“Not until I get what I came for while I am here.”

“Which is?”

“To speak with your daughter and to find out how she and the baby are feeling.”

“You have no stake in her or the baby. Do you think you are the only man she knew? Your arrogance is unprecedented.”

“I would have taken that to heart if Lucy hadn’t already told me, but since I am, I guess that keeps me at a certain advantage.”

Mom and Dad turned toward me, and I furiously wiped the tears falling from my eyes. I was so embarrassed that this conversation was happening as if I weren’t here.

“That doesn’t matter to me. What matters is that she’s not going anywhere with you.”

“But I can take care of her and the baby. Let me take care of them. I even have a doctor on staff at my home, one of the best in the region. He says she needs lots of rest and a special diet to get her strength up.”

“And you think I won't be able to do that?” Dad asked, fuming.

“You are the one that made that conclusion. I didn’t. I have staff members who would be assigned to them and give them all the help that they need. And I will be there. At least let me talk to her in private to ask what she wants, how she and the baby are doing.”

“I am fine, Mason. You can go now,” I said, moving my gaze away from his.

“You heard the girl, you aren’t invited, so leave now, or I will be forced to call the cops.”

“Come on, Lucy. I just want to talk. I deserve at least that, so I can make sense of everything happening.”

“She has told you that you can go. What else do you want to hear?” Dad countered.

Immediately, Mom stood, headed straight toward Dad, grabbed his arm, and started to lead him out of the room. “Come on, honey, let’s give them some privacy.”

“I can’t leave my daughter with this dangerous man. He will take advantage of her again with any little chance he gets.”

“We will be outside the door. I doubt he will find a means to run away.”

Dad turned toward Mason and spread out his palm. “Five minutes.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it.” Mason said.

“Not a second more. Five minutes, and you are out, or you won’t blame me for the next action I take.”

With that, Dad forced his arm out of Mom’s and left through the door. With a sigh, Mom walked closer to Mason, touched the side of his mouth where he was still bleeding, and sighed. “Sorry about that.”

Mason chuckled and wiped the side of his mouth again. “I deserved it.”

“Violence is never an option,” Mom said under her breath.

“We are good, ma’am,” Mason whispered back and nodded.

“I will leave you two to talk then,” Mom replied as she turned, smiled at me, and walked out the door too.

“You should not be here, Mason.” I took the pillow, holding it closer to me to stop myself from reaching out to him.

“I could say that to you, too, with what the doctor said.” Mason walked toward the shelf and began to look at our family pictures.

“What business did you do with my family before?”

“How is the baby?” He asked softly.

“Fine,” I replied, refusing to tell him that I had had an ultrasound, and our baby was doing really well. “What business do you have with my parents?”