his victory speech. A man of the people, he was dressed for business and ready for action.
Before, he used to come home and shed the monkey suit, as he’d called it. He’d trade the stiff slacks for a pair of worn jeans, so he could chase me and play with me in the backyard among my mother’s flower and herbs garden. Those were the days when he had still been mine.
After becoming a man of the people, he wouldn’t take off the suit much, not even when he’d returned home late at night. He’d disappear into his office, shutting the door to take conference calls. I’d see him loosen his tie and shed his jacket, but the jeans had been forgotten, like many things—including me.
My mother would be more sympathetic to it or perhaps she’d learned to adjust better than I ever had. I was young and in need of a father, and I’d lacked the maturity to understand what was happening.
I shook my head, trying to clear out the sad memories, and I focused on the man who was coming toward me. This man was attempting to make amends, and I should at least give him the opportunity to do so. He was my father after all. A little bit of that man who had worn the jeans and told me fairy tales at night must be in there somewhere.
“I’m so glad you made it,” he said, pulling me into his arms for a tight hug. He pulled back and gazed at me as if he were studying my face. “You’ve grown into such a beautiful young woman, Livvy Lou.”
“Livvy Lou?” Noah said from behind me, giggling at my nickname.
“Shut it,” I grumbled.
“And who might this be?” my father inquired, a large welcoming smile on his face as he turned his attention to Noah.
“This is my son, Noah, Senator.”
“Now, what did I say about calling me that, Jackson? Please, call me Doug.”
“I shall try,” Jackson replied, squeezing my hand when he saw me smirk.
“The boyfriend has a son?” a man next to my father interjected.
I’d been so focused on my dad meeting Noah that I hadn’t noticed anyone else joining our small group, but indeed, there he was—a stubby old man who had a snarl for a smile. He reminded me of Mr. Burns from The Simpsons.
“Is there a problem?” I asked pointedly.
“No, we’ll figure out a way to spin it,” he mumbled to himself before quickly walking away from our little circle.
I looked up at my father for answers.
He seemed embarrassed and promptly apologized, “Sorry, that is Ned. He’s one of my campaign managers, and he’s a bit quirky.”
Quirky wasn’t exactly the word I would choose to describe him.
“Is there something I should know?”
“No, darling. Please don’t think anything of it.”
“Okay,” I answered.
A quick glance over toward Jackson told me he was anything but okay with it.
In an attempt to defuse the tension, I suggested we grab some food. Food always seemed to make everything better, and if I knew one thing, my mother had spared no expense in that area.
“Holy—” Noah began to say. He quickly stopped when Jackson’s eyes darted over and gave him a death stare.
“This looks good,” Noah amended.
I tried not to laugh at his obvious language blunder.
Oh, to be young and impressionable again.
I didn’t think Jackson found it nearly as funny as I did.
We found an empty table under the shade and spent the next thirty minutes enjoying the expensive food, people watching, and talking among ourselves. Noah casually announced that he’d made a friend at school named Sam, who liked Xbox and played the guitar. Jackson and I looked up at each other, our eyes widening in excitement, but we tried to keep our cool.
“That’s great, buddy,” Jackson answered as he stole a canapé from Noah’s plate.
Watching the two of them, I couldn’t help but smile. Opening myself up to Jackson and Noah had made life a hundred times scarier.
What if I ended up hurt? What if I hurt them?
In retrospect, it had also made life a million times more exciting. My smile wasn’t just a smile anymore. It was a window into my soul because they made me feel completely alive.
“Where’s your mother? We haven’t had a chance to say hello yet,” Jackson commented. Sitting back in his chair, he sipped on his beer.
“She’s usually incredibly busy at these types of events. She sees to every detail. I guess it makes her feel like a part of the team.”
“Well, we should go find her and thank her for including us,” he suggested.
“Sounds like a great idea,” I agreed.
Leaving our happy spot, we all stood and wandered around, looking for my mother. She was nowhere in sight, so I suggested we head inside to continue our search for her.
Walking back into the air-conditioned house was like stepping inside a freezer. The cool air hit my body like a wall of ice, and my skin prickle everywhere.
“Here, take my jacket,” Jackson offered, sliding the dark gray blazer off his shoulders to hang on mine.
“Thanks. Why don’t we try my dad’s office? Maybe she’s paying one of the caterers or something.”
We rounded the corner, walking down the long hallway, and we stopped just outside the office. I held up my hand to knock when I heard my father’s voice, and I stopped.