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"You are a saint for dealing with this situation for so long," I commended her.
"So, now I'm 'a situation?'" Dad snarled, poking his head into the kitchen and stumbling to the fridge.
Biting my tongue wasn't an option, as Dad had just stepped all over my last nerve.
"Actually, you are more of a disaster," I snapped back.
"Okay, Miss Hoity Toity," he laughed, sloshing his drink as he headed back into the living room.
"He is getting worse and worse," Sage said, running both hands through her hair. "He is starting to drink a lot earlier and is getting meaner each day. Honestly, Jade, I'm afraid he will start getting physically violent."
I didn't tell her those same thoughts kept me awake at night. "I think that is a realistic fear," I said instead.
"What are we going to do?" she asked miserably. "I can't live like this. I can't afford a place of my own."
I opened my mouth, but she put a finger up to stop me.
"Before you say anything, don't even think about telling me I can come live with you, Michael, and Robin," she said firmly. "You guys are just figuring out your own lives and family, and you certainly don't need me in your way."
There was no point in arguing with her. If there were anyone in the world who could "out stubborn" me, it would be my sister. Once she dug her heels in, come hell or high water, nothing could budge her or make her change her mind.
I sighed heavily. "I've been thinking about this for a while. It would be a battle royal, but we could get him into a rehab center. He wouldn't go willingly, and I'm pretty sure we would have to prove him mentally incompetent to get him involuntarily committed, but it is an option."
Sage thought about it for a few seconds. "Do you think we could?"
I nodded. "I'll research some rehabilitation clinics, including their success rate and how much they cost. I'm sure that we'll be able to find a low-cost place that has a good reputation. We might even be able to find a free one that we could get Dad into," I said.
"I like that idea. I'm not sure how you would get him there," she stated.
"Let's cross that bridge when we get there. Perhaps I'll tell Dad that he's running low on his Jim Beam, and we need to get some more. I'll lock the doors until I get him where we need to go."
"That's kidnapping," Sage said, choking on the orange juice she had just sipped.
I shrugged. "It's for a good cause. We could also stage it so that men in nice white coats show up and take him away."
"I don't think they do that anymore," Sage protested, her eyebrows knit together in confusion.
"You don't think they wear white coats or take people away?" I asked innocently.
"Yes," she replied, answering both questions with one word.
"I think that if someone is a danger to themselves, they will show up. Dad could be involuntarily committed for seventy-two hours while the doctors assess him. Once he realizes what is going on and he opens his mouth, the rest, as they say, is history," I told her.
"What about the white coats?" she asked, mentally processing everything I suggested.
"Those are optional," I smirked.
28
Michael
I sat at my desk, rubbing my neck. My thoughts wandered to Robin and Jade. Lately, I’ve had to work many late hours since we opened our new factory here.
Robin had gotten used to me being home every night for supper. Now, I’m lucky to make it home before his bedtime. A couple of times, we did a Zoom meeting so that I could read a story to him while he was in bed. I had an online version of Robin’s favorite book, and he had the book he shared with Jade.
I was a little envious that Jade was there and couldn’t be. A little tiny thought in my mind made me resent that work was taking me away from Robin. I had already missed so much in his life.
And now, I was sitting at a desk, realizing I was missing more time with Robin.
