13. Kennedy

I lugmy suitcase through the front door of our family”s Philadelphia home, the November chill clinging to me like an unwelcome shadow. It took some convincing, but I persuaded Shane to take his Uber directly home instead of sharing one with me. It wouldn’t have made any sense if we did. The airport sits dead smack in the middle between his home and mine, both of us living about thirty to forty minutes away in opposite directions. Plus, I’m still annoyed with him that we got very little accomplished on the flight because he failed to mention his strong fear of flying. Of course, none of that matters to him because he shamelessly texts me before I can put my things down.

Shane: In case you’re concerned, I’m still 20 minutes from my house. A tree is blocking the road.

Me: I wasn’t concerned.

Shane: That’s glaringly obvious.

Me: What do you want, Shane?

Shane: We should decide when to meet over break to tackle this project.

Me: You’re kidding, right?

Shane: I don’t joke about my grades.

Me: I bet snot is flying out of your nose as you laugh typing that lie.

Shane: You’re right! It is!

Me: I’m about to block you

Shane: Good night, beautiful.

Nothing about the front of the house looks like it should for this time of the year. If my mom still lived here, it would have had a variety of pumpkins arranged on the front steps and a wreath of Native American corn hanging on the front door. Instead, the steps and door are bare, reminding me that the warm traditions I once took for granted are over.

“Hey, I”m home,” I call out, the words feeling hollow, knowing my father is the only parent who will answer.

Dad appears from the kitchen, his smile a valiant effort that fails to mask the strain in his eyes. ”Kee-Kee, it”s good to see you,” he says, pulling me into a hug that feels more perfunctory than comforting.

I manage a half-hearted smile, stepping back a bit. ”Yeah, it”s good to be home.”

“How’s school?”

“It’s good. I like it.”

“Are you meeting new people?”

“Yes, Dad.”

“And the classes are challenging?”

“I’m taking a bunch of courses that are freshman requirements right now. I can’t truly assess the difficulty until I take more classes in my major.”

“Right, okay.” He looks like he regrets ever asking me about school. “Have you spoken to your mother today?”

“I called her before my flight and when I landed.”

“Okay.”

“And for your information, I talk to Mom all the time. I don’t need you to check in on it just because the two of you don’t speak. I’m not a child.”

“Of course, you’re right.” His face grows serious as he quietly takes my bag and carries it up the steps to my room. “Kee-Kee, I have something to tell you,” he starts.

It’s never good when a conversation begins that way, but I can tell something is off with him. He seems unusually tense.

“What is it?” I reply tentatively.

“I’ve started seeing someone.”

“I’m sorry…like dating someone?”

“Yes.”

I’m not exactly sure what the proper response is to that kind of news, so I reply simply, “Oh.”

Immediately, I try to imagine the kind of woman my father would ask on a date. Is she tall? Short? Is she young? His age? I mean, I can’t imagine. The only woman I’ve ever seen him with is my mother. The person I’d thought he’d be with forever.

“Normally, I wouldn’t bother telling you anything about my personal life, but I’m telling you because things are moving faster than I anticipated. It”s serious,” he says, his eyes searching the room for something to focus on other than me.

“Serious?”

How could that be?

“It’s so serious that she and her son will move in with us soon.”

My heart plummets.

No, wait, I may be going into shock.

“What are you talking about, Dad? You’ve been divorced for two seconds. How could she be moving in and with a kid?”

The idea of Dad moving on so swiftly, while I”m still tangled in the aftermath of the divorce, feels like a deep betrayal.

“I realize it may feel like I’m moving quickly, but I swear, Kee-Kee, when you know it’s right, you just know.”

I wish he’d shut up like right now.

“Just like you knew with Mom?”

“Your mother and I were young when we got married. Probably too young.”

“Does Mom know about this?”

“I wanted to tell you first.”

“Have you thought about how this is going to hurt her?”

“Kee-Kee, I didn’t dump your mother. I’m not the bad guy here. Our divorce was a mutual agreement.”

I saw her crying by herself when she thought no one was looking. I don’t know how mutual it was.

“Are you sure she wanted it too? It didn’t feel like it.”

“Trust me, we both were ready to move on.”

“Some quicker than others,” I bite back.

“Kennedy.”

“Who is she?” I can”t keep the bitterness from my voice. “Where did you meet this woman?”

“This is the funny part.”

“Funny?” Nothing about this shit is funny.

“I met her at your Final Decision Day event during the presentation in the auditorium. We sat next to each other and struck up a conversation. I guess it was fate.”

“Wait, the kid moving into our house is my age?”

“You thought he was a child?”

“I’m not sure what to think, Dad. How is this even going to work?” A majority of VCU students are from the Nevada or California area so I just assume his new boo is from there too. “Is she moving here all the way from the West Coast?”

”Her name is Kate, and she”s a wonderful woman,” Dad says, sitting on the edge of my bed. “She’s an educator, and she lives near us.”

“She’s from Philly?”

I haven’t met any VCU freshmen from the area, although that doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t there.

“She’s actually from New Jersey. You might have heard of her son.”

I get a queasy feeling.

“He”s on a hockey scholarship at the university, and I heard he might be a big deal. Might go to the NHL. His name is Shane.”

My stomach bubbles.

Seriously, I’m going to shit myself.

The reveal hits me like a sucker punch. The guy I’ve been flirting with for months may become a permanent resident of my house. The absurdity of it all makes my head reel.

”Shane Sullivan?” My voice is a whisper, choked with a mix of disbelief and shock.

”Yes, that”s him! Do you know him?” Dad asks, clueless of the storm raging inside me.

I nod, a surge of anger and confusion washing over me. ”We”ve crossed paths,” I say, my words clipped.

Paths.

Plane seats.

Lips.

”That”s great!” Dad continues, utterly missing the tempest in my gaze. “That will make Thursday so much easier. They”ll be joining us for Thanksgiving dinner. I can’t wait to meet him and for you to meet Kate.”

“Dinner?”

“We thought it would be a pressure-free way for us to all get to know each other better, but it helps that you’ve already met Shane. Kate will be so relieved.”

Oh, hell to the no.

“Maybe I should move in with Mom,” I blurt out.

“Wait.” My Dad’s eyebrows scrunch together. “Because I have a girlfriend?”

“Because you’re moving her into this house.”

“But we’ve discussed this, Kennedy. We all agreed that our divorce shouldn’t keep you from living in the home you’ve grown up in your entire life. Where would you sleep at your mother’s?”

“Mom has a second bedroom.”

“That she uses as a home office.”

“I think if her daughter told her that she wanted to live with her, she would make room for me. Plus, I’m at school for more than half the year. It wouldn’t be a big deal.”

“Which is exactly why you can remain living here.”

“I don’t think so.”

“But you haven’t even met Kate yet,” he protests.

This woman’s vagina must be mighty powerful to have hypnotized my father into making choices he would normally never make.

I don’t recognize this man.

He’s moving at the speed of light and justifying decisions that make no sense at all.

“I just don’t understand why you’re moving this fast.”

The rest of the evening is a blur of fake pleasantries and polite nods. I just can’t talk about Shane and his mom anymore. My father isn’t seeing reason. Inside, I”m boiling, feeling forsaken and replaced. Accepting Dad”s new relationship is hard enough, but having my life entwined with Shane”s in such an unexpected way is unbearable.

I wonder if he knows about this yet.