Cat went silent and still.
I tilted my head. “Have you been in touch with Dad since the funeral?”
“No. But I’m pretty sure Mom still cared for him.”
My brows furrowed. “Well, yeah. If Dad could have cleaned up his act, they likely would have gotten back together.”
She shook her head and grabbed a throw pillow, hugging it to her belly. “No, I mean… I overheard her on the phone with him. It sounded like more than that.”
My lips twisted to the side. “She hadn’t seen him recently though. That’s what Dad told me at the funeral.”
A shameful look crossed her face, and she stared at her lap. “Dad spent the night here the week before she…”
“The week before?” I asked, to help her stay focused and not cry.
She looked up at me. “Yeah. I was supposed to spend the night at Bella’s house. She didn’t tell me her parents were gone and her boyfriend, his friend and some other girl were spending the night, too. Not only was I the fifth wheel, but it also wasn’t my scene, and I came home around midnight to find Dad raiding the fridge.”
My stomach sank. “Wish you’d have told me that sooner.”
She shrugged a shoulder. “I didn’t think much of it at the time since she and Dad had a knock-down drag-out fight around noon. She swore she was done with him.”
That was Mom and Dad. It was so routine, I’d named it the ‘Beth-and-Doug Waltz.’ He sweet-talked her, they had sexy times, he’d try to bolt, she’d start yelling, he yelled back, and she would swear she was done being used.
“I hate to ask, but what’d they fight about? Was it money?”
She scoffed. “She wasn’t thrilled about him raiding the fridge at night because he got the munchies. And she felt used. Again.”
I pressed my lips together and nodded.
“Why do you ask? Does Dad actually owe the money? That asshole needs to take it up with him if he does.”
That question nagged at me, too. “I don’t know yet. My guess is that Dad will expect me to get money out of the house. Like a loan or selling the house to get the money, but it doesn’t work that fast. At least not as fast as this bastard wants his money, and I read the document he gave me. The interest is outrageous.”
We were both quiet for a moment.
“What are you gonna do? Sell the house?” Catalina asked, her tone full of worry.
“No. Don’t you worry about it.”
Selling the house wasn’t an option, because the mortgage was upside down. I’d had my boss, Rita, look at some of the statements to make sure I was reading them right. There were two mortgages, which meant Mom owed more on the house than it would sell for in this market.
“You sound like Mom.”
I glared at her. “I’m not sure that’s a compliment.”
Her lips tipped up. “I know. So, how much money are we talking about?”
I grinned. “You focus on finishing your junior year, Cat. One of us needs to make something of ourselves.”
Her head reared back. “You’ve made something of yourself. You help people every day.”
I rolled my eyes. “I clean houses, Catalina.”
She nodded. “Yeah. And that helps people— you just aren’t always there to see how it helps.”
I reached out and gave her shoulder a playful shake. “Okay. Get your homework done. I’m making tacos.”
“We have no shells.”
