Page 79 of Storm

The door opens further and the man in question is frowning at me. “Hi, Richard. Is everything alright?”

“Yeah. Listen, can we speak privately for a few minutes?”

He nods and ushers Lorenzo out of the way. “We can talk outside. The boys won’t give us any privacy if we talk in there.”

I’m not sure why I’m nervous all of a sudden because normally I have no problems being firm and confrontational with people. But this is Miriam’s dad, so it’s an entirely new situation for me.

“Do you mind if I’m frank with you?”

He holds his hand up, encouraging me to proceed, so I do.

“I think we need to get a few things straight and make sure you’re aware of what’s really going on with your daughter. Are you aware that she’s on bedrest for the remaining duration of her pregnancy?”

Rolando scratches at his head. “Yeah, she mentioned that. Said she was shacking up with someone too. Christian said it was a cop.”

I frown. “I wouldn’t consider it shacking up. She needs someone with her for most of the day, and living alone wasn’t feasible.” I struggle to get the next words out, but I decide to say fuck it. I’ve got nothing to lose. “You haven’t called her. Notonce. Not to check on her or see how she’s been feeling. It’s been two weeks, Ronaldo.”

“She told me she was fine. We don’t always talk regularly. She knows I’ve got a busy schedule with work and the boys. It’s why…” He trails off and I narrow my eyes at him.

“It’s why she was always coming over here, taking time off from her busy life to clean up all of your shit. Do I have that right?”

I don’t feel an ounce of guilt as his face tightens and turns red in anger. “Miri should never have left. I’m not sure if it matters to you, but we’re a family and families have to stick together. Instead, she chose to go off and waste her time?—”

“That woman doesn’t waste a fuckingsecondof her time. Do you even know what her schedule is like?” It took me less than a day of knowing her to know she’s anything but someone who would waste any energy on work that wasn’t important. But since we’ve all learned more about her, I’ve learned that she works from the second she wakes until she crawls into bed well into the night. “She works six ten plus hour shifts on her feet, then goes to schoolalmostfull time. Seriously, she’s one class short of being considered full-time. Then uses her only day off to spend the entire thing helping out a family in need.”

“They’re strangers!” he shouts at me, but all I can do is shake my head.

“You’re clueless. Call your damn daughter,Rolando. If any of you want to come visit, let her know and we’ll arrange to come pick everyone up.” I take a step closer until he hunches his shoulders. “She’s laying in a bed, miserable and sad. But you want to know what the worst part of it is?”

He doesn’t answer me. It doesn’t stop me from laying into him.

“The worst part is she’s on that phone every night talking with her brothers, helping them with homework, listening totheir problems, and breaking up arguments. And she’s feelingguiltythat she’s not here to helpyouout. You, a grown ass man who was mature enough to have six children, but so weak that he thrust every parenting task on the shoulders of his only daughter.”

I glance at the window and see more than a couple sets of eyes peering out, and I’m glad. They all need to know the sacrifices their sister has made for them. “She’s exhausted herself taking care of all of you, and she can’t do it anymore. I’m sure she’ll try, but you have to understand that she has a little baby coming in just a couple of months, which is going to require all of her attention.”

“You got her into that mess,” he snaps back.

Nodding, I agree. “I did, but I don’t consider it a mess. It’s a goddamn blessing in my opinion. If nothing I’m saying is sinking in for you, maybe take some time tonight and search up the definition of ‘parentification’. You might learn what you’ve done to your daughter. Let me know if you plan to visit.”

Turning on my heel, I walk away, unsure if I’ve done the right thing. This wasn’t at all what my intention was when I stopped by. I wanted to urge him gently to reach out to his daughter and also reassure him that we’re taking care of her.I’mtaking care of her.

As soon as I’m seated behind the wheel, I drop the file I never showed him next to me and start my engine. I see her older brother, Christian, outside arguing with their dad. Clearly, he heard more than I had intended and I only hope Miriam isn’t pissed as hell with me by the time I arrive back at Kevin’s place.

I’m only on the road for about fifteen minutes before Tatum is blowing up my phone. I don’t answer the first two times he calls, but finally answer on the third.

“Well, you certainly had an eventful evening. How’s the drive, man?”

I bark out a laugh. “It’s going fine enough. I’m pretty sure I know why you’re calling.”

His tone is teasing when he says, “Do you? I don’t know about that, but I’ve got a pregnant woman here making faces at me to give her the phone. She had a string of calls and texts back to back that I’msureshe’d love some clarification on… What’s that, Miri? Did you want to talk to Richard?”

I hear her shout at him in the background, yelling for him to give her the phone so she can talk to ‘Dick’. If I wasn’t driving, I’d close my eyes in frustration, knowing I’m about to get an earful. I probably just shoved the bit of progress I’ve made with her about a mile backwards.

“Just let her talk to me, Tate.”

He chuckles and I hear her cursing at him before she’s breathing heavily into my ear. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite personever. I hear you made an extra stop on your way home.”

“I did.” There’s not much I can say. I won’t deny it. “It didn’t go great.”

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