I Think You're My Dad

Anita teared. "Okay. God, I wish I had known you a long time ago."

"I do too. Do you bank online?"

"Yes."

"Come with me. I'll send some money to your account."

They walked inside and into a small room in the hallway. The room was small with no closet and a single window. He sat at the computer desk and opened his banking program.

"I'll need your banking account info." She read off the info from her phone and her entered it into the computer. Then made the transfer. "All set. When you get home take care of things and get yourself a car and whatever else you need."

"Thank you, Dad."

She leaned over behind him and hugged him then kissed his cheek.

"You're welcome. I love you."

"I love you too."

They went to their rooms a short time later for the night.

* * * * *

Chapter 03

Saturday morning, they headed out early for the beach. It was a three-hour drive through the mountains. During the drive Anita filled her father in on much of what he had missed during her youth and teens. She had worn her swimsuit under her clothes and when they arrived at the beach Anita was surprised they were alone.

"Where is everyone?"

"Anita, according to the internet the water temperature is 55 degrees. That's fifteen degrees above my refrigerator."

"I don't care. I have to go in the water. The sun's out and it's a beautiful day. Take pictures for me." He got several of her dressed and then she stripped down to her bikini. He took several more of her posing. "Stand by the water's edge. I'm going to run into the surf and dive right into a wave. I want a video of it."

"Anita, I don't think..."

"Dad, please. I've never been in the ocean. This is the first time I've even seen it."

"Have it your way."

He walked to the blanket and kicked off his sandals then went to the very last of the dry sand. With the video running he gave her a wave. Anita ran toward the water. The second her feet touched the water she realized her mistake, but her momentum kept her moving forward. The wave hit her at about chest level and knocked her backward onto her back. The wave covered her as she scrambled to get up and out of the ocean. It was breathtakingly cold. As the wave receded, she scrambled toward the dry sand. The look of shock on her face could have been from a horror movie. Dean was struggling to hold his laughter.

"Holy fucking, God!" she screamed as she ran at full speed to the blanket and the dry sweat suit. He followed her up the beach. She was shivering as she pulled the hoodie over her head and the sweatpants over her legs. Anita curled into a ball on the blanket. Her father wrapped the unused towel around her head then used the blanket to completely cover her. He turned the video back on and recorded her covered shivering body under the blanket. He stopped recording and sat on the sand next to her. It took a couple of minutes for the shivering to stop and she laid there quietly still in the ball for several more.

"You could have warned me," she said faintly.

"I'm pretty sure I did."

"As my father you should have said, Anita, my lovely daughter, I forbid you to run like an idiot into the freezing water."

"Would it have stopped you?"

"No but you could have said it anyway. Is anyone else on the beach?"

He looked around. "Just us."

"Make sure the blanket stays over me. I've got to get this bikini off before it freezes to me."

She began moving under the blanket and after several minutes she sat up wearing the sweats and holding the bikini in her hand.

"Better?"

"Yes, but I need your body heat." He laid next to her and she rolled into him and stayed there for several minutes before she started laughing. "That was so cold."

"I can't imagine."

"Trust me. It was. So much for the ocean."

"They aren't all like that. One of these days I'll take you to a nice warm one."

"I'm going to hold you to that. Mom's never been to the ocean either. Can we bring her?"

"Sure. She's always welcome."

"Is it okay if we go back to the truck so I can turn the heat on?"

"Here's the keys. You run ahead. I'll bring the stuff back."

"Deal."

She grabbed the keys and ran to the truck, started it, and turned the heater to high. By the time Dean got to the truck she was warm again. With Anita at the wheel, they headed north on highway 101 toward Klamath where they saw the enormous redwoods and rode the skyway through the treetops. On the return trip they stopped for lunch. Dean had continued his questioning as they drove. In Redding they stopped at Trader Joe's for some groceries then returned to the house.

As they looked through the pictures and video they had taken they came across the beach video. Dean played it on the big screen TV, and they laughed uproariously. Anita sent several photos and the video to her mother. Her phone rang about ten minutes later. She answered and put it on speaker.

"Hi, Mom."

Carol was laughing so hard it took her a moment to reply. "Goodness that was funny. You've got to send that to funniest home videos. That's a winner."

"Did you see my expression when I got up?"

