Page 349 of Releasing 10
Jesus Christ.
This man irritated me to the point where I avoided him as much as possible.
It wasn’t hard, considering he spent a good portion of his time avoiding his family like the plague.
Therefore, I found his sudden desire to have a father-son conversation both unnecessary and annoying.
“So,” Dad said when I reluctantly joined him at the table. “How have you been doing, son?”
“Fine.”
“That’s not what I hear.”
Mam!
Lovely.
“If you have something you want to ask me, then just go for it.” Leaning back in my chair, I folded my arms across my chest. “No need for beating around the bush with small talk.”
Pain flickered in his eyes, but I felt no remorse.
He didn’t get to check out on me for a decade and jump back in whenever he felt like it, and I vowed to never do that to the people I loved.
My family and friends could always depend on me.
I would never check out like he had.
I would be a man.
I would be honorable and dependable.
I would work hard and never take handouts from a man I had lost all respect for.
He would never be able to sway me with presents and impromptu trips away when he had a “good week,” like he did with my sister.
He could keep his money.
I would make my own.
“I hear you’re having relationship problems?”
“I’m having life problems, Dad,” I replied flatly. “Nothing for you to worry about.”
“Maybe I can help you.”
I scoffed at that. “You can’t help yourself, let alone the rest of us.”
Dad winced. “That’s not fair.”
“Yeah, well, life’s not fair, Dad, and the truth hurts.”
“I know I haven’t always been there for you,” he began to say, but I cut him off before he could spew another excuse.
“That’s putting it mildly,” I shot back with a humorless laugh. “You’ve been a fucking ghost in this house since Joe died. As for being there for me? Well, you haven’t been there since my communion.” On a roll now, I quickly unleashed my wrath on him. “These pop-up visits might work on Mam and Claire, but don’t bother trying it on me. Because I don’t need it, ya hear?” Narrowing my eyes, I spat, “Idon’tneedyou.”
LIBERATED LIABILITIES
Lizzie
