"Kim ?" Audrey said softly to get her attention.
"Oh ! Mrs Raines... If you are sent by my father or if you are here to talk about him you can go right now."
"You're right, I'm here to talk about him but I'm not gonna go."
They both stayed quiet but seeing that Kim didn't say anything and continued what she was doing, Audrey carried on.
"Why do you behave like that ?"
"I don't need you to tell me what I have to do. He made me get out of his place. That means that he doesn't need me anymore. He can do what he wants with his life, like he said it's not my business anymore."
"You are wrong."
She laughed a little and looked at Audrey. "I had forgotten that you know him better than me." She stopped a moment and continued. "You always knew him as a 'bureaucrat' with a suit, a tie... until the day you saw him on the field, when you saw his real personality. What he was capable of doing. You didn't recognize him, right ? You realized that you didn't know him as good as you thought."
"I saw an other side of him. And I didn't understand him on the fly. I even hold a grudge toward him after the death of my ex-husband. But once I had lost him, I realized how much I missed him and that I could accept this other part of him. Everyone has the right to make mistakes, Kim."
"Yeah… but the problem with him is that he pays more attention to his job than to his family."
"Fortunately there are some men like him, Kim. That doesn't mean that he doesn't love his family and you especially. He needs you, trust me."
"He has you now."
"You're his daughter, this is totally different and no one can replace you."
"You know… he doesn't seem to be the same man I knew before."
"Before what ?"
"I don't know exactly."
"But as you just said : he is a man. And a man needs some people around him to hold him up."
"If he would like to be surrounded he would be in touch with his entire family."
"What do you mean ?"
"My grandmother, his own mother. I only have her, my maternal grandparents are dead; so is his father."
"I didn't know that. He has never talked about them. He doesn't visit his mother anymore ?"
"No, but I still do. In a sense, he makes her responsible the death of his father. He was 17."
"It runs in the family !"
Kim seemed to have thoughts about him and said :
"If I call him, he won't gonna want to see me."
"I could organize that. He must call me when he finishes his debrief. I tell him to meet me somewhere and you go in my place. I will come over later."
"That way he'll have a grudge not only against me but also against you. I don't think that is a good idea."
"I'm sure he will understand why I do that."
"Alright. We can try." When she was ending her sentence, Audrey's cell phone rang. She picked up.
"Allô ?"
"It's me. I have just finished, I am leaving the building."
"So soon ? Great ! Where do you want to go ?"
"I can meet you at the café where we used to go ?"
"Okay, you can be there in how long ?"
"About... 20 minutes I think."
"Alright. See you there !"
"See you," and they hang up. "Do you have something to do in the next hour ?" she asked to Kim with a smile. "I can bring you to the meeting-place."
"What if he asks me how I knew that he would be at this café ?"
"Tell him the truth."
When they arrived, Jack was sat at a table of the café.
"Go," Audrey said winking at Kim. Audrey could tell she was nervous. "It's gonna be alright. Don't worry. I have to go some place but I'll be back."
"Okay..." She started walking to the table, Jack turning his back on her. When she was just behind him, she began by a "Hi, Dad."
He looked back in a sharp motion. "What are you doing here ? How did you know I was here ?"
She answered as she sat at the table with him. "You would be surprised how I knew that."
"What do you mean ?" he asked didn't understand anything anymore.
"Skip it. Look... I'm really really sorry about everything I have said yesterday. I know I have been a fathead to say that to you."
"Listen, we both know how this is going to end. Once again we are going to end this conversation on a quarrel so..."
"I don't think so." She took a moment. "I saw Audrey."
"What ?" He exclaimed, though he now understood their plan. He was surprised but not angry.
"Look, I really would like to take back what I've told you, please..." she carried on.
He looked somewhere else, embarrassed. He didn't say anything but she never talked to him as she did and it hurt him.
"I miss you," she said with a little voice.
He fixed his look on her, stunned.
