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Dad’s voice softens. “I’m sorry too, baby.” His gusty sigh reaches me and my heart hurts for him, too. This sucks all around.
“I know this isn’t easy. She wasn’t always like this. You remember that, don’t you?”
No, actually I don’t. Some of my earliest memories are of her stuffing things into my coat while we were out shopping. I didn’t understand what was going on and thought she was giving me things.
Yet, I never got to keep any of the things she stole, even the fancy dolls and sweets. Most of it she didn’t want anyway and would discard on our way home, laughing as she tossed things out the window or dumped them into trashcans.
I still don’t understand why she does it when she could easily afford to buy those things. Yes, I know it’s a mental condition, and it’s not completely her fault. But she could get help.
Dad pleaded with her for years. We lost friends over her compulsion, as money doesn’t always fix things. Even after the divorce, Dad is still not free from the issues that follow her.
And neither am I.
“Please don’t ask me to go,” I beg. “This job means a lot to me.”
“Sweetheart, I…” Dad clears his throat and I hear the way his voice chokes up and I wonder if he’s fighting his own tears. Eventually he says, “I was wrong. I’m sorry. Listen, Bruno and I are almost at the airport. We’ll figure something out and I’ll update you on the situation later, okay?”
My stomach drops further at the mention of Uncle Bruno. This is serious. Bruno is my mom’s brother and has certain connections to things better left unsaid. “Okay, thank you, Dad.”
“Absolutely, kiddo. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
I don’t know how long I sit there in my dark house and cry. It’s long enough that my phone rings and I see that it’s Leland calling. The time is six thirty and I’m late for my dinner date with him.
Quickly, I tap out a fast I’m sorry, something came up message and then turn off my phone and drag myself up to bed.
The next morning, it takes everything in me to go to work.
Vanna takes one look at my face and gives me a hug. She doesn’t even know what happened. She might think things went horribly wrong with Leland or that I broke a nail.
That’s the type of friend she is. It doesn’t matter what it is, she just knows I need her support and wants me to know that she’s here for me.
How did I get so lucky to have a friend like her?
I don’t deserve her.
Fighting back the tears, I hug her back hard. “Thanks, girl.”
“You need to talk, or break some kneecaps, you let me know,” she says solemnly.
Laughter pours out of me and soon we’re giggling and holding each other up.
The thumping of Leland’s crutches has me pulling away and searching for him, but that quickly he’s gone.
I don’t see our director the entire day. He’s like a ghost, completely invisible. I even try his office, but it’s empty.
That he’s avoiding me is painfully obvious.
I’m not happy about last night either and want to apologize to him. But if he keeps up this shit, I’m not sure he deserves one.
Finally, I stalk out his SUV and catch him when he leaves work thirty minutes after everyone else has left.
His blue eyes widen when he comes out and sees me leaning against the hood of his Black SUV. Before he can say a word, I push away from it and walk over to him. “Look, I’m sorry about last night, but if you’re so butthurt over it that you want to act childish and avoid me, then you do just that.”
His lips twist as he quirks an eyebrow. “I wasn't avoiding you. Sadly it's called work, which I need to pay the bills. We all aren't trust fund babies, Blaire.”
Ouch? Did he really just go there?
