phone and looks at me uncertainly.
“What’s the matter?”
“It was Ciara. My …fathershowed up at my
house.” He huffs, dark in the face.
“What?”
“And it went badly. My brother Danny beat him
up.”
My heart tightens in my chest at the idea of a
father that could abandon his children like that,
without looking back, only to show up when it’s
convenient for him knowing how it will upset
them.
Patrick is worried, I can read it very clearly in
his eyes. He’d like to run there and punch
everything up and I can’t help but worry that it
could truly happen. But I can’t keep him here or
oblige him to stay with me. He has to worry about
his family and resolve the situation.
“You have to go to him, he needs you.”
“You need me.”
“I’m fine and in a little bit I’m going to collect
my father. It’ll be okay.” I smile at him.
“You’ll call me if there should be any problems,
right?” he asks worriedly.
“Go on,” I reply, turning my back to him.
“Erin…”
In an instant his breath is on my neck.
“I just wanted to tell you I’m sorry for
everything.”
I turn around again and caress his full beard.
