AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“If you’d let me, I’m trying to explain.” Claire’s patience is the thing of legends. I can’t even open my mouth because if I do, I might lose my shit. “Finley, your daughter, she passed away three years ago from cancer.”
This seems to get the woman’s attention and for the first time since sitting down she shows some sort of real emotion.
“What do you mean she passed away?”
“She died.”
“She’s not dead.” She shakes her head. “What kind of game are you trying to play? Who sent you?”
“No one sent us. And I’m not playing a game. It’s true. She came to live with me in Chicago. She met Abel and fell in love. Then she got sick.”
“You’re lying. Where is my daughter?”
“I’ve already told you. She’s gone.”
“She’s not gone.” Cherie smacks the table, the sound echoing off the walls around us. “Why are you lying to me? What do you want?”
“We don’t want anything!” I explode, not able to hold it in for a moment longer. “Your daughter, the one you didn’t give a shit about. The one you chose drugs over, time after time after time.That daughter.” I make sure I have her full attention before continuing, “She defied all odds. She escaped you and this fucking life.” I gesture around the room. “And she was happier than she had ever been. And do you want to know why you didn’t know she died?” I lean in close but make no attempt to lower my voice. “Because she fucking hated you and she didn’t want you to know,” I seethe, anger pouring out of me like hot lava.
“Abel.” Claire lifts up in her seat, placing her hand against my chest. “That’s enough.”
“No, you know what, I knew better than to come here but I thought maybe,just maybe, you’d actually give two shits that youronlydaughter died. But look at you.” I sneer at her. “You don’t care about anything except when you’re going to get out of here and get your next fix.”
“Abel.” Claire tries again but I’m not being silenced.
“You really are a piece of shit,” I spit.
“Abel.” Claire stands all the way, her voice harsher than I’ve ever heard it before. “I said, that’s enough.” She glares at me and it suddenly dawns on me that I’ve never seen Claire mad before. And damn is she pissed. I’m not sure if it’s at me or Cherie or the situation. Probably a combination of all three.
I take a deep breath and try to reel myself in for Claire’s sake.
“I may be all of those things,” Cherie begins, causing Claire to reclaim her seat. “I was a horrible mother. Awful. The absolute worst, but I love my daughter.” Tears well behind her eyes and for the first time I think maybe she’s hearing us. “I deserved the chance to say goodbye.”
“Well, your daughter didn’t think you did,” I respond, much calmer.
“Maybe she was right.” She shrugs, tears breaking free and streaking down her sunken cheeks.
“We just thought you should know,” Claire says. “We don’t want anything from you. We aren’t here for any reason other than to share this information with you. And now that we have, I think it’s time we go.” Claire pushes to a stand. “Abel.” She jerks her head toward the door.
“Will you tell her I’m sorry?” Her broken voice halts me as I reach the door. “When you visit her grave, tell her I’m so sorry.”
“You can tell her yourself,” I say, knowing she never will. Raising my fist, I knock hard on the door. It swings open moments later revealing two officers standing on the other side. “We’re done here,” I tell them, storming out of the room.
I can’t get out of the station fast enough. I’m so pissed I can’t see straight, yet it’s exactly as I expected so I don’t know why I’m so mad. I knew this was likely how we would find her. I didn’t come here for any reason other than to tell a mother her daughter had died. That’s it. So why do I feel like I’m the one that received the bad news?
“Abel.” Claire catches up to me outside where I’m pacing the sidewalk, not sure what to do with all this anger.
“She fucking told us, Claire. She told us what kind of person she was, and we came anyway. I thought I’d feel better. I thought this was the right thing to do. But seeing her.” I gesture toward the station. “Seeing firsthand what Finley grew up with, it makes me fucking sick.” I tug at the ends of my hair.
“Finley was dealt a shit hand. There’s no denying that. But she didn’t let her childhood or how she was raised define her and neither should you.”
“I’m not. I swear to God I’m not. I just... Fuck... That woman.” I throw my hands in the air.
“She’s the worst of the worst. But Abel, we knew that coming in.”
“I don’t think I realized it would be this bad.” I stop pacing when Claire steps in front of me.
“I did.” She gives me a sad smile. “And I tried to tell you. But you were so hellbent on doing this for Fin that you wouldn’t hear otherwise. I knew it wouldn’t make you feel better.”
