“What basement? What padlock? What are you talking about, Jasmine?!” he demands, and I frown.
“You know, every time I misbehaved?” I try to jog his memory.
"Your mother sent you to your room for not being poised enough, Jasmine, which was just fucking ridiculous, but you never complained, so I didn’t get involved. What are you talking about with the basement?" he snaps and my eyes widen as I sit up straighter.
Holy shit, he doesn’t know.
“Dad, when I disappeared for a few weeks at home, where did you think I was?” I ask, and he says, “Boarding school, your mama said she enrolled you to attend a few months a year to get the private education, and because your grades were so good, I didn’t think to… Oh fuck no, she didn’t, no, not to my little girl, no.”
“Dad,” Brady says softly, and Dad roars, “No, I didn’t fucking miss all that happening to you kids under my own roof, I couldn’t have.”
I flinch at his anger, the emotions in his voice, and I look down.
“My granddaughter, she tried to…” He continues, and my eyes tear up.
I thought he knew but I guess he’s been more closed off than any of us thought.
“Mama,” Aisling cries, and I instantly look up and stand with fear, my heart racing, only to smile softly, seeing her light brown horse’s back legs snapped off in her hand.
“That’s her? My granddaughter?” my dad chokes and I swallow hard and murmur, “Yes,” before I clear my throat, “Look dad I need to go, she’s broken a toy and is upset and I know you’ve been told things you didn’t know and I know you probably feel guilty but I need to put her first right now and you need time to process the things the woman you married did. I’ll uh, I’ll call you.”
“Will you?” he asks hopefully.
Will I?
I look at my daughter, her tears coating her cheeks, and I sigh, “Yeah, I will, but I’m not ready for you to meet Aisling just yet. I need to speak to Logan.”
“I understand, Jassy, but know, I’ll never allow anyone to hurt you or my granddaughter, and I promise, your mother will sufferfor this. I love you, and I’ll callyoutomorrow at noon so make sure you answer,” he swears before he hangs up to deal with his emotions and the truths he’s been shocked with where his wife is concerned, and I look at my phone feeling conflicted over it all.
He was never there, and his not knowing what she did when I thought he did, with how he stood by her over the littlest of things, is proof of that.
Sighing, I put my phone in my pocket, then bend before my daughter.
“I accidenly sat on it,” she sobs, and I gently correct, “Accidentally, bumblebee,” as I gently move her hair out of her wet face.
“Grandpa is going to be sad,” she whispers, and I half smile and offer, “Why don’t we go to Main Stores toy store? Mama has to go to the store anyway.”
Her eyes light up, and she nods quickly, making me chuckle. I nod to the door and say, “Come on then, let's get the dogs inside. We go now, then we’ll be back in time to make Daddy a special dinner, okay?”
She squeals in delight, her tears forgotten, and I laugh as I follow her, while trying not to obsess over the lack of communication with Logan, the sudden realization of the past repeating itself and the weird call with my father.
***
“Look, Mama, there it is!” Aisling says excitedly as we walk down the pink aisle of the store, and points at the light brown horse, and I smile slightly, though the price makes me want to grab her and run out of the shop.
It’s over twenty bucks, meaning I’m going to unfortunately have to use the card Logan gave me, the one I’ve been making sure not to use, and I nod over to it just as my phone rings.
“Go and grab it, bumblebee, I’m just going to answer this in case it’s daddy,” I say, and she quickly rushes over to the toy as I grab my phone but frown seeing it’s not Logan.
Dammit, where is he?
Why hasn’t he called?
“We need to talk…” I mutter, the realization I had earlier hitting me, and I shake my head, knowing I need answers first before I tell him, and I press the green button on my phone.
“Where are you?!” Vincent demands as I put the phone to my ear, not even managing to answer with a hello.
“Hello to you too friend,” I sass, “I’m at the toy store on Main, Ais accidentally broke her horse that Rocky got her and she’s devastated.”
