A Reason to Exist

Chapter 36

I lived the next week in a state of bliss. We hadn't said so as yet, but I felt as though Tucker was my boyfriend. He emailed me twenty times a day. We caught up after school at the skate park or over at the beach. We held hands. We kissed. We chatted to each others' friends. The circles of our existence began to overlap.

On Friday, I was so sad to be without him that I asked him to come and meet my dad. As we walked to the gallery, hands around each other's waist, I wondered what I was doing. I'd never introduced a boy to my parents before. Never.

Tucker was wearing my overnight backpack on one shoulder.

'So you stay with your dad every second weekend?'

'Yeah, that's what the court allows. Dad had wanted to have us more often.'

'What does your mum do when you are at your dad's?'

'Nothing. Just the usual, I guess. Well, lately Tate stays home with her. He doesn't want to go to dad's much anymore.'

'How come?'

A sadness dimmed the light in my heart. 'I don't really understand Tate. I think he feels a loyalty to mum. Like if he goes to dad's he's betraying her or something. I don't know. It's complicated. I feel sorry for dad. I feel like he's lost one of his children out of all of this.'

'Hopefully Tate will change his mind over time. When he grows up he'll see your dad as a good man.'

'Hopefully. But I'm not sure. It's as if Tate's been brainwashed into hating him.'

'That's terrible.'

'I know.'

He drew me closer to his hip. 'Half my class has divorced parents,' Tucker said. 'It's the new norm. Do you ever wonder what the future of love is?'

'Huh?'

'Like this current set-up isn't working - marriage, two people living together, mortgage, two cars, kids, the Labrador dog.'

'What's the alternative?'

'That's the twenty million dollar question.'

I pushed the door to dad's gallery open. The bell dinged. The walls were bare. Large paintings wrapped in bubble wrap were leant against one of the walls. Dad's trolley was in the centre of the room with all his hanging equipment. He must've been installing a new exhibition.

He came out from the kitchenette, his phone pressed to his ear. 'I'll call you back mate,' he said, smiling at us. He repeated, 'I said I'll call you back. Someone's just walked in. I'll have to call you back,' his voice getting louder each time. He hung up the phone, put it in his back pocket and walked over and gave me a hug and a kiss on the head. 'Macy, darling,' he said. Then he stood back and looked at Tucker. 'Hi.'

'This is my friend Tucker,' I said.

'Nice to meet you, mate,' dad said.

'Hi Macy's dad.'

'Call me Jason.'

I hadn't prepared myself for the awkwardness of introductions. Both the men in my life were summing each other up.

'What's going on?' I asked, gesturing at the blank walls.

'I'm behind with the install,' dad said. 'Rex's show opens next week. He's only delivered half the works. That was him just now on the phone. He wants an advance on the exhibition before he drops off the remaining works. That guy is un-bloody-believable. He turned to Tucker. 'This is my rebel artist. His works are amazing, but he's a pain in the ass to work with.'

'Anything we can do to help?' Tucker asked. 'I'm pretty good with a hammer and nails.' I hadn't expected that Tucker would be so charming with adults.

'You know what? I'm going to lock the door. If you two could unwrap the works that would be great. I haven't even seen them properly yet.'