They spoke for about twenty minutes. They seemed to understand each other now and to be able to speak freely.
Once again : a ringtone, Jack's cellphone…
"Excuse me." He took his cellphone and picked up. Being about to start a "Ba..." , he refrained from saying it.
"Allo ?" he finally said.
"Good ! You made some progress !"
"I just remembered what my excellent teacher told me earlier."
"I can see that... Can I come to join you ?" Audrey asked shyly.
"Of course you can. Plus, I really want to see you."
"Okay, I'm not far, I'll be right there. I love you."
"Me too. See you soon." and he hung up with a smile.
"I'm glad to see you like that, daddy." He looked at her without understanding what she was talking about.
"Smiling... I have waited so long since Mum died to see you like that. Now I know thanks to whom."
"Yeah... you must be right," he answered still smiling.
"By the way, you're gonna live in your hotel room for how long ?"
"I don't know yet."
"Why don't you live with Audrey ?"
"Kim... it's not a decision which can be made alone. We hadn't talked about that yet, we have to discuss about that together and… after what happened we need some times."
Audrey came over.
"Hey ! How are you ?" she sat down near them.
"Fine," and after a moment he added "Thank you." He didn't have to explain himself, she understood what he meant.
"It's okay." She smiled at him taking his hand in hers.
"I was just talking about the fact that you could live together, what do you think ?"
"Kim..." he said trying to interrupt her.
"Don't tell me you wouldn't appreciate that ?" she continued.
"In fact... I was about to suggest you come to my place. I mean... you can't stay in a hotel room for the rest of your life," Audrey said.
"You still have your house ? You didn't take a flat?" he asked.
"No. I couldn't leave the house. So I kept it and sincerely it is way too big for me… alone." she added with a malicious look.
"So... you're serious about trying ?"
"Yes…"
"Hm... Why not ? It's worth to trying… By the way, you don't have to go to work ?"
"No, I have a day off today."
"That's a good news !"
They took something to drink and eat like a normal family.
Jack raised his hand a little in order to call a waiter. One of them saw Jack and went toward him.
"Yes Sir ?"
"Could we have the check, please ?" he asked.
"I will get it."
"Thank you"
"And what are you gonna do this afternoon ?" Kim asked continuing the conversation while Jack was taking his wallet out of his pocket.
"We think of going to visit my father." Audrey answered.
"At the hospital." Jack completed.
"Is it serious ?" Kim asked a little worried.
"No he is fine. He just needed some rest after the events of the other day." she said.
The waiter came back with the check.
"There we are," he said bringing it. Kim tried to take it but Jack did it faster.
"No. Don't even think about that," he said with a smile. "Thank you," he added to the waiter.
After having paid, he turned towards Kim and Audrey.
"Ladies, I don't think you want to spend the afternoon here..."
"No, not really," they said laughing.
They all stood up. Jack slipped his jacket on, so did the girls.
"By the way, how did you come here ?" he asked to Kim.
"Audrey took me along." she answered.
"So we will take you back."
"No, no. It's okay. I have to go shopping. I will call Barry after his work. He is not far from here. He can take me back."
"Are you sure ?"
"Yes, don't worry about me, Dad."
"Okay." He approached and hugs her. "I love you. Don't forget that," he murmured and then he kissed her on her forehead.
"I love you too, Dad," she said looking in his eyes.
"We stay in touch."
"Of course," she said with a smile. "Bye Audrey," she added.
"Good afternoon Kim," Audrey answered.
"Take care," Jack told to Kim.
"You too."
Then, Audrey and Jack walked to their cars. Kim watched them going away. She smiled when she saw her father, hand in hand with Audrey, laughing with her. It had been a long time since she last saw him happy.
Jack and Audrey arrived near her car.
"Hey," he said holding her by her arm. "Thank you," he added after a moment.
"You're welcome." And she kissed him.
"I follow you to the hospital with my car.