"That was priceless. Did you do that today?"

"Yes. It was this morning. After that we went to see the redwoods. God, they're huge. I'll send you some pictures in a little while."

Good. Who are you traveling with? He has a nice laugh."

"It was a guy I met on Thursday after I arrived."

"Good, just be careful."

"I am, Mom. You know me."

"What are you doing this evening?"

"Just hanging out. It was a six hour drive today I'm too pooped to do anything else."

"How about the rest of the weekend?"

"Tomorrow is fishing and swimming. I'm staying right on Lake California. The water's warmer here too."

"Is this guy you met going to be there?" Mom asked.

"He sure is. We have a bet. When I catch the biggest fish, he has to cook me dinner."

"I wish you luck. What are you fishing for?"

"A big fish. I wouldn't know what it was anyway. Mom, you'd love it here."

"Maybe later this summer we can both go. I think it's high time we see something besides cornfields."

"He already invited us back."

"A guy invited your mother?"

"I showed him your picture. He thinks you're a babe."

"Oh Anita, you're so full of it."

"Mom, it's true. He said you're the most beautiful woman this side of Mars."

Carol laughed. "Someone said those exact same words to me once."

"Your High School boyfriend?"

"Yes, D. He always said it like he meant it too."

"Mom, you've still got a thing for him, don't you?"

"It's really strange. Since my dream the other night, I can't think of anything else."

"If you could go back in time and change one thing, what would it be?"

She thought for a moment before answering. "I'd listen to what he wanted to tell me that afternoon in the drug store."

"Chaching!" Anita thought. "What would you do if he called you one day?"

"I'd hang up on him."

"Mom, you make no sense. You obviously love this guy. The one thing in your whole life you'd change would be a chance to talk to him, but you'd hang up on him if he called."

"Anita, you just don't understand. If I talked to him now, he'd hate me anyway. You probably would too."

"You underestimate my love, Mom. And I'm pretty sure his to. Neither of us would hate you and whatever you said would finally be off your chest."

"Anita, I couldn't live knowing either of you hate me. I just can't take that chance. I need to go. My roast needs to come out of the oven."

"You don't have a roast in the oven."

"And how do you know that?"

"You never do a roast when you're alone. Only when me and Aunt Sarah are there."

"Smarty pants," she replied.

"Mom, you're lonely. You're still in love with him. You've kept whatever this is inside for twenty years. You need to resolve it. Track him down. Talk to him. You always told me to say you're sorry if you need to. Maybe you should listen to your own advice."

"Someone's at the door. Gotta run. Call me later in the week." Carol ended the call.

"That was sudden," Dean said.

"She was crying. She doesn't like anyone to know when she cries."

"Anita, I appreciate what you're trying to do but it's hurting her."

"No, it isn't. She knows that telling the truth and apologizing is the right thing to do. She's told me that a thousand times. What's hurting her is not doing it."

Anita's phone rang. She put it on speaker.

"Yes, Mom?"

"There was no one at the door. I lied. I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted."

"I'm not strong enough to face up to this. I really wish I was. It just isn't something I can do. I'm sorry."

"Mom, you're apologizing to the wrong person. If you owe Dean an apology you have to give it to him."

"I know that. I just can't. I love you. Call me this week, please?"

"I will. I love you too. Bye, Mom." She ended the call. "See what I mean, Dad?"

He nodded. "She sounds so, so..."

"Lonely, Dad. She needs you as much as you need her." Anita was tearing.

* * * * *

When Dean got up Sunday morning Anita was already on the dock fishing. She had one line on the bottom and was casting for bass with another. He stood and watched her for a while. She was much better at casting than he was. She caught a small bass and threw it back.

Anita loved fishing. It was peaceful. When troubled she often went to the lake at home and worked out issues while fishing. Her mother did the same thing. This morning she had decided how she was going to address the Mom and Dad problem. When she got home, she would track down both Mr. Worth and Mrs. Tucker. There had to be a way for her to convince them to tell her mother the truth. Getting her mother and father face to face was another issue.

Dean walked down the ramp to the dock.

"Good morning. You should have kept that bluegill it may be your biggest catch of the day."

"Shush, you're scaring off the fish."

"Fish don't have ears."

"No but they have vibratory sensors that pick-up sound waves as vibrations. Hush."

