“What an honor to hear from my boy,” he says sarcastically. “Usually, I only get to speak to you when you call your mother.”
I can’t help smirking. “Making me feel guilty already. That’s a new record.”
“You can forgive an old man for missing his son.”
His words catch me by surprise. He’s never been one for sentimentality. Especially not with me. The older I’ve gotten, the more we’ve both receded into ourselves. The gulf between us grew. At some point, I’m not sure when, it became impossible to cross.
Or so I thought.
“Something’s going on, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Would you like to tell me about it?”
“I can handle it.” I bristle as I say it. Even though I know it’s a stupid thing to assert.
“I know you can,” he replies without missing a beat. “I just thought you might need a sounding bo
