The Truth About That Summer

forty-five

"All right Finn," I close the door after Tabby, the HRC, leaves for the afternoon. Knowing Finn's situation, I truly don't mind being the one to stay till he gets picked up. "Let's call your Uncle Luke, hm?"

I dial Luke's cell. The call goes straight to voicemail.

Hm.

I try again, this time leaving a short message to let him know Finn's dad was a no-show again. No pressure, Finn and I are fine to wait.

Then I settle onto the carpet beside Finn, who is still so excited to see his dad this week that it breaks my heart.

"Miss Dylan?" Finn asks, casually flipping the pages of a counting book without really looking at them. "Can you fish?"

"I'm not very good at it." I admit. "What about you?"

"Yup." Finn boasts proudly. "My dad is going to take me. He said on Saturday, when's Saturday?"

My heart deflates a little. "Well, today is Wednesday." I stand and point to the calendar. "Saturday is over here," I look down at him. "So we have Thursday and Friday, and then it is Saturday."

"That's far." Finn scrunches his face and I suggest another book. "Can we dance instead?"

"I don't see why not." I shrug, making my way to the speaker and adjusting the volume. Pulling out my phone and the playlists I've made just for the center, I ask Finn what song he'd like to hear.

After he lists a few of his favorites and I add them to our queue, we find our places on the rug and begin to dance. Some songs have choreographed moves, ones we practice during rhythm and movement, and others are up to Finn and me.

Before I know it, almost an hour has passed and my calves are starting to feel the burn of keeping up with a toddlers interpretative dance moves.

Just as Finn begins to teach me another, I hear a rapid knock at the door. Luke's face appears in the window, his brow creased, mouth set in a firm line.

"Uncle Luke is here!" I exclaim, taking Finn by the hand and leading him towards the door. Finn doesn't respond with his usual gusto, instead his shoulders sag as Luke tells him to go grab his backpack.

"Sorry." Luke sighs. "By the time I saw your voicemail..."

His voice trails off and I shrug, noticing the tense set of his jaw, the frustration in his voice.

"It's not a big deal. Finn's easy."

As if to prove me wrong, Finn peers up at Luke, his eyes wide. "Where's Daddy?"

"Not sure, bud. But we'll find him a little later, once we're home, okay?" Luke gives him the best answer he can.

"Where's Mommy?" Finn's lower lip starts to quiver.

"She has a work trip, remember? She went to Florida, the place that has Disney World?" Luke kneels in front of him, trying to gently force his arms through his backpack straps.

I try not to stare, both intensely curious and feeling devastated for Finn. He doesn't understand - maybe his dad has good reasons for never showing, though I doubt it - but all Finn knows is that he isn't here.

"I want Daddy." Finn crosses his arms, refusing to move as Luke tries to persuade him to leave.

"We'll call him in the car. Miss Dylan wants to go
home, too."

I look up at my name, just in time to see Finn burst into tears.

"I want Daddy!" This time, his words bounce off the walls, his sad little hiccups echoing in the mostly empty building.