"All that matters is that I won't allow her behavior to control mine. She can be sneaky, vicious, and nasty all she wants. In the end, the only people she will hurt will be her and Jacks. And it pisses me off that she won't hesitate to involve her daughter, but I can't change Monica. I can only provide her daughter with love and support when her mother tries to drag her into it."
I was surprised to see the approval in my father's face. "It won't be easy," he said.
"I believe it was you who told me that nothing worth having is easy to attain."
He smiled then. "Sounds like wise words."
I dropped the washcloth back over my face and took a deep breath. The more I relaxed, the better I felt. The pain was still there, just behind my eyes, but it wasn't as sharp.
"But your mother would want me to tell you not to let him get away with that sort of thing again."
I laughed a little, then winced. Ouch. "I've already warned him of that."
"Brody has a well-developed sense of responsibility," he replied. "He feels like he should be taking care of you and Jacks, not the other way around. I think he's gotten so used to being neglected that he doesn't stop to think about the fact that you wouldwantto help him and take care of him in the same way he does you."
"I never thought of it like that."
"So, even though your mother would disagree with me, I'm going to tell you to cut him a little slack. He's not used to someone caring for him like that and it's going to take time for him to grow accustomed to leaning on you without feeling like a burden."
"Hmmmm. I'll take it under advisement."
My dad chuckled. "How's the pain now?" he asked.
"On a scale of one to ten, it's at a five. As long as I don't move or turn on the lights."
"Then this doctor prescribes rest, low lighting, and no stress. You work yourself too hard."
One corner of my mouth quirked up. "Don't worry. I intend to start taking a little more time off now that Sierra will be staying in town and I have an assistant manager to help out with the shop."
"Sierra's staying here? Permanently?"
"I think so. She's been talking about finding a place to rent but I think Ben wants her to move in with him."
"Your mother will be pleased."
That was code for both of them being please, but I let it go.
"All right, I'll head out and let you get some rest. I have appointments the rest of this afternoon, but if the pain gets worse, call me and I'll come by as soon as I can."
"Thanks, Dad," I said.
He leaned over and kissed my hair. "Anytime. Love you, Cam."
"Love you, too," I murmured.
I stayed still on the couch as he gathered his medical bag and left. Somehow, talking to him made me feel better, as though a weight I'd been carrying around all week had been lifted from my shoulders.
I had no idea how much time had passed but I was just about to take that nap he'd suggested when my doorbell rang. I groaned and rolled onto my side, getting slowly to my feet. If I opened that door and found someone trying to sell me something, I couldn't be held responsible for my actions.
My head didn't like the fact that I was now upright and started pounding again. I pressed one hand to my forehead and opened the door with the other without checking who might be standing on the other side.
The sight of Brody holding a big brown paper bag surprised me so much that I merely stood in the doorway and stared at him, squinting against the brightness of the afternoon sun.
Finally, I realized I wasn't hallucinating and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I'm done," he answered. "It's over."
