Kirk’s face flushes red, his jaw tense.
In the few times I’ve been over, I’ve never seen him like this before.
“I don’t know what I ever did so wrong to you, Mikey, other than put a roof over your head and food in your stomach.”
Mikey clenches his fists at his side.
I don’t understand why this is escalating so fast, but all I know is there has to be a hell of a lot more to this than what Mikey’s told me.
Kirk shakes his head. “Sorry. Jordan, why don’t we go back to discussing your trip? That seemed to be an easier subject for everyone.”
Even the way he says that, it’s obvious he’s blaming Mikey for ruining the conversation, but Mikey didn’t do anything wrong.
Jordan tells the story about the girl he met who he plans to see again in Asheville before Kirk says, “You know, Jordan, you need to be settling down with a girl pretty soon, don’t you think? You don’t have much time left to have kids. Especially you, Mikey Can’t hold off forever.”
“Who says I want kids?” Mikey asks. His tone assures me we’re on our way to a really uncomfortable place right now, and I’m not sure how or if there’s even a way to get out of it.
“Oh, of course you want kids,” Dara says.
“Why? So they can grow up one day, and we can all do this together? Have this awkward-as-fuck dinner while pretending that everything’s okay and we’re all one big happy family?”
“Don’t you curse at this table, Michael.” Kirk’s lips barely move as he speaks.
I bite my tongue. This is too much for Mikey, and I can tell by the way Jordan and Dara’s eyes wander that they’re both wishing they could sneak out of the room like Kate was smart enough to do.
“Oh, is my cursing what the issue is?” Mikey asks. “That’s what it is? You’re sitting here trying to get at me and—”
“No, I’m not. You’re imagining things.”
“You think this is easy for me?” Mikey asks as he sits upright in his chair. “I was asked to come here only to get ambushed about this stuff with Kate? You think that doesn’t bring up anything from the past? You don’t think that reminds me of what you did to this family?”
Kirk’s jaw tenses and his nostrils flare. I’ve hung around him a few times, and I’ve never seen him get like this. I didn’t even think he had this sort of fury in him. It kind of freaks me out, and now I understand what all the tension was about.
“You know what, Mikey,” he says, bashing his fist against the table and making the plates and utensils rattle as well as causing the wine and water in the glasses to shake about. “I thought after all this time, you might have grown up a little and stopped trying to stir up trouble in our family, but it’s obvious that you’re still that same poisonous brat you’ve always been.”
Dara looks right at me from Kirk’s side, her shoulders high and tense. I can tell she’s embarrassed by this explosion, but for Mikey and Kirk, it’s like I’m not even there. Like they’ve been teleported back into the past where perhaps these fights were a regular thing for them. Like they’re just following an old, familiar script, playing it out with the passion and conviction that they’re used to.
Kirk shakes his head and stands. He tosses his napkin on the table.
Mikey sits, his body tense as ever as he gazes Kirk in the eyes like he’s challenging him.
“It’s been how many years, Mikey?” Kirk asks. “How long since I have seen my son? And then only because your sister had a baby? And this is what you bring back here? Hatred and contempt?”
“I didn’t bring any of it here,” Mikey replies. “It’s been here all along, and you both know it. And you always knew it. You can put on this show for yourselves and the rest of the world, but you’re not fooling anyone, especially not yourselves.”
“I’m your father.” The veins in Kirk’s neck push forward as he says these words softly, almost like a threat more than a fact.
“And what a great one at that.” Mikey’s words drip with sarcasm.
Kirk walks around the table, moving quickly and with an intimidating stance. I’ve never seen him like this before. He looks furious.
His fist clenched, he approaches Mikey standing tall, like he’s trying to intimidate him with his stature. Mikey hops up and steps forward, making it clear that he’s not backing down.
“Why did you even bother coming if you just wanted a fight?” Kirk barks.
“I’m here for Kate. That’s the only reason, so why don’t you back off?”
I’m paralyzed by the intensity of their fight. This isn’t how things work at our house. I’ve never had a fight with my dad, and he’s never raised his voice to me. He expresses his disapproval through sighs and lowered glances.
