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“She seems to be doing all right. She gets misty-eyed sometimes, and I know that’s to be expected.”
Anthony sighed and rested his hands on his cane. “I want you to prepare yourself, Jon.”
“For what?”
“The holidays are coming up, and this will be Kierra and Kiyah’s first Thanksgiving and Christmas without Rory. It’ll be tough on them, so…be prepared.”
I nodded, remembering Anthony’s first holidays without Jane. The poor man was beside himself with grief. “Do you have any suggestions on how I can make it easier for them?”
“Keep them busy and allow them room to grieve if necessary.”
“How do I know if they need room?”
“When Kierra tells you to back the hell up.” I snorted. “No, seriously, Kierra might get a little snappish, and Kiyah might be unusually moody. Just don’t take it personally.”
“Got it. Thanks for the advice.”
“What are you doing in my house?!”
We turned and found Eliza standing in the foyer, looking like she fought a bear.
I should download her mugshot and put it on the front of my Christmas cards this year.
“Sorry, but it’s my house now. I need you out in two weeks, but from the looks of it, you won’t need it.”
“What the hell is he talking about, Jonathan?” she asked, fixating her piercing blue eyes on me.
“I’m selling the house to Anthony to avoid paying for your judgment.”
She gawked in disbelief, and for a brief second—just a nanosecond—I almost felt sorry for her when the tears came, but that was her MO—cry herself out of accountability, and I was her enabler.
“Listen…I can talk to my sister and see if she can give me a loan—”
“Too late. You should’ve taken care of your affairs,” Anthony interrupted.
“Fuck off, gimp!” she spat angrily.
“I’m a gimp with a house. Two of them, if we want to be precise,” Anthony shot back.
“Fuck you, Anthony!”
“Let’s go,” I intervened, grabbing Anthony’s arm and dragging him to the exit before things went further south than they already had. I wished I could say I was surprised by Eliza’s subsequent actions, but nothing she did surprised me any longer.
“Please, Jonathan. Don’t do this. Where am I supposed to go?”
“Not my problem,” I replied, unlocking the rental car that was delivered to me earlier.
“Is this about the truck? I’m sorry. I’ll pay for the damages.”
“Thanks for the offer, but the insurance company is taking care of the damages.”
“Stop walking away and talk to me! I will go to the cops if you don’t stop and talk to me.”
“And tell them what, Eliza?” I asked, turning around to face the distressed woman I loved once upon a time.
“I’ll tell them how that whore you’re keeping around our kids attacked me!”
I balled my fists at my side and started to count backward until I felt calm enough to address her.
