“Yes,” I snapped back, not letting her deny it. “They were home alone all day.I texted you. I texted you to stop by and check on her. I needed to work, Claudine. I’m still paying for her rehab from two years ago and all the trouble she got into back then. Me! I’m paying for it! So don’t blame me for your daughter’s fuckups!”
Between us, on the bed, Sheri stirred. Her head turned slightly, and her hands raised up and clumsily grabbed onto the bedrails.
"What's…what's going on?" Her eyes blinked furiously, her hands grasped the metal tighter, and she tried desperately to pull herself up. "Where am I?" shecried.
“You’re in the hospital. You almost overdosed,” I grittedout.
“No. I couldn’t have…I didn’t do anything…I—” Glazed eyes batted up at me. “What are you saying? You’re lying tome.”
“I’mlying toyou?”Was sheserious?
“Sheri, honey. We’ll take care of everything, okay? I think it’s time you moved back home with the children. Let me help take care ofyou.”
My pulse sped up, and my body instantly tensed. “You’re not taking my kids away from me.” Heat flushed through my body, bursting out of my pores in sweat and quiveringflesh.
“Dylan.” Sheri’s voice cracked and trembled. “Dylan, stop. It’s okay. Okay. No one…” She took a slow breath and coughed. “No one is taking the kids away from you.” She sleepily turned her head toward her mother. “I’ll stay with you until I feel better. Let Dylan take care of the kids, andthen—”
“You don’t have a say,” I cut her off. “Neither of youdo.”
I stormed out into the hallway before I did anything or said anything I’d regret. The violent thoughts that clouded my head were all too real and all too well planned out for me to tempt myself. The only problem was, I didn't know what the hell I was going to do. I needed to be at work in two hours, and I had two kids I was now solely responsiblefor.
* * *
Ihesitatedat my front door, listening to the sounds from just inside the house. My knuckles grasped the knob, still blackened with grease, as I listened carefully. There was singing. And laughter. Loud giggling, and a sharp squeal of delight. I unlocked the door and pushed it open, rubbing the grime off my hands with the hem of myshirt.
Inside, the clock above the kitchen table read twenty-eight minutes past six. Just underneath it sat Addison at the table, dressed as a princess, her tiara-topped hair falling into a neat braid. She was eating a small stack of pancakes. Behind her, Detective Ward held Ben in her arms. She was dancing and singing “Old McDonald Had a Farm” while Addison mooed like a cow between bites. The bottom of my throat suddenly ached, spreading a throbbing heat over my neck andcollarbone.
“This tea and crumpets is so yummy, Queen Callie," Addison said in a silly accent. I couldn’t stop the smile that pulled at the corner of mymouth.
“Why, thank you ever so much, Princess Addison. Would you like a bit more tea?” Callie Ward’s English accent was dead on. Ben softly cooed and gurgled in herarms.
I pressed up against the hallway wall for a moment just to relish in the sound of both my children laughing and playing, the way theyshouldbe doing every day. Unfortunately, my keys accidentally hit the wall and clanked to the floor loudly, giving away my hidingspot.
“Daddy?” Addison calledout.
I pulled myself from the shadows and walked into the room. “Hey there, Princess Addison. You look beautiful this morning,” I said, smiling down at her. I hoped she couldn’t see the exhaustion and defeat I felt in mybones.
Addison jumped off the chair and grabbed onto my legs in a hug. I felt my smile deepen, cracking my drylips.
"Hey," the detectivemurmured.
My gaze met hers, hitting me with an overwhelming sense of relief and gratitude. She must have seen it in my expression or sensed it somehow, because her eyebrows pulled together and her face filled withworry.
“Did everything turn outokay?”
I nodded my head, unable to say a word.No, everything wasn't really okay. My life was shit. My wife was a junkie. I needed to be at work in an hour, and when I call in to take the day to stay with my kids, I will lose my job. I never thought I’d end up likethis.
I stood across from her, scratching at the sweat and dirt caked on the back of my neck. A thousand thoughts and feelings were careening forward to stumble past the tip of mytongue.
“How is she?” she whispered, her eyes darting all over myface.
I nodded numbly. "She'll be all right, I guess. She's…uh…she's going to stay with her mother when this is over, Ithink.”
She noddedsadly.
I glanced at the clock.I needed to call Vinny and get it all overwith.
“Do you need to get to work?” she askedquietly.
