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Tim looked down at the floor for a long moment, before he glanced around at them. “Fuck you all, then. I thought we could be a family again. I know I screwed up, but I’m trying to do better.”
“If you were trying to do better, you’d take care of your child support obligation,” Sage snapped, holding up a finger. Then she led up a second. “And you’d make a legal effort to see your son. You’d make an effort to stay out of trouble, but you obviously haven’t. You’d make an effort to get out of the bottle once in a while.” She shook her head, frustrated. “You know, I think there’s some glimmer of care in you for Adam, but you’re too self-centered to nurture it. Get out, Tim.”
She waved at the open door. Tim stared at her for a long moment, before he turned toward the door. He looked back once, at Adam, and Brian’s hold on him, then he left.
Sage closed and locked the door behind him and opened her arms as Adam ran to her. The boy broke into tears, and it tore at Brian’s heart, seeing him so upset. Sage cried as well, and he had to go to them. He wrapped his arms around them both and held them tight as they fought through their hurt. Then they all three slipped down to sit on the floor in front of the door, in a little huddle. Diamond came over, concerned, and snuffled at Adam’s hair.
“I don’t want him here, but I don’t want him to die,” Adam cried, reaching up to scratch his dog. “He looks bad, Mom.”
“I know buddy, but there’s nothing we can do about that. He’s making the choices in his life, and we have no say over that. He’s an alcoholic and sometimes it’s just too hard for them to overcome.”
Adam nodded, and his tears seemed to ease. “Children of alcoholics are four times more likely to be alcoholics themselves.”
Sage nodded. “The possibility is there, but it’s not a definite outcome. You know that.”
“And I read that his alcoholism may be part of why I’m so anxious sometimes.”
She nodded again. “I’ve seen that statistic too. But Adam, we all make our own choices. Now that you know the dangers of alcohol, you can avoid it.”
“Luckily,” Brian said, trying to ease some levity in, “you’re too young to go to any frat parties while you’re in college.”
Adam gave him a weak smile. “True. I plan to be done with college before I’m seventeen.”
Sage laughed and pressed a kiss to her son’s forehead. “I have no doubt that you will, buddy.” Then she reached up to Brian’s jaw. “Thank you for being here with us.”
Brian shook his head, his gaze bouncing between them. “I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else,” he said honestly. “If you haven’t figured it out, yet, you two are very important to me. I hate that you have to go through this with Tim, but now we know. There’s no more looking over our shoulders or feeling creeped out when we go somewhere. Sage, I suggest you call and file a police report to document everything that went on here tonight. Someone is going to have to follow up with OSU and perhaps get charges rolling.”
Sage nodded, sighing. “More drama. I really hope this doesn’t affect my job.”
Brian made a sound in his throat. “You’re a hero, and I don’t think they can hold it against you. Everything is on camera. Plus, he admitted to taking the money. I have a feeling Parker’s woman will jump on this.”
Sage looked at Adam. “Are you okay, buddy? You know none of this is your fault, right? None of it ever was.”
Adam wobbled his head. “Yeah, I guess. I kind of feel guilty because he wouldn’t have come up here if it wasn’t for me.”
Sage tipped up his chin. “No. That is not on you. Period. Your father has always tried to scheme his way through life. This is another perfect example of that. He probably has trouble chasing him from Louisiana, just like he took off from Florida.”
“Okay,” Adam said, leaning against Brian. “I think Brian is right. You need to file a report.”
“I know buddy,” Sage said softly. “Gonna do that now.”
With a final kiss to Adam’s head and Brian’s mouth, she stood up. Then Brian boosted Adam up, making him laugh. Brian swung his left leg around and got his good knee under him, then pushed up. It was a challenge getting his big ass up off the floor, but he managed it.
Sage watched him with a smile. “Just waiting to see if you needed help.”
He waved a hand at her. “Nah, I’m good.” He gave her a big, smacking kiss and swatted her on the behind. “You were awful sexy, standing up to him that way.”
Sage grinned and led him into the kitchen. “Really? I was worried it was going to lead to a fight or something. I’m still not a hundred percent.”
“I think we both could have taken him,” Brian murmured.
“Yeah, probably. Now I don’t have to worry about the mental scars on my child from seeing that though. Tonight was bad enough.”
Brian turned her with a hand on her arm. “But he saw you stand up for yourself and remedy the situation. And he got to say his piece too. That was a badass little dude, there.”
“Yes, true,” she sighed, and looped her arms around his shoulders for a hug. Brian pulled her tight, swaying slightly. Then smaller arms looped around his waist, and Brian pulled Adam tight as well. “You guys did perfect tonight,” he said, and he meant it.
* * *
