"Logan!" I cried. "What are you doing here?"
"I could've asked you the very same question. I thought you were out."
"I was, but I needed to come and get changed," I replied.
Just then, I realized the obvious fact I had overlooked. He was standing, without a wheelchair or cane to aid him.
"You're walking!"
"Yes," he nodded placidly, as he put one hand in his jacket pocket. "I awoke this morning and found that I could bend my knees. Truly shocking. So, I figured, 'why not try?' And, I got up and here I am." He smiled. "Thank you."
"Oh…Do you know how great this is?" I asked, rushing towards him. Immediately I surrounded him in a big hug, but had to be careful not to squish him. I was so much stronger than he, not to mention the fact he was probably still rather weak from having walked so much. "I can't wait to tell Mom…" I began, but stopped abruptly as I remembered that Mom was in heat.
"That's what I came over here for, I wanted to tell Max the good news." He nodded in the direction of the flowers. "Those are for her."
"Crap," I muttered under my breath as I backed away from him.
"What?"
"Uh…Mom can't see you right now."
"Really? Why not?"
"She doesn't feel good."
"Is she ok?" Logan asked, worried about his "precious love".
"Oh, yeah, it's probably just one of those twenty-four hour bugs."
"Is she here? I'd like to see her anyhow."
"No, she's with Original Cindy," I told him.
"Original Cindy?" he echoed. "Why?"
"Long story," I replied, hoping that he would accept that as an answer. It wasn't like I could tell him about Mom and her crazy heat cycles. That would most definitely scare the guy.
I walked over and sat down on one of the stools next to the countertop, admiring the flowers. They were indeed very pretty, and I couldn't wait until Mom saw them. Unfortunately, there was another man in the way. Dad.
"Logan?" I asked him as he watched something on the street below.
"Yeah?"
He moved towards me with ease, wearing black slacks and a blue sweater that accented his eyes. Despite the fact they were hidden behind thick glasses, his eyes still shone brightly. He must've been a looker when he was younger. But now, he was definitely too old for my liking.
"There's a little problem about you and Mom right now."
"What?" he asked, almost horrified that something was wrong. Sitting down next to me, he made eye contact with me and wouldn't look away.
"Dad's back," I told him frankly.
"Zack?"
"Yes, that'd be him."
"And he's staying here?"
"Mm-hm, but right now, he's out with some friends. I don't, well, I just wanted to let you know," I stuttered, not sure exactly what to say to him. I mean telling him that, "hey, my dad might just snap your neck if you hit on my mom" seemed too brutal.
Logan laughed faintly, amused almost at what I had said, but on the same point, he wasn't laughing at me. "This relationship between your mom and I? This was happening long before you came along."
"I didn't know that. I hate to say it, but she's never mentioned you."
"Not surprising. Zack hates me."
"Hates you? Why?" Logan seemed like a genuinely good guy, and my dad usually only hated evil people-specifically Lydecker. But, he was dead anyhow.
Logan laughed again, this time rather amused. "You want me to understand why Zack is the way he is? He's your dad, and I'm pretty sure you don't even understand why he is the way he is."
I rose to my feet and Logan, politely, followed suit. "I'll let Mom know you stopped by-if that's ok with you."
"That's fine. Tell her I hope she feels better."
"Will do," I replied with a forced smile, remembering exactly why Mom couldn't see him.
"Thanks Alanza."
"For what?" I asked as he stood in the doorway, ready to leave.
"For giving me my life back."
