Breaking up roots (One Night Stand, Book 3)

EPILOGUE: Keep him close

"This feels odd," Kai said, for the lack of a better word.

His father sat across from him at the table of a small cafe near the train station. Peaceful as Kai had ever seen him.

Ray arched an eyebrow at this comment.

"I never thought it would be possible for us to stay in the same room without fighting for more than two minutes," Kai elaborated.

His old man offered a sad smile and took a sip of his drink.

"Yeah..." He mumbled.

After their recent heart to heart, neither of the Smith men could just say goodbye. As the next train to Ignacia would take a while to arrive, they moved to the nearest place that could offer them comfortable seats and a relaxed ambiance.

That cafe was nice. Soft music, good lighting, and not too crowded. But even with that, they picked the farthest table from the entrance, just to ensure some more privacy.

Now that they were settled and enjoying their drinks, however, Kai didn't know how to proceed. The last time he had a conversation with his dad with no yelling involved... he was still in elementary school.

"This city coffee is... not bad," Ray commented.

It was a lame opening, but Kai took it anyway. He leaned in and whispered, "The one where I work is way better."

His father's mouth pulled up into a weak smile. "Maybe I can come back another time and taste it."

Kai nodded. He couldn't tell yet if he wanted his father's visits to become a regular thing, but he couldn't straight up deny the man either.

He didn't want to deny him.

It was so strange. The whole situation made little sense.

Kai and Ray had been at each other's throats for a long time. With each occasion, their encounters had been more and more unwelcoming, to the point where both men dreaded seeing the other.

But as with most things in life, that hadn't been the whole truth.

While Kai had been longing for his father's love and respect, Ray yearned for his kid's trust and safety. None of them had pursued their goals the right way. Until now, it seemed.

"So what happened with... the other guy?" Ray asked all of a sudden.

Kai became tense, just like every time someone mentioned his ex — and just like every time his father asked him about personal stuff.

"Nothing," he replied.

"You broke up because of nothing?" Ray cocked an incredulous eyebrow.

Kai groaned. It was so hard to lower his walls, especially with his dad. This topic wasn't one he wanted to re-live, anyway.

"We... Uh..." Kai tapped on the table, trying to find a good balance between the truth and his own privacy. "We had a big fight and... I had to leave the apartment we were sharing."

His father must have been paying attention to Kai's tense stance and almost cryptical words.

"Leave? You mean... you were homeless?"

"No, not really!" He was quick to counter. "A friend took me in for a while."

Ray's brow furrowed unusually. Instead of anger, something more akin to deep concern was painted all over the man's face.

"Kai... You should have told us," Ray said with a subtle hurt in his voice.

Kai couldn't help the sarcastic chuckle that left his lips. "And would you have helped me?"