Touched by the Fear

[4]

Hollis stepped through the front door to be greeted by the smell of dinner. Calling out, she dropped her bag on the floor and walked into the kitchen. The sight before her brought a smile to her face. Her dad stood by the stove, whistling off-tune to a song that played on the radio. Raising an eyebrow, she let out a soft laugh at what she was seeing. Her dad was too immersed in the moment to notice her.

"You cooked," Hollis stated, unable to hide her surprise.

Grant turned around, spoon in hand. A smile spread across his face upon seeing her. "I didn't hear you come in." Excess sauce dripped from the spoon and onto the floor but he didn't notice.

"Yeah, well, you were too busy whistling." She stepped further into the kitchen and gestured at the spoon. "And your dripping."

"Huh?" His eyes trailed to the spoon and the small puddle on the floor. "Oh, shoot." Grant placed the spoon on the counter and proceeded to wipe the floor. "Are you hungry?" He asked as he straightened out.

Before Hollis could answer, her stomach growled at the thought of food.

"I'll take that as a yes." Grant chuckled. "Sit." He piled on a plate of food and placed it on the counter.

Hollis sat down. She watched the steam waft into the air, bringing with it different scents. It all smelled and looked delicious.

"How was your first day?" He asked, sitting down across from her.

"It was good," she answered truthfully. It had gone better than she expected it to. "Dreading chemistry and math." Hollis wrinkled her nose at the thought of the two subjects. "But," she continued, "It was a good first day. And I stayed after with Lydia and Allison to watch lacrosse practice."

"How was practice?" Grant asked. "And who's Allison?"

"Surprising. Scott did really well, so we're all hoping he'll get first line this year." Hollis said in between bites. "And she's new. Allison Argent, I mean."

Grant stiffened, lowering the fork-full of food from his mouth. "Did you say Argent?" His expression paled some.

Hollis nodded. "Yeah, she just moved from San Francisco but apparently her family moves around a lot." She noticed the peculiar look on his face and tilted her head. "Why? Do you know them?"

"No, no. Of course not," he answered, recovering quickly. "So, tell me more about your day."

Hollis studied her dad for a moment but brushed off his reaction. She proceeded to tell him more about the lacrosse practice and the upcoming party, which she reluctantly agreed to go to with Carter. Dinner went by quickly as the two of them chatted about their day some more before they ate in a comfortable silence. The music continued to play through the speakers, which broke through the quiet in the room.

"When did you learn to cook? Last time I saw you, the only meals you ever prepared were takeout." Hollis asked as she collected her silverware and placed it on the empty plate in front of her.

He smiled at her remark. "It's something I picked up over the years," Grant explained. "I couldn't live off of takeout after I, you know," he said, waving his fork in the air.

The joyful mood vanished at the unfinished sentence that hung in the air. The topic of his leaving was one that didn't get brought up. Ever. When her dad returned after the accident, they had evaded the topic. Between the funerals and the grieving, there had been no right time to talk. As time passed, they were able to move to a new father/daughter relationship. It wasn't perfect but it was something. Hollis wanted to keep it that way but, deep down, she knew it was impossible for it to last.