Page 30 of Rafe: Sins of the Father

I dash up the porch steps and through the door before he can say another word.

Ruth and my father are in the kitchen talking and don’t notice me sneak up the stairs to my room. I can’t face them right now. I step to the window and see Rafe by my father’s car. He’s staring at the house, like he doesn’t have a clue what the hell just happened. Finally, he balls up the rag in his fist and throws it, then returns to his task.

I drop the curtain and sit on the bed. I’m going to have to tell my father I can’t attend Huntington. There’s no way I’m putting myself through this every day.

Hopefully, there’s still time to reply to another acceptance letter I received from another college. I stare at my phone and think about calling my mother, when there’s a tap on my bedroom door.

My father pokes his head in. “You’re home early. I saw your car out there.”

“Yes, my, um, last class was canceled.”

“I’m headed out myself. I’ll be gone all weekend. Business.”

“All right.”

“Ruth will be here, of course.”

“Okay. Have a safe trip.”

“I should be home by dinner on Sunday. I’ll call you.”

“Okay. Love you.”

“Love you, too, honey.”

He closes the door, and I hear his footsteps going down the steps.

Maybe I should have told him, but I’m still reacting, and I can’t deal with speaking the words to describe what happened to me. I feel so violated.

My suitcase sits in my open closet, and I think about packing up and catching a flight. But I can’t do that to my father. Not without at least saying goodbye and explaining.

I’ll tell him Sunday when he returns.

After Dad leaves, I lay down and fall asleep. When I wake up, the sun is setting.

I join Ruth in the kitchen. She’s making a lasagna, and I help her build the layers. When we put it in the oven, she steps back and looks at the clock on the wall.

“It should be ready by quarter after, honey.”

I pop a piece of leftover cheese in my mouth. “Sounds good.”

Her phone rings, and she looks at the screen, frowning. “It’s my pastor’s wife. Let me take this.”

Ruth has been friends with her pastor and his wife since I was a little girl. John and Missy Birdwell.

I drift into the living room and flick on the news, more to distract myself. The weather comes on, and they say the Santa Ana winds are forecasted to pick up tonight with expected wind gusts of up to sixty miles an hour and potential for downed trees.

Great.

“Dear, I have to go out.”

I turn to my aunt’s voice and find her standing in the archway. “Really? What is it?”

“John had a heart attack. The paramedics are taking him to the hospital. Missy is beside herself, and I told her I’d stay with her.”

I rise to my feet. “Oh no, I hope he’s okay. Of course. Go. She needs you.”

Ruth turns and hurries to the coat closet. “You’ll be okay here by yourself?”

---