Page 190 of Slapshot Baby

My voice holds, though my chest is beating hard enough that I can hear it in my ears. "I'd like your blessing."

Her chin shakes. Tears spill down her cheeks, fast and quiet.

"You stayed," she says. "After everything, you stayed."

"I was never planning to leave."

She crosses the kitchen, takes my face in both her hands, and pulls my forehead down to meet hers. Her palms are warm and damp from the dishes.

"You have my blessing, Kai." Her voice splinters on my name. "Take care of my Ava."

"Yes, ma'am."

She lets go, wipes her face with the back of her hands, then returns to the dishes like nothing happened. But her shoulders are shaking, and she doesn't turn around for a while.

I find Dennis on the front porch. He's sitting on the top step, leaning back on his palms, watching the street.

"Mind if I sit?"

"There’s plenty of room." He scoots over. The porch step creaks.

A sprinkler ticks somewhere. A truck passes on the next street over.

"So," he says. "Are you going to tell me why I'm here?"

"I want to marry your daughter. I'm asking for your blessing."

Dennis doesn't move for a while, his face still turned toward the light. Then he laughs, sounding surprised.

"You're something else, you know that?" He shakes his head, still smiling. "You're out here asking me like my opinion's worth something."

"It is."

"Is it?"

"Ava loves you. She left a door open for you even when it would've been easier to shut it. If she thinks you belong in her life, then I'm going to respect that."

His throat moves. "She gets that from her mother, you know. The hoping. What I’ll tell you is Ava is the best thing I ever had a hand in making. And if she picked you, that tells me you're the real deal."

He puts his hand on my shoulder. "You've got my blessing, Kai."

He squeezes my shoulder once, lets go, and leans back on his palms again.

I stand, brush off my jeans, and walk back inside.

Lucy is in the hallway, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. Her hazel eyes pin me.

I stop. “I want to marry your sister, Lucy.”

"You asked my mom?"

"I did."

"And Da… Dennis?"

"Yes."

She pushes off the wall, steps closer. Her face hardens.