“Signed that shit without a second thought.”
“Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“I wanted him to fucking care that she exists. He was cool wanting me in his life but not Rylee and truthfully she’s a much better person than I will ever be. How the fuck you just write off your own kid? I really want to fly back out there and beat his ass.”
“You shouldn’t.”He frowned and I added,“Because you shouldn’t care enough about him to exert the energy or the effort. Fuck him. Not having you and Rylee in his life is his loss. You’re both worth so much more than whatever amount you gave him.”
“As much as I know that, it still pisses me the fuck off.”
“I know. I’ve been there.”
He frowned hard.“What do you mean?”
“My dad.”I sighed, feeling tightness in my chest.“I love my mom. She was my world and she loved me more than I can ever thank her for, but even with her heart connected to mine, I still felt like something was missing. When I turned eighteen, I went looking for my father.”
“You found him?”
I nodded stiffly.“It wasn’t like he was hiding, he just didn’t want to be in our lives. My life.”
“What happened?”
I laughed dryly and my chest was tight again before my hands were moving.“He owns a pizza place with his wife. I drove there and sat in the parking lot for hours, waiting. It took a while but I finally built up the nerve to get out and speak tohim. Marlee was with me because I really wanted the chance to talk to him and needed to be sure he could communicate with me.”
“Did you?”
“No, I told him who I was, he got anxious and demanded that I leave. He said he had no interest in revisiting his past mistakes and didn’t want to put that guilt on his family.”
“He really said that shit?”
“Sure did. Which literally meant he thought of me as a past mistake and assumed his family would only embrace me out of guilt. He didn’t want to put them in that position.”
“He’s in Chicago?”
I grinned because I felt his mind working and knew exactly where his thoughts went.
“He’s where he is and where he’s going to stay, detached from my life.”
“He needs to see me.”
“No, he doesn’t. Marlee cursed him out, stormed into his restaurant and told his wife that she married an insensitive dick and she should be ashamed of being married to a man who refused to love his own flesh and blood. We left, but not before she shoved a roll of toilet paper in every toilet at his store and flooded the bathroom.”
Ryland laughed, shaking his head.“Your girl is wild.”
“She doesn’t play about me.”
He frowned hard.“And you think I do?”
I shook my head.“I know you don’t, but that man has no relevance in my life. I’m only telling you because I understand how you feel. I also want you to be okay with saying fuck your father. You have people who love you and so does Rylee. Neither of you need him in your lives. Walking away and never acknowledging his existence again is far more impactful than putting your hands on him. I’m glad that he took the money.”
“My hands on him would be a hell of a lot more impactful when it comes to his understanding of what a piece of shit he is.”
“Well that’s not happening…again.”Ryland had already done some damage to his father’s face at his mother’s funeral.
His expression softened.“I’m sorry about your dad. It’s fucked up that he’s too ignorant to see how perfect you are.”
“Thank you, but we’re done giving them our time.”
Ryland reached for my hand, kissed the inside of my wrist, and everything was right in our worlds because we made the conscious decision to exist in whatever peace we created.
