Page 64 of Dark Shadow of Guilt

Chapter Eighteen

Maddy’s mind was clear, no holes in her memory, and she didn’t have uncontrollable urges to worship slavishly at Dom’s feet. She still wanted the Immortal’s arms around her and his lips pressed to hers, but Rath had cured her Sycophancy.

Since Dom had promised she’d return to Earth tomorrow, Maddy expected to sleep better. But she didn’t. Hoping not to wake him, she rolled onto her back, disentangling herself from his arm. With the past haunting her, she lay awake for hours.

A week after the father had deserted the family, the mother shuffled out of her bedroom, her hair ragged, her face swollen, a dirty bathrobe tied at the waist, and slippers on her feet. The girls were watching television. She opened the liquor cabinet and snatched a bottle. Afterward, she shuffled back to her bedroom, the booze tight in her grip. Maddy followed her with her eyes, while her sisters exchanged glances.

Eventually, the mother stopped drinking in her room and brazenly set her bottle onto the kitchen table. She took up smoking as well. In all this time, the father never visited as he had promised.

Fia and Darya came into Maddy’s bedroom one night for a chat. It was a warm summer night and the window was open.

“Let’s face it,” said Darya. “Mother will never be able to take care of us. Our situation is permanent.”

Maddy was excited to go to the middle school next year. Fia would begin her freshman year in high school and Darya her sophomore.

“She’ll get better,” said Madeline.

“No. She won’t,” said Fia. “If she does, it’s a plus. If she doesn’t, so be it. Don’t hope for things that may never happen, Mads.”

“I want Daddy back. Call him. Tell him Mama needs him.”

“We don’t know his number or where he is,” said Darya. “Mother has money, though. Lots of it, but the cash has run out. Since I have access to her checking and savings, I’ve been paying the bills, seeing to all the financial matters.”

Fia said, “I’ll shop for groceries as I’ve been doing. We’ll continue to share fixing breakfast, lunches, and dinners, each of us taking a day.”

Maddy said, “I don’t like to cook.”

“You’ll have to do it anyway,” said Darya, more kind than she should have been.

“I don’t want to.” She was still a child, digging her feet in, hoping that all this would go away if she fought against it hard enough.

“Mads, none of us want this. But this is where we are. Fia and I have had to survive before. It’s all new to you. You’ll learn. You’re smart.”

Fia asked, “Can I still take voice lessons? Can you still dance?”

Darya took charge. “Yes. There’s plenty of money for those things.”

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