"Just hold the pig," I told her as I zipped the top closed. "Put that on your shoulder, and we're going right out to my truck."
"Do I need to tell Mom?" she asked.
I shook my head. "Not this time. Something came up, and I'm gonna send her a text, but this is all me, ok? You just stay nice and quiet, head right to the truck, and put your seatbelt on as soon as you're in. I'm right behind you."
She nodded and then did exactly that. I turned off the light in her room and followed, grabbing the last two bags as I passed. It felt like our steps were much too loud, and I kept waiting to hear someone open a door, but I wasn't stopping. Faith could feel the tension, and she walked quickly to the door and unlocked it. I grabbed the handle before she could, making sure the knob was all the way turned before easing it open, then I nodded for her to go first.
That little girl headed right to my truck without a word. I went for the other side, climbing in a split second after she did. Twisting the key, I let the glow plugs warm while I put on my seat belt, then I looked over to make sure she was secure. Then, just because I had to, I locked the doors before starting the truck.
There was no way they'd miss that sound, so I didn't dawdle. Leaning back, I looked over my shoulder and started backing up, and I didn't do it slowly. The moment I was in the street, I put it in gear and just started moving.
"Dad?" Faith asked. "Where are we going?"
"Southwind," I told her.
"Why?" she asked, hugging her stuffed pig a little too tightly.
Yeah, I didn't have a fucking clue how to explain that to her. "Because there are some things that adults understand and you shouldn't have to worry about, ok? I just need you to trust me, Faith. I have to deal with something, and I need you to stay with Violet for a bit."
"Because of the security system?" she asked.
"Yeah," I admitted. "Because that's not a security system, cupcake."
She just looked up at me with nothing but trust on her face. "Then what is it?"
"I dunno yet, but I don't like it, and I would rather be safe than sorry, ok? Now, you didn't do anything wrong, so don't even think it. I'm just being overly careful."
"Like when you take off the horse's halters before turning them out?" she asked.
I nodded at that. "Yeah. Because while something probably won't happen, we don't need to take risks, and it only takes a second to make sure. This is just me making sure."
"Ok." Then she reached over and turned on the radio.
Carrie Underwood began to flow from the speakers, and Faith curled her legs up under her. The clock on the dash said it was seven minutes until two a.m., so later than I thought, but that was good. That was ok. It meant they'd be asleep. They'd wake up and not have time to think up any awkward questions. I'd just drop Faith off, ask them to keep an eye on her, tell Cy about the camera, tell them they were right, and then I'd go.
I had a tire iron behind my back seat. I didn't own a gun, but right about now, I was wishing I did. The tire iron would work, though. I'd go back there and see if they'd even woken up, then that man could explain. He'd better hope he had a real good reason for the fucking camera, though. I had nothing else to fucking lose.
The worst part was that Cy had been right. No, not that he was, but that I hadn't believed him. I didn't even fucking know. I just had this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, and it tasted a lot like regret. They'd actually tried to help, and I'd done what I did best. I stuck my foot right up in it, made things worse, and fucked it all up. They'd gone out on a limb for me. They'd bent over fucking backwards, and those things I'd said?
Before I was ready, I turned into the gate at Southwind, then headed up the drive. Even from here, I could see the lights on in the living room. Someone was awake, so I went a little slower, letting my truck just idle its way up the hill. I didn't want to do this. I had to fucking do this. I was out of options, and I'd burned this bridge for me, but I was willing to grovel for Faith.
Like always, I parked by the barn, then turned the truck off. "Ok, honey, I need you to give me a second, ok?" I asked.
She nodded, so I reached into the back seat where I'd thrown our bags and found mine. Digging in the bottom, I found the camera, hid it in my palm, then closed the bag up again. That I tossed in the seat, then grabbed her bag and backpack.
"Ok," I said. "Faith, it's real late, and we're asking a favor, so you let me do the talking, ok?"
She nodded her head. As soon as I opened my door, she jumped out, then met me around the back. I reached my arm around her shoulder, wondering if this was the last time I'd ever see her, then we headed to the front door together. That same old front door. The one I'd called home, the one I'd been scared of, and now the one I wasn't welcome in. Staring at it, I pushed out a heavy breath, then remembered one more thing I needed to do.
"Faith?" I asked, turning her to face me. "You know I love you, right? More than anything else in this world. More than all of heaven. I love you, baby, and that's not ever gonna stop."
"Dad?"
I didn't bother to answer. I simply reached up and tapped at the wood, knocking lightly because I half hoped that no one would answer. Almost immediately, the latch clicked, and the door opened, proving that someone had been waiting. Then Violet's face appeared in the gap.
I could see the mascara smudged at the corner of her eye. Her hair was up in a messy bun, she was barefoot, and her cheeks were splotchy. The perfect was gone, but that didn't make her any less beautiful - or painful to look at.
"Luke?" she asked.
