Of course, both could be true: that she missed her boyfriend and was annoyed with her husband.
“So tell me about this Thad person.”
“Not much to tell. Lo kept him under the radar for a while, worried I might give him a hard time. By the time she introduced him, the playoffs were practically starting, Francesca was driving me batshit, and baby Cammi was about to make her debut.” He blew out a breath. “I haven’t been there for her as much as I’d have liked in the last few months. I don’t see the appeal myself, but she seems happy enough. Guy’s about to propose.”
My heart dropped to the lake path. “He is?”
“Yeah. She’s expecting the question any day now.”
She had not said. Perhaps she worried I would use this information to my advantage.
Perhaps she was right.
Since my father had come to live with me, I was responsible for waking him up and serving his breakfast each day. By the time Maya came by, he was usually fed and watered. Some days, he took a shower alone while I waited outside. Other days, he needed to be bathed and dried like a child.
As I headed to his room, I tried to imagine what Lauren would think of my domestic situation. I had no doubt she would be sympathetic, but it was quite a burden to place on someone you were dating. Even more of a weight to land on someone you had accidentally married. For now, I would work on swaying her to my side before overwhelming her with the negatives.
I knocked on the door to my father’s room. No answer.
A wave of panic gushed through my veins. What if he had fallen and hurt himself? His room and en suite were as senior-proof as possible and each night, I gave him a prescribed sedative. The goal was to have him sleep through the night, but …
I opened the door. “Papa?”
The blow exploded from the side. If I hadn’t seen a ghost of movement and reacted instinctively, it would have caused eye damage. Instead, I was struck high on my cheekbone.
My father yelled in Russian. “Stay back, swine!” He raised his fist again, and I ducked, which created an opening for me to wrap my arms around his waist.
“Papa! It is me, Aloysha!”
He rained blows on my back, but the initial attack had taken most of the fight out of him, and his strength was waning. I pushed-carried him to the bed and gave him a gentle shove, so he landed softly on the mattress.
“Papa, it’s Alexei.”
He continued to yell words of vitriol while I held his arms and used my body weight to pin him down. A few more terrifying seconds passed before he tensed, ready to fight again.
But then as abruptly as the attack had started, the clouds in his eyes cleared.
“Aloysha?”
“Yes, Papa. It’s me.”
“Did you see them?”
I sat on the bed, catching my breath. “I am the only one here.”
Sitting up slowly, he blinked and stared at his fist. Then at me.
“I-I don’t know what’s happening to me.”
Another fissure opened in my heart. Soon it would be shattered, barely recognizable.
“I know, Papa. You’re not well, but you’re safe. No one can hurt you here.” Except yourself. “I will take care of you, just as you once took care of me.”
Chapter Sixteen
Lauren
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