Page 94 of Old-Fashioned

That was the only person, I couldn’t get answers for.

I did get them from her coward of a brother, who was currently going through his fifth divorce for being a liar.

I didn’t want him in her life, and neither did she once I told her everything I had found.

Yes, I still wanted to beat his ass for lying to Birdie, however, after I sat on my bike and watched his oldest boy sneer at him, turn and walk away, I kind of felt justified.

Because now he knew how it felt.

As for her mother, well, it would seem that all the drugs had caught up to her, she passed away of an overdose a year after she had visited Birdie in the bar to more than likely get more money for her drug habit.

With all the information, and making sure Birdie knew there was nothing wrong with her, and that she was loved, that family was what you make of it, I watched as her eyes took on a brighter look.

And I would be damned if anyone or anything ever caused them to dim.

Ten Years Later

Abel Having His First Heart Attack

“But Dad, I don’t understand,” Rilee said as she crossed her arms and looked out the front door at the boy who was sitting in his truck.

One who had literally just honked his horn for her to come out.

“Darlin’ if a man is going to take my daughter out, he will come to the front door and knock. Not honk his fucking horn.” Abel snarled.

Rilee held her hands out, “But dad boys don’t do that anymore.”

Abel glared, “I don’t give the first flying fuck. You’ve seen how I treat your mother. You’ve commented on it. You used to say that you want a man like your father. Which is me.”

He didn’t let her get a word in as he kept on ranting, “So, tell me, Darlin’ mine. Have you ever seen your mother open her own door?” At his words, Rilee sighed and shook her head.

“Have you ever seen your mother open her own drink if I was there?” Again, Rilee shook her head.

“And have you ever seen me disrespect your mother or allow anyone to do it?”

Rilee sighed, “No, Daddy.”

“Right. No. So given all of that, how could you for one second think I would be okay with someone disrespecting you?”

And then she looked at me and using only her eyes, pleaded for my help.

Normally, I would be on her side because Abel could be a tad bit overprotective.

And most of the time, he was wrong… but on this… “I’m sorry, honey. But I agree with your dad. Any man honks at you and expects you to hop to… that’s not any man I would ever want to know.”

Caelan came into the house then, followed by Baker, and it was Caelan that asked, “Why the fuck is he sitting out there, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel?”

“Because he honked the horn for Rilee to go ahead and come outside.” I told them.

The two of them stared at me, looked at Abel, to see his arms crossed over his chest in his ‘I don’t fucking think so pose’, and then they looked at each other nodded, Baker opened the door and the two of them walked outside.

Rilee was running after them, “Uncle Caelan, Uncle Ba…”

Baker tossed his hand up, “No one disrespects a woman in this family. I don’t care who the fuck you are.”

And that was how one MMA undefeated fighter, and one Captain of the fire department sent a puny little dick, Abel’s words, tearing out of our driveway.

It took a few days for Rilee to come around and not be angry at her father, and when she did, the two of them were like two peas in a pod once again.

Funny enough, someone heard about it, and decided to make a stand.

And exactly one week later, Drake Caine’s son showed up ten minutes before his date with Rilee, and knocked, yes, knocked on the door, and showed Rilee first-hand how it felt to be treated with respect.

When she came in before her curfew with a wistful look on her face, she rounded the back of the couch, wrapped her arms around Abel and said, “Thank you. I get it now. I’m glad you’re old-fashioned.”

Once she went to bed, I looked at my husband, nineteen years and I still had the rawest hunger for him, as he went to the kitchen grabbed two drinks, popped my tab first, handed it to me, and then opened up his coke, I winked up at him and said, “I thank God, you’re old fashioned and you showed me what it’s like to be really loved.”

The End.

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