Page 58

Twenty-Three

The music is loud, and everyone is mingling. I have even calmed down after being ambushed by my ex-wife Tracey showing up uninvited. The empty top floor of 492 Broome Street was the perfect venue; the events planner, caterers, and decorators made it look like this is what it was meant for. Later this week contractors will come in and finish the planned renovations for me.

Looking around the room, at all these so called friends along with some family, there’s a loneliness that settles in me. Once my kids go back to school, I’ll be alone again, with nothing but time and my own company. It makes me think of Channing, and I wonder if she’s out in her car tonight; she said she and Oakley had plans. I imagine her driving about the city looking gorgeous in it, that bright smile on her face. It would have been nice to have her with me, but I can only imagine how the earlier part of this evening would have gone, when the triplets’ mother waltzed in here.

The events planner taps me on the shoulder. “We’re ready to do cake and speeches,” she says with her best customer service smile.

“Thank you.”

Everyone gathers around the enormous cake, which is decorated as beautifully as the room. I smooth my jacket collar, and for a minute remember that Channing made it. The fabric hugging my body was stitched together and made by her. It fits better than any suit I’ve worn, and I have worn a few.

I clink my glass, to get everyone quiet. “Thank you everyone for joining us tonight to celebrate triple-trouble turning twenty-one. I hope you have all enjoyed the celebration so far.” There are a few claps, and Tala’s smile is wide. “Twenty-one, to me, is a bigger one than eighteen or sixteen, it’s really the start of adulthood. You three are almost done with college and will be starting your ‘real’ lives soon.” I look at my sons, they look like men tonight. “So, to start you off on the right path into ‘real’ adulthood, I decided that this year I would give you a special gift.” Their eyes light up, waiting for the usual cars, horses, or material things. “This gorgeous building, 492 Broome Street, is almost fully renovated. And as of today, it belongs to the three of you.” Tala gasps and Lycan looks confused. “There’s an apartment for each of you, so when you’re done with college, you don't need to live with dear old dad; there’s two rental spaces so you can learn to earn your keep. The cafe downstairs is thriving and it’s all yours.”

“Wow,” Fallon says, and of the three I think he comprehends the value of what I have given them the most. Tala is wiping tears from her eyes.

“Thank you, Dad.” She comes and hugs me.”

“Let’s toast the triplets.” I raise my glass. “Happy birthday.” The very bad chorus of friends and family sings to them, and they blow out their candles. Now the real party can start — the music changes, chairs are cleared so there’s space to dance.

“Do you want to go look at the apartments?” I ask Tala who is standing beside me with a teary smile. She nods.

“I can’t believe you bought us a building,” she says.

“You have everything else,” I say, because it’s true. These three want for nothing in life, and I have zero regrets about giving it to them.

“Thank you, Dad, I have been thinking about where I’d go after graduation. This is so perfect.” She looks so beautiful in the dress Oakley made her. We take the elevator down to what I decided is her floor, between the two boys’ apartments. The whole floor is hers. Finished in whites and warm woods, I adore what the decorators did. The giant windows flood it with light during the day and make sure it’s got the city atmosphere at night. Tala walks around twirling and touching every surface. “Are they all the same?” she asks — all the same is something triplets hate.

“No, each one was designed and decorated for you personally.” I watch her taking it all in.

“I really am going to be grownup, not living in student digs, or with you. Like this is going to be my real life. Where I—” She doesn’t say more, she gets lost in her thoughts.

“Let’s go back up before they miss us. I’m sure they’re getting drunk and disorderly by now. I have arranged for you and your friends to all stay in Fallon’s apartment after the party and the cafe downstairs will sort food for you.” I don’t want them driving around drunk and getting into trouble.

“You are an amazing dad.” Tala and I go join the shenanigans upstairs.

She joins her friends and brothers dancing and laughing like no one is watching, and I head to the bar area to get a drink. Some of my friends are at the bar, carefully avoiding Tracey. I sit next to Luke and signal for the barman to bring me a drink. My friend is well on his way to being very drunk, everything is funny. It’s usually the beginning of the end when he gets this way — I guess when you have a job like his, you need to blow off steam. The stress of being a doctor is one thing, but a ladies’ doctor, that should probably come with a lifetime supply of Xanax. Tala comes up beside me and orders a ginger-ale, obviously she knows her limit. She’s been very good tonight compared to her brothers, she’s acted like a lady.

“Man,” Luke turns to me, his eyes red, and his words slushy and slow. He looks past me to Tala. “I cannot fucking believe you’re about to be a dad and grandad in the same year.” Tala drops her glass, creating even more of a scene than his too loud drunken statement. Her mother clearly heard him too because she comes flying from the end of the bar towards us. My heart stops for a minute, and Tala looks at me; her bottom lip quivers. Before I can talk to her, I turn to Luke who right now I’d like to throttle.

“You better explain what you just said.” I get in his face. “Very quickly.”

“Tala and Channing,” he says like I am the idiot, not him. I spin around.

“Tala?” She is already crying, her hands shaking.

“I’m so sorry, Dad.”

“Is that why the cowardly little cunt ran away?” She nods, and I am instantly homicidal. This isn’t how the night was meant to go. Her life wasn’t meant to go this way! She’s twenty-one, I was twenty-four, and it fucking wrecked my life. The boys are standing either side of her now, and everyone has their eyes on us. Even the music seems softer. Tracey looks about ready to burst – her face red, her anger about to be set loose on Luke. The only thing stopping her is that this is already creating a scene in front of people.

“I will fucking murder him.” I ball my fists because my anger has nowhere else to go.

“I already kicked his ass,” Fallon says. He puts a protective hand on his sister's shoulder, and I know all three of them knew — and not one of them broke their special sibling bond to tell me. Rage courses through my veins, as I wait before I open my mouth to talk to Tala.

“You’re all making a scene,” their mother hisses trying to diffuse the bomb she knows is going to go off, “Do this at home, later. We can all talk then.”

“I don’t care if I’m making a scene,” I yell at her, then immediately correct myself. It’s not right to yell at her, or anyone. “It’s not like everyone didn’t already hear him.” I point and glare at Luke who has realized what he’s done. He’s silent, his face pale, and I can see the sweat on his forehead. He knows he fucked up — in a massive way.

“Dad, please,” Tala pleads looking around the room at everyone staring. She’s uncomfortable. I stop, I take a breath and quiet my voice so that no one else can hear me.