Page 116 of A Doctor for Daisy

“She thinks it’d be an embarrassment for you to be with someone like me, right?”

“Her thoughts and opinions mean nothing to me. It’s my life that she’s been controlling for years.”

“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I don’t know what to think right now.”

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I don’t want you to think that I believe or have the same thoughts as her.”

She sniffled. “This is horrible. I mean I’m glad you told me, but it’s like, how do I look at her again knowing she did this?”

“I know,” he said. Which was what made this so hard to say. “That is something I’ve got to address. And I will. I’m on your side, not hers. This puts me in a horrible position because she’s my mother and I hate what she did.”

“I’m not hiding anything from you, Theo. This makes me feel like shit. I’ve had all these doubts about myself for years and thought I got past them. I even had them with you.”

“You have,” he said. “I know that well. I don’t think those things. I hope you believe me.”

“I do. I want to. It’s just…I’ve never had someone hate me so much to do that.”

“She doesn’t hate you,” he said. “She said she likes you.”

“Just not enough for her prodigy child?”

“Something like that,” he said drily. “But there is more. Somehow she found your father.”

“What?” she asked. “How? Why?”

“Don’t ask me. Do you want to know what she said? I don’t even know if it’s true. I hung up on her, but I want full disclosure with you.”

“I want to say no, that I don’t want to know. But I should, right?”

Daisy pulled out a tissue from the box on the counter and blew her nose.

“She said he’s in prison for armed robbery and attempted murder on a police officer. I’m not sure how she could know any of that.”

“Me neither,” she said. “Is that what I came from? People like that? You met my mother.”

“Who is a wonderful woman that did a great job raising the woman I love,” he pointed out.

“I need to leave,” she said.

“No,” he said. “Stay. Let’s talk this out. I don’t want you leaving when you’re upset.”

“I have to. I need to think. You can’t expect me to be hit with all this information and then not be upset.”

“I didn’t think or expect that,” he said.

“I’m sorry, Theo. I’m not sure I can be with you now.”

“What does that mean?” he asked. He never thought this would happen.

“This is your family. You love your mother even though she did this. I can’t face her knowing she did what she had. I just can’t. Family is your bond even if you don’t always agree with what she said. Thank you for being honest with me. I’d feel like a fool if I didn’t know she did this, but I need to think.”

Theo watched her put her boots on, grab her jacket and purse and rush out the door crying.

He did the one thing he’d sworn he’d never do in his life. He put his fist through the wall and didn’t give a shit if he hurt his hand or not.

39

We Can Help

---