SWEET SPOT

CHAPTER FOUR

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Andy took a while to take her box out from her room and he thought if she didn't see him lingering in the house, she would take him seriously. No, it made it worse.

She dragged her box down to the living room and walked slowly to the refrigerator by the kitchen table, taking it all in. This could probably be her last time of seeing or even being in the building.

She opened it and picked a diet coke from the drink compartment. She picked her phone from her back pocket and dialed Nick's number, gently sitting on the kitchen stool.

He picked quickly, like he was waiting for the call " Hey, are you home yet?"

"What? I just called you like forty something minutes ago and I told you I was packing up." she shook her head and you could here it in her voice.

"Then why are you calling me now? Don't Tell me your flight was delayed, I could cry right now"

"No, my flight is in an hour. I was just calling to tell you I... I actually don't know why, I'm just trying to frustrate my father a little bit"

"That poor man. Please at least tell me you're in your room and he's in the living room..." he could hear and feel her mischievous smile and didn't need her reply "Dear Lord, under this scorching sun! And I know it's hotter over there. Please go and save that man"

"Well, I just came to grab a drink. I'm going now. I'll call you when I get back"

She was about to end the call "And please Andy, don't call me untill you get here, I don't want to have my high hopes shattered everytime I answer the call. Thank you." he cut the call. She grabbed her box and started outside.

Andrew stood in front of his house, waiting for his daughter. The autumn sun was a bit fierce in this side of the world and if there was anything he hated, it was sun. He dreaded everything about it, form the sunset to the sun heat.

The afternoon sun fierce on his skin. Perhaps wearing a short sleeved shirt was not his best choice, but what else could he wear?

He breathe in through his nose and out through his mouth as his sister advice him to when they spoke on the phone. Occasionally.

He felt like he was too grown for anxiety attacks and hardly had time for therapy or anything that would make him express his feelings. he was a grown man, he had no feelings, and he didn't need anybody forcing said feelings out of him. He hated to feel vulnerable, that was a sign of weakness.

Standing on his porch gave him some time to actually think about what his daughter had asked him earlier.

It bothered him that he couldn't give her or any other person his attention, but that sense of financial stability always overshadowed.

It was sad what his life had come to, but he couldn't complain because his wins compensated for every discontentment.

He brushed the thoughts off his mind as he watched his daughter walk gracefully through the door.

Her brown skin and her brown eyes were like gold under the sun, just like her mother's.

Even though her features were of her mother, Andy wasn't able to deny her father's height and wit were a part of her.

Like her father, Andy was focused on any goal she made for herself. It almost seemed as if she disliked her father because his gene would probably make her just like him. His heart smiled. He knew she wouldn't end up like him.

Although she had her father's wit, she had her mother with her everyday.

Yes, Jackie was also hardworking and devoted, but she wasn't folded into her career as he was and he was at peace knowing his daughter had that ground. If there was anybody he would rather have a child with, it would be Jackie.

His heart warmed. That was his daughter and he suddenly felt the urge to hug her, but he didn't. He knew she wouldn't hug him back. She was upset and he knew it. He always knew it. He hated himself every time for that.

Andy neared the car dragging her box on the ground, making the best of the worst sounds a box could make. Intentionally, of course.

If she couldn't tackle him to the ground as she wished, that was the least she could do.

She walked up to the back of car lazily, trying desperately to frustrate him the way he frustrated her. She tried opening the trunk, but it wouldn't open.

She rolled her eyes and gazed up at her father who in return, gave a slight smirk.

"Are you going to open the car or what?" she asked. She usually wouldn't talk like that, her mother would scold her if she were there, but it didn't matter because her mother wasn't there and her father could care less. She had gotten him where she wanted him.

He chuckled and opened the car. He offered to help but she shrugged him off.

She struggled to put her box in and sighed as she succeeded and closed it. Feeling his eyes on her, she ignored him stealthily as she opened the passenger door and sat there quietly, arms folded.

He opened the car door and just as he was about to get in the car, his neighbor passed by on a bicycle and they exchanged greetings.

"The little holiday is over, I see" Erin said, referring to Andy with a wide smile

Andy watched them from the rearview mirror and scoffed. "This one" she muttered and rolled her eyes as she approached the car.

