108- How feels a magic moment

“I’m going to miss you, Blair.”
I smile at the saddened tone as I park my luggage by the front door. “I’ll be back.” I turn to her. “At least, by your seventh month. There’s no way I’m letting you go through those last two months alone, especially when Matthew might not be here.”
“Alright,” she says. “Do you have everything?”
“Yeah, except my purse, flats and belt. They’re on my bed. I’ll go get them.” With that, I hurry away just as the doorbell rings.
I grab the remaining things I have in the room and head back out into the living room. My soul nearly leaves my body however when I see who’s standing at the door.
Grady’s father removes his hat from his head.
For a second, I have to confirm if he’s even the same person. The last time I met him, he had been beyond disheveled and dirty, his clothes in tatters, his white beard overgrown and unkempt, but right now the man before me looks like a completely different person. His head is completely shaved, his beard neatly trimmed, and he has on a clean pair of jeans and a black dress shirt.
“Can I come in?” he asks.
Lee Rang looks at me with the questions in her eyes.
“You can,” I reply. “Lee Rang, this is my ex-boss’s father.” “Oh,” she replies. “Hello. Good morning.”
“Good morning,” he replies. “This is your sister?” “Yes, she is,” I respond

His smile is sad. “Your father used to talk about you both all the time. She is the one that used to call you blah, I suppose?”
Tears sting my eyes. How the hell did he know that?
Even Lee Rang looks startled to her core. She leads him to the living room. “Can I get you something to drink?” I ask. “Tea? Water? Juice?”
“Just water will be fine,” he replies.
As I fetch it for him, my mind goes into overdrive wondering why in the hell he could possibly be here. Perhaps to offer some sort of condolence? Perhaps on behalf of Grady?
With a shuddering exhale, I take the glass over and offer it to him. Then I stand by Lee Rang who is seated in the armchair as we both watch him take a sip.
He looks at the both of us and gives a heartfelt smile. “I’m sure that I’m not exactly welcome here,” he says “But I couldn't stop myself from coming. For one, Grady threatened my life if I didn't come over to fix the damage I have caused between the both of you.”
My heart drops into my stomach.
“He’s in love with you, you know,” he says. “I don’t know if you realize it and I don’t know if he does either, but there is a connection between you both that I have never seen him have with anyone.”
I shift my weight from one leg to the other, as I feel Lee Rang’s gaze settle on me.
“Anyway,” he continues. “I want to formally apologize to the both of you. Everyone I have told my story to has tried to console me, that the accident was not my fault and that any of the other soldiers could have slipped or gotten into some sort of trouble but I have never agreed to accept that way out. And I don’t think I ever will. It is my cross to bear and I will continue to carry it. But I will be damned if I let this also affect Grady. I’ve hurt him and neglected him over the years and the last thing that I want is for me to do it all over again with this revelation. When the accident happened, I went to all of the soldier’s families to deliver the news of their loved ones demise. I saw them break down in tears and be torn apart by the pain, and I soaked it all in. I remember visiting your home and I met your mother. I didn’t meet either of you then but I knew of you as your father carried your pictures in his wallet. I handed them over to her then. I also have one of the both of us during one of our happier times at our base. I thought that maybe you’d like to have it. It was one of his absolutely enthralling moments of just pure joy. He was laughing as we drank together and I’ve kept it to myself all these years to remember him by. But I think it’s time to hand it over.” He reaches into his pocket and retrieves the small envelope then passes it over.

I accept it. I open the envelope and indeed, see a somewhat wrinkled picture of my father, along with a few of his military buddies. There are guns all around them, and in his hand is a bottle of beer lifted to his lips. There is also the very familiar and contagious smile across his face.
Quietly, both Lee Rang and I study the picture with a sad smile, then we put it away, so we can pay attention to him.
“I only a-apologized to your mother back then,” he says, “But today, I want to apologize to the both of you. I’m incredibly sorry from the bottom of my heart for what my ego cost your family. I do not expect you to forgive me but I do hope that you will gain some sort of solace from the fact that I am tormented by it every single second of my life. Blair,” he calls to me.
I drag my gaze to him.
“Please don’t abandon Grady because of me. I am the one who committed these wrongs, but he is completely innocent. I deserve your hate and rejection but he doesn't, so I hope that you will be able to look past the misfortune of him having me for a father.”
I look away from him.
He rises to his feet. After a deep bow to the both of us, he replaces his hat on his head and exits our home.
After he closes the door behind him, Lee Rang and I are quiet for a very long time. And then she turns to me. “Are you still going to leave?”
I turn my gaze towards my packed luggage at the entrance to the house and release a heavy sigh. “It all depends on Grady, I guess.”