Chapter Twenty-Two: Sixteen Years, Three Months
"Uh, I have news," Zoe told Tony, grimacing.
Tony looked at her, the expression on her face making him feel uneasy. "Bad news?"
She half-shrugged hesitantly. "Well, not exactly…It's… Look, I'm just gonna tell you, okay?"
Tony nodded and looked at her intently.
"Well, uh, I'm going on an exchange program in June. To Paris." She looked up at him. "For a year."
A year? A whole year without seeing her? But… but she was his… how would he keep track of time if…?
"That's great, Zoe," he found himself saying, not completely convincingly.
"But I won't see you for a year, Dad, and what with… I… I'll write a lot, I promise, I almost decided not to go but Grandma convinced me that I should, and I really want to, but I don't want to… I don't want you to think I'm just abandoning you."
He shook his head quickly. "I don't think that."
Zoe fidgeted. "Yeah, but then there's the other news…"
"There's more news?"
Zoe gritted her teeth and averted her eyes for a moment before exhaling sharply and looking back at Tony. "Mom and Oliver are getting married."
Michelle, walking down the aisle with Oliver not Tony, Michelle standing there, looking so perfect in her wedding dress, smiling at Oliver not Tony, Michelle, exchanging her vows with Oliver not Tony, Michelle, drinking wine on her honeymoon with Oliver not Tony, Michelle, snuggling in front of the TV with Oliver not Tony, Michelle, growing old with that imbecile Oliver not Tony…
"Oh…" he said.
"I'm sorry, Dad," Zoe said, cringing.
"No, no Zoe, don't be sorry, it's good, I'm happy for them…"
She shook her head. "That may be, but it's not the point…"
Then what is the point?
But he didn't ask, for fear of the answer making him cry in front of her.
Author's Note: To Joe's Girl: I had to laugh when I read your question and realized that this chapter was next… did it clarify things enough? ;)