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“Well, she’s started therapy.”
He paused. “Wait, she did?”
I nodded. “There’s been a lot that’s happened that I haven’t told you about.”
“Why not? Why haven’t you told me?”
“I mean, things have been pretty chaotic in your world.”
He put his food down. “That doesn’t mean I can’t be there for you.”
I shrugged. “It’s nothing bad. Just all happened at once, that’s all.”
He took my hand in his. “What happened, Rae? Talk to me.”
I drew in a deep breath and told him everything. The fight with D.J. Him shattering things against the walls. Me telling him to get out. How hard my mom was crying. I told him about me finally calling the police on him and Mom’s cuts as she fell to the floor trying to go after him. And the more I talked, the more Clint squeezed my hand.
With rage flying behind his eyes.
“I’m so sorry I wasn't there, Rae.”
I shook my head. “It’s fine. I mean, it really is okay. That happened the day your father came to pick you up from school.”
“The same day?”
“Yeah. Like I said, it was a lot. And I just didn’t want to talk about it, I guess? We were dealing with your stuff and—”
He looked me square in my eyes. “I want you to hear me. Are you listening?”
“I am, yeah.”
“There is never going to be a point in time where my shit overshadows your shit. All right? The next time something like this happens, you speak up. Let me be there for you. I think I’ve proven to you how much of a big boy I am. Let me be a support to you like you’ve been to me.”
I blushed. “Okay. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize, Rae. But you don’t need to protect me, either. That’s my job.”
“Hey, now. I can protect you just as much as you protect me.”
He grinned. “I suppose you can. If you open up enough to let me protect you.”
“I know, I know.”
“So she went to the hospital?”
I nodded. “She did. She got help. With our income issues, she qualifies for free therapy through the hospital that treated her. And she had her first appointment with them yesterday morning.”
“How often will she go?”
“Starting next week, twice a week. Wednesday and Saturday mornings. She said everything went really well and that they already started unpacking some things. But time will tell.”
“You don’t think she’ll stick with it?”
I sighed. “I’ve seen my mother go without D.J. for almost a month before he comes swooping back in. Wanting her back. Coming with flowers and make-up sex and money to smooth things over. I’ll believe her when I see her actively turn him down.”
“I don’t blame you on that.”
“She’s upset with me for that, though.”
