That was my “so-called” best friend since college. He was my best man, my fishing buddy, and my daughter’s “Uncle Adam.”
He arrived wearing a button-down shirt and khakis, like he was headed to brunch. He looked me in the eye and flinched.
“Hey… bro. Wow, didn’t know you’d be home. What a—what a surprise!”
Behind him, Jess was walking up the path. She stopped mid-step, her mouth parting in horror.
“Danny?!” she said. “What are you—?”
I opened the door wider with a smile I had to force through my teeth.
“Come on in, buddy! My best friend! We were just about to eat.”
His face drained of color. Jess looked like she was about to collapse. I stepped aside, gesturing toward the table like a game show host.
“Dinner’s hot. Don’t want to let it go cold.”
They followed me in.
Lily was already at the table, kicking her legs under the chair, excited beyond measure for what she called “the best surprise ever!”
“I told him it’d be fun!” she chirped, spooning potatoes onto her plate like it was Christmas.
Adam sat down stiffly, obviously sweating. Jess avoided my gaze as she took her seat. I poured wine for everyone, filling Adam’s glass to the brim.
“So,” I began, sitting across from him. “Been a while. You been busy?”
“Yeah,” he said, voice catching. “Work’s been nuts.”
I nodded slowly, swirling my wine.
“Sure. Not too busy to visit though, huh?”
He stiffened. Jess looked like she wanted to vanish.
“What does that mean?” Adam asked.
“Oh, nothing. Just heard you’ve been around. Brought chocolates. Had some dinners. Did some bonding.”
“He just stopped by once or twice. Lily loves visitors. You know how she is.”
“Just once or twice?” I asked, locking eyes with Adam.
“Maybe… three times,” he mumbled. “It wasn’t a big deal.”
Leave a Comment