AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Stay away from me.”
“God knows I’m trying.” However, my feet stayed exactly where they were. “But this town…”
Erin turned and from the side of her mouth, whispered in my direction. “How do you? Is she your…?”
Trying my best to ignore her, I just stared at Cedar, begging my feet to move toward the door. “I know you don’t believe me, but I am really sorry for how you found out. I’d meant to do it with more tact and less verbal diarrhea.”
Her shoulders fell in defeat, and daggers shot in my direction.
“Can I quickly explain, and then you can choose to hate me forever? At least hear the full story?”
She put one foot forward and crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing in anger. It was remarkable how similar we were – I had that same stance when I was pissed too.
“You have two minutes.”
“Wow, two minutes. That doesn’t give me a lot of time.”
Erin nudged me.
“What?” I was done being nice, however… I gave my attention to Cedar. “Yes, we share the same father. Surprise.” I shrugged. “And he’s dying. He’s in hospice in Port Alberni.”
“Not in the commune?” The anger left her voice in a heartbeat.
“He – we – left a few years back.”
She nodded, her features softening with each bob, however, her arms stayed firmly crisscrossed over her chest. “Really? You both left?”
“Yeah, Everest and Juniper too.” I narrowed my eyes and shook my head. “Anyway, Frank’s in his final stretch, on dialysis, but not loving it and it’s not working as well as they’d hoped. According to my half-brother, wellourhalf-brother Everest, Frank really wants to see you.” I emphasised the wordreally.
“Everest, wow. I was trying to remember him; he was just a little kid when I left.” She violently shook her head, blond hairs flying all around. “However, I have nothing to stay to the old man.”
“I have to agree with that.” A semi-snort like a baby bull blew out my nose.
Her nose wrinkled slightly, just like my father’s used to do, and her tone softened. “When did you all leave?”
“At fifteen. Did a few weeks of high school. Failed miserably, even in the stupid classes.” What a waste of time that had been. “Anyway, Frank hopes you’ll be a compatible match with him, and if not, he just wants to see you once again. According to Everest, you’re all he talks about.” A dull knife twisted in my heart. Would’ve been nice to have had the same request, instead of being the one forced to seek her out. “Well, you and Millie. Is that another sister?” Not that it would surprise me in the least. Not anymore.
“That’s my mother.”
“Ah.”
She tossed a look out the window and then back to me. “When you see Frank–”
“Sadly, he’s not asking for me.”
“Ouch, although it doesn’t surprise me.” Her shoulders relaxed. “He completely cut me out. When I left, that was it. I wasn’t allowed further contact, and you know what? I made my peace with it. That was what, thirteen, fourteen years ago? It’s done, it’s over. I have no use for those people and that horrible living environment anymore. They are not my family.”
Memories flooded my vision. Happy memories. I didn’t leave the commune because it was a horrible place to grow up, I felt stifled and left because I wanted to see more of the world. To stretch my sheltered wings and all that. Yes, there had been some interesting times, but a lot of positives too. And now I was out in the world like I’d wanted, but I was all alone. Every day was a little battle I needed to fight, and I didn’t want to. I wanted things to be easy, the way my dad had made them. He did all the hard stuff, so I didn’t have to. And now there was the possibility, a strong and very real possibility, he was dying.
That startling realisation washed over me like a giant wave.
Cedar stepped closer and wiped a finger across my face. “Don’t cry. He’s not worth it. They’re not worth it.”
And all the things Landon and Erin had said hit me like a logging truck. “He’s still your father, just like he’s mine.”
She shook her head. “No. Not really. He was a sperm donor. My mother raised me, as much as any of the mothers in that cult did. It does seem, however, that maybe he was more of a father to you. Maybe that’s why I don’t remember you; perhaps he’d tucked you away from the main group.” She tossed her hands out to the side, exposing her round, pregnant belly. “Seems like he was a better dad to you than he was to me.”
“He was. Until I left him.” The tears fell a little harder and a little faster too.