"Yes ma'am. You're better at casting than I am."

"You should see Mom. She can drop the line in a freakin coffee cup from thirty feet. I'm not exaggerating that either."

"Wow, I'd like to see that."

"You're going to. Right here on this dock."

"Want some coffee?" he asked.

"No thanks but some water would be nice."

"With lemon?"

She looked at him and smiled. "Sure."

"You have such a beautiful smile."

"Thanks, I got it from Mom."

"I know."

He went inside and returned shortly with an insulated mug.

"Thank you. What are you fixing me for dinner?"

"You haven't won yet."

"Yes, I have. What are you fixing?"

"Well, if you win, what would you like?"

"If I win? Right! I've already won. Burgers, onion rings and fresh fruit. If I win? What a joke."

"Weight has to be verified. If you caught something and threw it back it doesn't count."

"Changing the rules, are we?"

"Weights are always verified in a tournament."

"Dad, the tournament is all over but the crying."

"Anita, I haven't even put a line in yet."

"No point in it you're wasting your time with that. Relax and enjoy your coffee and watch the winner do her magic."

"What's the biggest you've ever caught?"

"Channel cat, I didn't have a scale with me. When I cut him open to filet him, he had a 55-gallon drum in his stomach."

"You are so full of it," he laughed.

She chuckled. "One time Mom and I were fishing. We were having a contest too and stored the fish in a cooler. We saw everything each other caught. When we were at the cleanup station, she pulled out a huge cat from the bottom of the cooler. I saw her catch that day. She would never admit it, but she cheated. Don't trust her."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. She cheats."

"I can't picture that. How funny."

"She isn't a naive sixteen-year-old anymore, Dad. She's a very capable woman who takes her fishing seriously. She's got two other tricks too. If you leave to go to the bathroom, she'll reel your line in, take off your bait and cast it right back where you had it. She carries fishing pliers in her pocket when she fishes. She'll tell you that you need to check your bait then will grab the line offering to check it for you. What she does is take the pliers and cut the barb off your hook."

"That devious little cheater. I'll remember that."

"My pole has 'accidentally' fallen in the water a couple of times too. She's totally untrustworthy when fishing. Any other time she's as honest as the day is long."

"If it ever happens, I'll watch her."

They fished until about eleven. Dean caught a couple of small cats. Anita snagged about a three-pound cat but didn't even bother to weigh it before setting it free.

"Well, that's it. I won," Anita said putting her poles away.

"How do you figure. You let that one go before we verified the weight. That's a draw in my book," he replied.

"It would be, but you forgot about Old Roy."

"Who is Old Roy?"

She walked to the end of the dock and pulled up the line stringer. "This is Old Roy. Six pounds, four ounces. Get the scale."

Amazed at the size of the fish he did just that. It was six pounds and four ounces.

"When did you catch this?"

"About ten minutes before you came outside. I win!"

"I concede to the lady with the beautiful smile and the big catfish."

He bowed to her.

"Get a pic. I want to send it to the cheater."

He took out his phone and took a couple of pictures. After reviewing them she sent one to her Mom."

A reply came in just a few minutes. Dean opened it.

'Very nice. Your gentleman friend is handsome.'

He smiled and showed the reply to Anita.

"Oh crap," she said as she looked more closely at the picture. "Dad, you've been made."

"What do you mean? I'm not in the picture."

Anita handed him the phone. "Zoom in on my sunglasses." He did and saw himself clearly in the reflective mirrors. "Ray Charles could see that's you. Give me the phone. I'll try and play it down." She replied.

'Handsome cat.'

'Very!' was the reply.

"Let's just leave it at that and see if she says anything else."

The phone chirped.

'You should throw him back. Someone else might get lucky enough to catch him someday.'

"She's toying with us. She knows," Anita said.

'Mom, he's a keeper.'

''I still think you should leave him for someone else.'

'Anyone in particular?'

'You never know.'

Anita was laughing.

'Are you still bringing me there next time?'

'You bet. Anytime you're ready.'

'Not quite yet but I'm considering it. Have fun. Mom out.'

"Dad, read this. She knows."

Anita handed him his phone. He read the message exchange.

"I think you're reading into this. She could be talking about the fish," he replied.

"She could be, but she isn't. I know Mom. She's thinking about seeing you."

