Better Off Alone (Adopted by Brendon and Sarah Urie)

99. Brendon

Callie was released from the hospital the next morning and we kept her home from school for an extra day.

She was still skeptical and there was a definite sense of mistrust still. But we were working on it.

I drove Callie to her appointment with her therapist and explained what we'd been through over the past week or so.

Callie came out of her appointment looking like she was in a bit of a better mood.

"Did you have a good appointment?" I asked. Callie nodded.

"Don't worry," I said. "I'm not going to ask what you talked about. That's between you and your doctor. But you know you can talk to Mom and me about anything, too, right?"

Callie nodded. We walked back to the car in silence. Well, I mean, we weren't signing.

Just before we got to the car, Callie stopped me by tugging on the sleeve of my sweatshirt.

"Yes, sweetheart?" I said, turning to face her so she knew I was actively listening.

"Can..." she stopped. "Can we stop at the Starbucks on Almeda? The one with the video board?  And can we get... Mom a coffee, too?"

I smiled. She called Sarah Mom for the first time since this whole thing.

"Sure we can," I smiled. "What are you going to get?"

"Can I have a white chocolate mocha?" She asked.

"Sure," I smiled at her. "With whipped cream?"

"Thanks," she said, nodding. I went to open the door but Callie grabbed my arm again.

"Thanks, Dad," she signed. I grabbed her in a hug and kissed the top of her head.

"You have no idea how happy I am that you're calling me Dad again," I said to her. She smiled a little.

We got in the car and for once, Callie got into the front seat.  I could talk with my daughter this way.

"Dad?" She asked as we pulled up to the Starbucks.

"Yep?"

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Don't be. You were upset and we didn't do a good job - I - didn't do a good job of both explaining things to you and organizing my time. I'm sorry, Callie," I said.

She looked at her lap as we pulled up to the video board.

"Hey! Callie!" Alex, the barista who answered, exclaimed.

"Hi, Alex," she said. I smiled as I watched this young man converse with my daughter. Sarah had told me about this location and I beamed as Callie placed her order. Then she punched me lightly, getting me out of my thoughts.

"What?" I said.

"Tell Alex what you want," she said.

"Oh!" I laughed. "Sorry about that, Alex, I'll have a latte with oat milk."

"Gotcha. Pull around," Alex said, signing and speaking. This location shocked me every time. And I loved it.

I pulled up to the window and Alex and Callie chatted a little while our drinks were being made. Alex handed them out the window and we said goodbye and drove home.

Callie practically bounced out of the car. It was the best mood I'd seen her in days. I smiled as I locked the car and Callie let herself into the house. She was in the kitchen already, handing Sarah her coffee.

"Thank you," Sarah was saying to Callie. I went over and kissed my wife hello. Sarah giggled and I looked down at Callie who was making a disgusted face. Sarah and I laughed, and pulled Callie into a hug.

"Homework?" I asked her.

"No," she said, shaking her head.

"Okay. Want to go swimming?"

"Can we?" She asked.

"Sure. Go get changed."

She ran upstairs and I gave Sarah a kiss and went out to my studio. I had a bathing suit in there and would change quickly while I checked a few things.

I had a ton of emails from this morning's meeting and a few from my assistant. I sighed and turned the screen off. I'd have to deal with them all soon, but I was determined to show Callie she is my priority.

I changed quickly and went out into the backyard. Callie was sitting on a lounge chair looking upset. I stepped in front of her so my feet were in her sight line.

She looked up and looked surprised.

"You look surprised," I said.

"Mom said you were in your studio and I thought you were going to forget," she said. I sat down beside her on the lounger. I put my arm around her shoulders. Making sure she was looking at me, I said to her:

"Callie, I know I broke a bunch of promises lately. But I promise you, I've learned my lesson.

I'll be honest okay? I have a ton of work waiting for me. But it can wait. Because you can't. One day you'll be all grown up and I'll look back and wonder when that happened. So I will deal with work later. After you go to bed or whatever. But for now I promised swimming. So let's swim!"

I scooped her up and she made her unique 'whoop' sound as I waked towards the pool.

Callie was kicking and laughing and hitting me to let her go.

So I did. Into the pool.

She came sputtering up to the top and gave me such a look. I laughed. She pretended to be mad but then broke down into giggles. It was such a beautiful sound.

Sarah had come outside and seen the whole thing. She was taking photos and laughing along with us.

"I don't feel like cooking tonight," I said. "Let's order pizza."

"I'm good with that," Sarah smiled.

"Me too," Callie smiled.

This is what I imagined life should be like. It would be. We'd keep working at it.