"Why don't you take your sunglasses off?" he asked.
"The light is bothering my eyes. I went to the eye doctor today and he put some drops in my eyes. I have to keep them covered."
"Don't they usually give you those paper ones to wear?"
"They said these would fine."
The waitress brought us our lunch.
"Greg," he said taking a bite out of his club sandwich. "Is everything okay?"
"Everything's fine."
"It's just that..."
"Why do you care?" I asked. "Why this concern all of a sudden on your part? I mean, where were you when I was growing up?"
"I told you. Your mother-"
"That shouldn't of stopped you. If I wanted to see my child, there wouldn't be anything in heaven and earth that would stop me. Mother just told you you couldn't and you went okay."
"That's not fair."
"What's not fair? You weren't the one who had no one. You just found someone else and started a new family. I was stuck. I had nothing. When I was young I waited for you to come and save me from everything. You didn't come. Now that I can take care of myself. You show up. A day late and a dollar short."
My father got some money out of his wallet and threw it forward. He placed a package on the table.
"This is for your birthday," he said. "I guess it's a day late and a dollar short also."
He left.
I wanted to call him back. I couldn't.
I opened up the gift.
Inside were a baseball mitt and a card.
I looked at the card. Inside were two tickets to opening day at Dodger stadium and a note.
I was glad I had on my sunglasses.
It hid my tears.
