Echoes by Dylan Page

Author:Dylan Page [Page, Dylan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-10-30T04:00:00+00:00

It was later that evening, after Gramps had left and Mom was getting Maverick ready for bed, that Dad and I went out to the garage to work on our bikes together. He turned on a playlist, the voice of Bob Dylan filling the space as he sang about the shelter between him and his love slowly crumbling over time. As sad as it sounds, the song itself is beautiful and Dad was always a sucker for a nice acoustic melody.

We worked in comfortable silence for a while, though occasionally he’d hum under his breath to a catchy verse or two. That was the thing about the time I spent with my dad; we didn’t feel the need to fill the quiet with endless chatter like my sisters did. It was nice just to have company but also some peace.

I glanced over at him often, noting that the silver in his golden hair was more prominent lately, like middle age was starting to catch up to him. The scar along the side of his face wasn’t as noticeable, only when he smiled and the crow’s feet at the edges of his eyes pulled it tight. I remember asking him how he had gotten it, and he’d said something about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’d been a little kid when I had asked but hadn’t thought of it since.

“I know I’m good-looking, kid, but I’m married,” he said, polishing the black exterior to his bike. His icy blue eyes flickered my way and he winked.

I chuckled and rolled my eyes, murmuring under my breath, “You know, I heard that modesty is an attractive quality in a person.”

“Yeah, but I never said I was modest. Besides, I already got me a girl, so I don’t have to worry about what others think.”

“Good God,” I laughed and shook my head, momentarily forgetting my task as I got up to stretch, my back cracking a little before I collapsed in one of the stools set up by the work benches. Dad got up, too, though his joints sounded far creakier than mine. I noticed how he winced ever so slightly as he put his hands on his knees for a few seconds, bracing himself, before he rose all the way.

“Old man,” I muttered under my breath, smirking when he flipped me off behind his back as he opened the fridge in the corner and grabbed himself a beer.

“Just means I’m like a red wine, appreciated with age.” He tossed a soda to me, but I didn’t open it, having fallen for his tricks multiple times in the past when I’d open it only to find myself covered in the sticky, fizzy drink. Dad loved practical jokes, and his shaking soda cans were a classic. Instead, I tapped the top, letting it settle as he joined me on the second stool, sighing heavily as he muttered, “But I think I am getting too old for this shit,” like he suddenly realized that maybe I was on to something.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.