Page 67 of Valentine's Daddy To Go
“That sounds nice and fun, but I think I should take you two to the car.”
The girls pout.
“Is Daddy already there?” Mackenzie asks.
“No, I’m going to go talk to him, but I’m probably going to take you home tonight, and you guys can see him later.”
“Can we say goodbye?” Mackenzie adds hopefully.
“Oh, not right now. I want to get you inside the warm car, so you don’t catch a cold.”
“Okay,” my little niece answers. I can tell she’s a little skeptical. Even at only four, she’s observant. I’m sure she knows things aren’t going super great here, but at least she doesn’t know why.
“Yeah, let’s get you girls inside.” I hold on to their little hands, guiding the two of them back to my car. The trip through the brush is more difficult with two kids squirming beside me, but we make it. I wish I had some extra clothes for them, and maybe a towel. They’re going to have to sit in these slightly damp outfits. I just hope they don’t get sick.
I put them in the backseat and take some snacks out from my glove compartment.
“I’ll be right back,” I tell them, handing over the gummies. “Don’t open the door for anyone except me okay?”
“Okay,” they promise they’re eyes already glued to the gummies. I’m glad they’re distracted because I really need to confront my brother, and need to keep the girls occupied while that happens.
Now, it’s time for Brian. He’s had a lot of fuck ups, but this one crosses the line in an extreme way. Hopefully, I can get through to him. This feels like one of his last chances.
I close the car door, making sure my nieces are safe inside. Every lock is engaged, and I leave the windows open a crack at the top for fresh air. I kneel by the window and wave goodbye as they eat.
“Bye babies,” I call. “I’m just going to be a few minutes.”
God knows, it’s dangerous to leave children unattended in the car, but Ihaveto see my brother right now. With a purpose, I stalk back to the trailer, storming up the few steps and banging on the door. Each knock is powered by extreme anger.
I am ready to scream at my brother for all this bullshit.
The door creaks open, but instead of Brian, a wretched, sickly old man opens the door. The years of meth use are on his face, from the sallow skin to the gaunt cheeks. All I can think about is how this could be Brian if he doesn’t change.
“Whaddya want?” he croaks. When he speaks, I can see that all of his teeth are missing. No wonder his mouth looked oddly caved in, like he was pursing his lips. I’m shocked for a second, but then regain my senses.
“Um, I’m looking for Brian.”
“Mm,” he mutters vaguely. Turning around, he faces the inside of the trailer. “Brian!” he screams out into the depths.
The old man stands there for a few seconds before walking away without saying anything else to me. While I find the encounter weird, I don’t comment on it because I’m actually kind of glad he’s gone.
My brother emerges not much later, looking absolutely disgusting. His hair is sticking out all over the place, and his clothes are covered in unsightly stains. There are dark circles under his eyes like he hasn’t slept soundly in months. He looks like he’s suffering from malnutrition, and his gait is oddly lopsided.
Plus, he is mostdefinitelyhigh.
“Hey, Nellie. I didn’t expect to see you here,” he greets me casually. It’s so casual that it angers me more, something I didn’t think was possible. He’s acting like there’s nothing wrong when clearlyeverythingis literally in the toilet.
I grab Brian’s arm and pull him out of the trailer. He moves with me like he’s a rag doll. My brother’s always been thin, but it looks like he’s lost at least thirty pounds. He’s nothing more than a bag of bones now.
We get to a semi-secluded area before I let go of him. He rubs the spot on his shirt where I grabbed him, but that’s it. I’m expecting some kind of explanation, but Brian’s acting like I just dropped in on him at home, as if I’m just here for a quick hello.
“What the absolute fuck is going on, Brian?” I demand shrilly.
“What are you talking about?” he says, feigning innocence.
“What am I taking about?Are you fucking serious? You must really be on drugs,” I scream. Brian chuckles, but I’m not here to make jokes. “Is it true?” I demand. “Are you using meth?”
Brian shrugs, looking totally bored.
