AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I bit my lip, hesitating. Even though I had logic screaming at me that he was just messing around, there was always that what-if. And what he’d said raised another option. Maybe it wasn’t the dipper itself, because it was clearly harmless, but rather he could’ve done something with it? Or to it?
“Lemme put it this way,” River went on. “If you’ve been a good boy, you probably have nothin’ to fear.”
That wasn’t helpful at all!
Before I could respond, a door opened behind us, and I spun around on my not-wicker stool and saw Ash coming out from his room. Oh—and Daddy! He was back! And he was in his workout clothes, meaning we needed access to our own room soon so he could shower. Our bathroom was much roomier.
“Daddy, save me!” I got to my feet and set down my yogurt. “There’s a slight chance River docked with the honey dipper!”
Did he swoop in to rescue me? Noooo. He just stood there and blinked.
Un-fucking-helpful.
* * *
Something was wrong with Daddy, and I couldn’t let it go. If he felt down, I felt down, and I’d just gotten out of my depressive hellhole after all the crap with my mom.
I winced to myself. Nope, didn’t wanna think about it too much. It was going to be one of those situations that healed over time. Right now, it was raw, and I was counting on distractions. But honestly, it did feel good I wasn’t as hurt anymore; I was mostly angry with her. On a bad night, I could go over past conversations with her, analyze them until I fell into a fit, and then I slept poorly.
Either way, Daddy was down, and I had to fix it. His mood had sort of snuck up on me; I’d been there when he’d said his workout hadn’t felt great, so I’d assumed he was cranky about that. It happened sometimes, and those were the days he needed to keep his muscle relaxers nearby. He also had to rely more on his chair.
Then Cameron and Uncle Lucian had emerged, and everyone had congratulated them on their engagement. Including Daddy. He’d lit up and hugged and kissed them hard. Yada-yada-yada, we’d disembarked for a stroll through Charlotte Amalie, and Daddy had encouraged Uncle Lucian and Cameron to go off on their own a bit. Maybe because he knew I wanted to search for Squishmallows and iguanas. Because the latter were all over the place! I saw some real big beauties resting on the rocks next to the port, and we’d been warned that they often fell down on people from the palm trees. So I had to find palm trees too and see if that could happen to me.
So we saw the newly engaged couple off. They’d decided to go to some pirate museum, and maybe that wasn’t what I would’ve chosen if I looked that sickeningly in love…? They should be canoodling on the ship or setting up camp at a romantic waterfront restaurant.
Whatever. In between those little happenings, I kept noticing that Daddy’s mood was tanking, and he wasn’t great at faking it.
Somewhere on the main street, surrounded by beeping cars and colorful buildings, where we were looking for the next toy store, we encountered Colt, Kit, and Mr. West. They asked if we wanted to join them on one of those boat rides where the bottom was made of glass, and I politely declined for both of us, because I couldn’t take it any longer.
Daddy and I had to talk. He couldn’t go through the motions like that and claim he was “just tired.”
No, Sir. I wasn’t buying it.
Remembering we’d passed an alley with cozy restaurants not far back, I turned Daddy’s wheelchair around and announced we needed nachos. Which wasn’t a lie. When you had bought a Squish to go with the one Daddy had already given you—and neon-green sunglasses!—and it was hot out, nachos and an ice-cold drink were mandatory.
Once we’d crossed the street, Daddy said, “I can do this myself, freckles.”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek and let go of the chair. “Sorry.”
I’d only wanted to help.
I walked beside him instead, and he glanced up at me with a tired expression.
“No, I’m sorry. I’m not the best company today.”
“You’re always the best company,” I corrected. He could be wrong sometimes.
He sighed and slowed down for the next crossing. “You don’t have to say that, Noa. Just like you don’t have to tell the other boys I’m the strongest Daddy out there.”
Huh? I knitted my brows together, having no clue what he was talking about.
I sidestepped so a family with a bunch of kids could walk by. The sidewalk was sort of narrow and uneven, plus downhill at the moment. But I wasn’t going to help Daddy. He knew how to handle the chair and the brakes and…everything. Whatever, whatever.
“Have I said that?” I asked.
“Yesterday, after we climbed the rock wall,” he confirmed. “Greer and his family arrived when we were leaving, and you bragged about how I was the strongest Daddy on the planet because I’d reached the top of the wall.”
But he had! With only his arm strength! Excuse me for being mind-blown.
