A father processes the hardest news of his week. His daughter needs to talk about the car.
Olivia: hey dad
do you have a minute
Ray: Of course. I was actually going to call you today.
Olivia: oh
okay good
so I need to tell you something and I don't really know how to start
Ray: Take your time.
Whatever it is, I want you to hear me first.
I have some things I should have said to you a long time ago.
Olivia: no wait I need to go first
because I've been feeling terrible about this all week
and I just need to say it
Ray: Okay. I'm listening.
Olivia: so last thursday
when you let me take the car to lena's
Ray: I remember.
Olivia: it happened so fast
I didn't see it coming at all
and by the time I realized what was happening it was already too late
Ray: That's exactly what it felt like for me too.
When something like that happens,
your whole sense of what comes next just shifts.
Olivia: yeah
yeah that's exactly it
and I've just been sitting with it since thursday
I feel so sick about it
Ray: You don't need to feel sick about it.
None of this is your fault.
Olivia: dad it is literally my fault
Ray: Olivia.
Olivia: I was the one driving
Ray: These things find you. There's no outrunning them.
Olivia: I mean
I kind of could have
I was going too fast and I knew it
Ray: You've always moved through the world at full speed. That's not a flaw.
Olivia: okay I feel like you'd feel differently if you saw the passenger side
Ray: I'm not worried about the passenger side.
Olivia: ...you're not
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Ray: I've had a week to sit with it.
I'm past the shock.
Olivia: wait
you already knew??
Ray: I found out Thursday.
Olivia: THURSDAY
dad that's the same day
I've been trying to call you all week
Ray: I know. I didn't answer. I needed time.
Olivia: oh my god
who told you
Ray: The doctor called in the morning.
Olivia: ...
Olivia: what
Ray: I should have told you right away. I'm sorry.
Olivia: why would the doctor call you about the car
Ray: I had some bloodwork done. The results came back.
I'm okay, Olivia. I need you to know that first.
Olivia: dad
what did the results say
Ray: Something we're going to deal with. It's manageable. I promise.
Olivia: I don't —
I was calling to tell you about the car
and now you're saying —
Ray: The car is the last thing I'm thinking about right now.
Olivia: I know but you haven't seen it
it's completely crushed. there's no going back.
Ray [reacted with ??]: it's completely crushed. there's no going back.
Olivia: ...
you just
you liked that
Ray: Sometimes there's peace in saying it out loud.
When something is gone, it's gone. You can't hold on to wreckage.
Olivia: dad I don't think that's how geico works
Ray: What?
Olivia: I mean I have to file a claim
there are forms
it matters what state the car is in
Ray: ...
Ray: Olivia.
Olivia: the corolla
I hit a pillar in lena's parking garage
the passenger side is completely caved in
Ray: Oh.
Ray: I thought you were telling me you knew.
I thought somehow you'd heard and you were —
I thought this whole conversation was about that.
Olivia: wait
are you actually sick
Ray: I was going to tell you in person.
I'm going to be fine.
The car doesn't matter.
Olivia: did you like my message about the car
because you thought I was talking about you
Ray: ...yes.
Olivia: oh my god
oh my god, dad
Ray: Come home this weekend.
Olivia: yeah
I'm coming
I love you
Ray: I love you too.
Drive safe.
Olivia: dad
Ray: Too soon?
Olivia: ...a little bit yeah
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