* * * * *

Carol went to her computer and opened the email she had just sent herself. She zoomed in on the sunglasses and smiled.

"That sneaky little shit," she said to herself.

She minimized the photo and opened the browser then typed 'Dean Coates Cottonwood.' His image popped up along with his office info in Cottonwood. She clicked on another link and found his home address then opened another browser and typed that in. His house sat right on Lake California. There was another link to a realtor and after clicking that she toured the house. "Beautiful place," she said. One picture showed the dock. She reopened the photo of Anita and zoomed out. The house behind her was the same as on the realtor site. She closed the realtor site after putting the address in her phone. Then opened another browser and entered the phone number that the picture of Anita and the fish had come from. Dean Coates was the result. She saved the number to her address book then closed the browser. His image was onscreen next to the photo of Anita. With a right click she opened the menu and saved his photo then sat looking at both. "What else do you two know?" she asked out loud. Carol looked at his picture for a long time as tears streamed down her cheeks. She remembered that black hair, the big brown eyes, and the dimples that were not visible last time she saw him. The marks and bruises were gone. He looked alive and happy here. So different from the image she had carried all these years. She closed the browser window. "You know, don't you, baby girl?" she asked out loud. Carol cried.

* * * * *

Dean did wind up fixing dinner that night, but Anita helped. He talked to his pictures for a long time. Before going to bed he opened the community app and added Anita to the guest list then as an afterthought he added Carol too.

Monday morning, he dressed in his scrubs and had Anita drop him off. She would be back at 11:30 to meet everyone and have lunch. He gave his debit card to Alex to order pizza for everyone then began the day seeing patients. Just as he was going into a room at 11:15 he told Alex she was coming and to have her wait for him at his desk. The patient he was about to see had a large laceration and would require about thirty minutes to suture.

When he walked into his office Anita was sitting at his desk. She and Alex were talking. Alex went to discharge the patient and straighten the room while he completed his doctor's note. It was twelve o'clock.

"Ready for lunch?" he asked.

"Starved," she replied.

They walked down the hall to the staff lounge. Everyone in the office was there which was the norm when free food was involved. He and Anita stepped just inside.

"Everyone," he said. All eyes turned to him. "I'd like to introduce someone. This is Anita Reynolds, my daughter."

Mouth's dropped. For a moment you could have heard a pin drop.

"Well now we know he had a real life once," the pediatrician said. "It's nice to meet you, Anita."

Everyone greeted her and introduced themselves. They made a spot for them at the table and made Anita a part of the family. In no time they were all laughing and chatting with her. The nurse practitioner, Angela, came to him and bent down between them.

"When did you take a few minutes off to make a baby?" she asked.

"Labor Day, twenty-three years ago."

"Why have you been hiding her?"

"I haven't. We just had DNA testing Friday. I had no idea."

"Congratulations! Who's the Mom."

"My girlfriend from High School."

"The one at the Home?"

"Uh huh," he replied.

"What did she say about your back?"

He shook his head at her.

"What about your back, Dad?"

"Wait till you see what those bastards did to him," Angela said.

"Angie, that's enough," he scolded.

"Sorry, I didn't realize it was classified."

"What happened to your back?" Anita asked.

"Anita, how long are you in town?" the office manager asked.

"I leave Wednesday afternoon."

"Dean, admin called they've got two providers with nothing to do this week. Why don't you take tomorrow and Wednesday off and spend it with your daughter?"

"Deal. Can you arrange it?"

"I'll send a text right now."

"Thanks," he replied.

"Dad, you didn't answer my question."

"Just an old injury. I'll tell you about it this evening."

"Anita, some of us are going out for drinks this evening. If you'll join us, we'll tell you all kinds of crap on your Dad," Alex said.

Anita grinned then looked at her Dad. "Will you go too?" she asked.

"He never goes. We've invited him every time for the last three years. He'd rather go home and be alone," Tania told her.

"Dad and I would love to go. Wouldn't we, Dad?"

"Uh, sure," he replied.

"Finally, someone that has some pull," Alex and everyone else laughed.

"Dad wants you all to know drinks are on him tonight," Anita announced, grinning at her Dad.

Everyone applauded.

"Long Branch Saloon at seven," Tania told him.

"We'll be there," he said.