"Hey there Andy, how are you today" she knew she wouldn't get an answer so she continued "So sad to see you go, but I'm sure you'll be back and maybe then I could come and visit and could have fun, because I know your daddy is always busy" Andy watched as she placed her hand on her father's shoulder "And it's probably boring here. Don't worry, Erin will be here next time, okay?"

Andy eyed her and smiled. The smile was a bridge from her saying what was in her head, and it was alot.

Erin was always there whenever Andrew was outstanding with the skimpiest dresses she had ever seen. Throwing herself at him and it always upset her.

It was obvious she has a thing for her father, but, he would laugh and say "Erin? No, she's just a nice woman. People always confuse niceness for flirting. it's a normal human thing"

Erin walked away with Andrew and they stood for about five minutes until she hopped back on her bicycle and rode away. Andy kept looking at the both of them, trying to catch-up on the laughter and body touching, wondering when it would end.

She was tempted to press the car horn countless times, but knew it would embarrass her father and didn't want that for him. So, she sat quietly in the car sit, sipping and scrolling through i********:.

He got in the car, smiling and turned it on, giving it some time to warm up.

Andy watched the smile until she couldn't anymore, she picked her phone as he drove on the main street.

The ride was mutually quiet and he quickly thought to himself to take this opportunity and speak about her fit earlier.

"What you said back at home, did you really mean it?"he asked, but there was no reply.

Now it was her turn to give him the cold, absent-minded replies.

Andrew loved his daughter and he knew she loved him back. She knew what she was doing would drive him crazy and it did.

He had to know how she really felt. If it was true,he would have to make it up to her.

"I don't know"she said, still looking at her phone. A quick smile brushed her lips but she curved it before he got the chance to catch it.

"How about I make it up to you. I could make it to New York next weekend then we'd go have some fun" he pleaded sounding more genuine than she'd ever heard

She scoffed at the thought the both of them having "fun" together. Ridiculous. She looked up at him to have a better look at the man who now finally had words for her "Oh yeah, 'cause I am the teenager who loves to spend all her weekends with the worst dad in the world" rolled her eyes and led them back to her phone screen.

"Come on, I'm not that bad"

She scoffed again. This was an interesting revelation "When will you even have the time? You never have time for me or even yourself, but you'll always have time for your routinely chats with Erin and her revealing attires"

"How many times do I have to tell you she's just a neighbor and it's rude not to talk to the neighbors. And that's what she is, a neighbor. My neighbor, your neighbor infact."

"Miss Lucy is always sitting in front of her house, you don't see mom and I stopping for a little chat with Lucy"

"This is not about neighbors okay" he continued, his eyes pleaded, his lips pleaded "Just give me one last chance. I promise,you won't regret it".

She shrugged.

She finally got the attention she needed, it was a work in progress.

One more trial would not hurt, besides, he seemed serious about it. No matter what, he was still her father and she still loved the man.

"Okay"she said, tired of the humiliating plea "I'll take your word for it. One more weekend and if it goes bad, straight to court!"

"Deal!"he said and she could hear a sense of relief and jumped on the car seat as they waited for the traffic light to turn green.

The car rides were the only times she got his attention fully and she needed to know somethings.

"Now, about that neighbor of yours... Have you ever thought about, I don't know, maybe asking her out or something?"

He sighed. He was trapped, he couldn't ignore this one "There's nothing going on between Erin and I, so, don't go getting ideas..."

"I know there's nothing going on, but the question was and still remains do you think something could happen. I know this might be an uncomfortable question, but I just need to know." she kept her fingers crossed. She didn't want an answer that she wouldn't like, still she needed to know regardless. All her life she had wanted what the kids had, a complete family. Some of them didn't, but still.

Her parents still loved each other, if they didn't they would have been married or engaged or in love with other people, but they weren't.

"I have no idea sweetie, but I know she's just my neighbor"

"But you know your neighbor has a thing for you right?" she took a sip of her diet coke "You are oblivious, and I just wanted you to know. I also want you to know that if you ever end up with somebody less than my mother, who I don't think exists, I will personally remove myself from your life"

"Hey, hey. Where is this coming from?"

"I know that you both are stubborn, but I hope you don't ever forget you have a child that still counts on your love."

"And we love you too baby, don't ever forget that" Andrew struggled to a keep his eye on the road from the constant urge to just look into his daughter's eyes and hug her.

Where was this coming from? He didn't know what to do at that moment Jackie would have known what to do, what to say, but she wasn't there.