Page 40 of Retribution

The shrubs that line the driveway have withered into dry brown eyesores, I told Allie she wouldn’t be able to keep them alive, that girl most definitely didn’t have the expertise for keeping plants alive. I chuckle at the memory of being at college with her. I’d bought her a small, potted cactus as a moving in present for her dorm and she somehow managed to kill that also, despite them being the easiest of plants to keep alive.

I walk up to the large porch to see the wooden porch swing, hanging on by just one rope, something I was meant to fix months ago.

The house appears in a worse way than it did even this morning.

Twisting the doorknob and pushing the door open, I’m greeted by a low chatter that hums from the living room. I instantly hear her footsteps.

“Daddy!” She squeals and runs towards me.

I swoop her up and spin her around, planting a kiss on her forehead.

“Hi, baby.” I grin at her.

Lowering down onto my knees, I pull her in for the tightest embrace. Her hair is loose and smells of strawberry shampoo. I soak up every last bit of her scent as I feel her grip onto me as if she let go, I would disappear.

Carrying her through into the living room, her face remains tucked into my chest. Feeling my shirt become damp, I peer down at her to see she has tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Lo, baby. Don’t worry, okay? Daddy’s here, everything is going to be okay, I promise.” She doesn’t respond, but wraps her arms around me tighter.

I rub my hand across her back and sit down with her still attached to me, attracting the burning eyes of my in-laws.

“Where were you?” Allie’s mother spits at me.

I meet her eyes, her entire face is screwed with anger and the raw sadness, apparent. I tuck Willow further into my side and lean back, finding the family portraits on the wall incredibly interesting.

“You are one despicable excuse of a husband, Reed, and even more so a father,” she practically growls.

My body grows ridged, and I sit up straight. This woman has constantly had a say so in our marriage, in the way we parent, I don’t need to hear any more of her biased opinions.

I remember when me and Allie first started dating in college, the control she tried to maintain over us only propelled us closer together. I’d never had a strong mother figure since mom died, but she made me resent the thought of ever wanting a mom. It drove Allie to be a better mom than hers ever was, she made sure she listened to Willow and let her have free rein of whatever it was life could offer her. No limitations.

“I find your opinion to be insulting.” I scowl.

She scoffs at my words.

“Insulting?” Her voice raises a few pitches.

“What I find insulting, is the fact that you have decided to keep me and her father out of the loop, we had to find out through Britney that she’d even had the accident. What I find insulting, is the fact that not even twenty-four hours after she has left this earth, instead of stepping up and being a father to our granddaughter, you decided to put work first. Again.” Her tone growing harsher as she continues.

“We always knew you would prohibit Allie from reaching her full potential, and now you’re doing the same to Willow.”

My heart thumps in my chest.

I work to provide for my family, I work to ensure that Willow never wants for nothing. I work so that I can create a stable environment, to pay for Willow’s eventual college tuition, so she can be anything she has ever dreamed of. I want to give her every possibility in the world, so nothing can hold her back from being the person she wants to be. I will not accept someone thinking they know better than me about my reasoning.

“Rachel, Allie chose to step down from her career, not for me, but for Willow. I worked my damned ass off to make sure I could give them the life they wanted, the life they both deserved.”

She shakes her head and looks towards her husband. Bridget enters the room with a tray of tea and notices the obvious tension in the air.

“Come on, Lo.” She gestures a hand towards Willow, and she hops up out of my lap, not before giving me another heavy hug. Lo takes Bridget’s hand, and they head towards the kitchen. Thank God, she doesn’t have to listen to any more of this, she’s been through enough.

I pour myself some tea and take a sip, the liquid singeing my tongue.

“Do you even care that she’s gone?” Rachel whimpers.

Bill, Allie’s father, pulls Rachel into his side and grabs the box of tissues from the coffee table, offering them to her.

“Of course I care that she’s gone! Don’t act like you know anything about our relationship.”

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