Page 69 of Alec’s Dream

“I can make you another grilled cheese.”

“Okay.” He shut the fridge but didn’t leave the kitchen. His eyes were on me, and much like I could read Rory, I knew when Caleb was getting ready to ask a question. But he was trying to figure out how to ask it.

I busied myself at the stove waiting for him to gather himself. What I didn’t do, and in hindsight, I should’ve done, was prepare.

“Has dad called?”

“Um. No. Not since I told you he did. When he told me he was going out of town for a while.”

“I don’t want to go over there anymore and I don’t think Rory should either.”

Fuck. Shit. Damn.

I wholeheartedly agreed but my stomach still roiled at Caleb’s tone. I wished he was still at an age where I could scoop him up into my arms and shield him from the world. I did my best to keep my focus on the skillet and my voice even.

“Did something happen?”

“You mean something more than normal? Like every time we go over there he sets Rory up in front of the TV then ignores her, and if he’s not doing that, then he’s acting like he misses her so much and wishes that you didn’t kick him out—”

“Does he say that, Caleb?”

“Yeah. He tells her that he misses his family and wants me and Rory to come stay with him more but you won’t let us.”

God, I hated Doug. What a liar.

“Do you understand—”

“Yeah, Mom, I know it’s a lie. But Rory doesn’t remember so he confuses her. He’s a jerk.”

My first instinct was to correct my son and make excuses for Doug. That’s what I’d always done in the past. That led to Caleb getting frustrated and telling me I wasn’t listening to him.

I was done protecting Doug. I needed to protect my children.

“Yes, honey, it is a lie. I know you remember what it was like when we all lived together. I left because it wasn’t a healthy place for us to be. I didn’t want you and your sister growing up with all that yelling and screaming. As far as him talking to Rory about it, I can’t make that stop, he’s going to do whatever it is he wants to do. But I appreciate you telling me so I can find a way to talk to her. I’m sorry he ignores you guys when you’re over there. All I can tell you is I’m working on making a few changes. I’d like for you to trust me that I’m doing it because I love you and I want to keep you safe.”

“As long as we don’t have to go back over there. Last time was bad.”

Motherfucker. I knew why it was bad, Josh had gone to Doug’s looking for money.

“Wanna share why it was bad?”

“Dad got into a fight with someone out front. They were yelling at each other. I didn’t hear because I was trying to distract Rory.” God, I love my son—such a good big brother. “Whatever it was made dad really mad. The rest of the night and all the next day, he was fuming. He even snapped at Rory and that never happens. I heard him on his phone yelling at someone. Then Sunday when he was driving us to the community center to drop us off, he was talking quietly but mad, like you know, whisper yelling. He told the person on the phone he’d be in Florida soon and for them not to mess up. He said a few bad words in there but I left those out.”

“The man he was fighting with out front—had you ever seen him before?”

“Yeah, he comes over sometimes. Dad meets him at the door. Not a lot, a lot, but still he’s there a lot.”

Great, Josh has been coming to Doug’s door to get payments and it’s been happening for a while.

“Caleb, if you ever see that man and I am not with you, you stay away from him. He’s not a good man.”

“I didn’t think he was when he told dad he had a week, then he was going to kill him.” Caleb shrugged like he heard his father’s life being threatened every day of the week and it was no big deal.

“What?” I whispered.

“That’s what he told dad.” Caleb gave me another shrug like he couldn’t care less.

“Honey, why didn’t you tell me someone threatened to kill your dad? Son, that’s…” Shit, what was that? Important? Huge? Monumental? “Something you need to tell me.”