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“For a couple of months.” She sat in the old wooden chair and clasped her hands on the table.
“Is it both of you?” she yelled. Maybe it was just her mother. Maybe if only one of them had fallen off the wagon the situation would be salvageable. There was only one way to find out.
She knew all the hiding spots. She flung open the freezer door of the stainless steel appliance—the one that she bought when she signed a large contract with a law firm in the downtown area—removing a box of chicken fingers. Instead of frozen strips, she found her father’s notebook with his sports picks, the point spreads, and the amounts wagered listed in small, neat writing.
She ran to the front of the house and grabbed her father’s jacket out of the closet. She searched inside the pockets and found what she’d been looking for. The small square tickets were like acid on her fingers. Race seven, ten-dollar box, seven, with two, three, nine. She crumpled them in her hands.
The sight of the ticket stubs brought back so many bad memories. Eviction notices and missed opportunities. It had become apparent when she was twelve years old that her parents had a gambling problem. The twins had just been born and they’d just been kicked out of their fourth apartment in the Surrey area. She couldn’t wait until the day she could move out on her own. And as soon as she was able, she left her family and moved to Toronto to start a life for herself. She hated leaving them behind. She hated leaving her sisters, but needed to get out.
She stomped back into the kitchen and threw the tickets on the table. “I see you’re both off the wagon.”
“It’s none of your business what we do, Sterling. Last time I checked we’re the parents, not the children,” her father said.
“Last time I checked, I’m the one paying your bills.” She fell into the chair and hung her head in her hands. She had loosened the leash on her parents once they’d proved they were better. In control. “How many months are you behind?”
“Four,” her mother answered.
Four. Not so bad. Two would have been better. At least it wasn’t like last time. Four months was doable.
Her mother gave her a guilty look. At least one of them had the decency to feel bad. “Sterling, honey, we’re—”
She shook her head. “Don’t. I refuse to listen to more excuses.”
What was that saying? Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice…
“Family is there for one another,” her father said, looking up from his game. It was so nice of him to join the conversation. “Family doesn’t let family suffer.”
There it was. The guilt. The reason it was so damn hard to say no. But tonight, she wasn’t in a very generous mood.
“How are you possibly suffering?” she cried. “I’m the one who made sure you had a roof over your head, food on your table, extra money in your pocket. I’m such an idiot. I can’t believe I let you do this to me again.”
“Sterling, we need money to—”
“Get a job,” she yelled at her father. There was always some reason he couldn’t work. When his employers finally realized he was never going to rehabilitate and reenter the workforce, they would kick him off disability. He always had an excuse. “I am not an ATM. It’s not my job to support you.”
“But how will we eat? How will we be able to do things?” her mother asked.
“You mean how will you be able to gamble? Isn’t that what you really mean, Mother?” How was she related to these people? Could she really be the genetic result of their union?
“You’d rather see us on the street?” her mother wailed. She had a flair for the dramatic. After all this time, how could she even think Sterling would let them wind up on the street? “Because that’s what’ll happen. We can’t live on my pittance of a salary.”
“You won’t be on the street, Mother. I’ll take over the bill payments. I’ll give you a tiny amount to keep you going. I’ll fix your mistake.” She glared across the table at her father. “Again.”
She was done here. Taking a deep breath, she stood and walked away.
“Sterling, please,” her mother whined.
But she didn’t stop. With her world crumbling around her, she left without another word. Her mother called after her, her voice a distant murmur. And when Sterling looked back at the house before she drove off, her mother stood in the doorway, her arms wrapped around her chest.
Her parents had taken advantage of her again. She felt violated. But she had stood up to them. For the very first time.
Overwhelming guilt nagged at her. How could she not help? They were her parents. Her family. But sometimes family needed to be put in their place.
Shaking her head, she cursed at herself. And to think she left Jack Vaughn and his talented tongue for this. But something was different tonight. Maybe Jack had inspired more than just her desire for a one-night stand. Maybe this was the beginning of a whole new life.
…
Jack entered the large kitchen. The smell of garlic, pancetta, and cream greeted him with open arms.
