“Me too, Dad,” I say, but it feels like a lie.
Patting his back, I step out of the hug. “I’m going to head up to my room and read for a bit.”
Dad nods, distracted as he sits and starts looking through the paperwork Daisy left. What was Levi thinking sending Daisy here like this? If they push too hard, he’s definitely going to leave again.
I start up the stairs to my room and see Emily’s hot pink toenails disappear around the landing.
Shit. I’ve let her down, but I can’t talk to her right now. I can’t say all the right things when my gut and every one of myprimal instincts is screaming that Dad’s on the verge of doing something terrible.
Instead, I dress for a run and head out to work off my fear and sadness and disappointment the old-fashioned way.
***
Bleary-eyed, I stare at the coffeemaker as it slowly fills my cup. I don’t know how I’m going to get through today. Trisha and Dad were up all night arguing so loudly even earplugs couldn’t save me. Emily and Sophie came to my room about three times each, worried about the fight Trisha and Dad were having.
We tried to eavesdrop, but they yelled things like, “You never listen to me” and “I can’t believe you’re such a moron,” and got really quiet when they were discussing whatever it was they were actually fighting about.
And they were fighting until after three in the morning.
Even if it weren’t for the fighting, I doubt I could have slept. I feel betrayed by Levi, and he didn’t answer any of my calls or texts last night.
I want to keep the house. I don’t want to drive Dad away. Even if he isn’t the best dad, he’s still ours.
“Do I have to go to school?” Emily walks into the kitchen still in her pajamas, her hair a mess.
“Yes,” I say. “Go get dressed and hurry. You have a math test this morning.”
Her sleepy eyes pop wide. “Oh, shit. I forgot.”
“Language,” I call after her as she races out of the room.
Dad lumbers into the kitchen, smiling, eyes bright like he wasn’t up all night fighting with his wife. “Good morning, kiddo.” He wraps me up in a hug. “I’m glad we got this time together. You don’t have to worry about a thing. Trisha and I will send child support as soon as we get settled and both have jobs.”
I ease out of the hug, my worst fears realized. Am I still dreaming? Surely, this is a nightmare. “You’re leaving?”
He pats my shoulder. “I know you were probably excited about moving out on your own, but I warned you when we came here that we might not be able to stay.”
I might be tired, but I know he never said anything about leaving. “Why?” I ask, doing my best not to freak out.
All I can think about is how this is going to break Emily’s heart and destroy that bit of hope Sophie was holding onto that our father isn’t a total asshole.
He shrugs, still smiling. “There’s no opportunity here for us. The local salons aren’t hiring, and I haven’t gotten even a callback on the resumes I’ve sent out.”
I sink into a seat at the kitchen table. “Is this about what the caseworker said? Because she’s not the one in charge, we can talk to her boss and get another caseworker assigned to us, someone who won’t—”
He waves a hand. “Those government types are all the same, kiddo. Now they’ve got me in their crosshairs, they’re going to squeeze every penny they can out of me.”
Telling Dad the truth about Daisy won’t help because our actual caseworker would have probably said the same things.
I’m stuck. And it’s Levi’s fault.
“You’ve only been here a couple of weeks. It might take some time to find a job, but I’m sure you can find something if you keep trying. I can put in a good word for you.”
He pops his hands on his hips. “Thanks, kiddo, but we have to do what’s best for us. I’ve got a cousin in Pensacola who’s got a job for me, and Trisha’s already found a few promising salons there. It’s a big city, with a lot more job options.” He walks over and grips my shoulder. “We’ll send whatever we can as soon as we’re settled.”
I look up at him. “Money isn’t what Emily and Sophie need from you. They need their father in their lives.”
A tear slides down my cheek, and I swipe at it before he sees it .
