those doctors said. Dominic was extremely intelligent when it came to many things. Even though his vocabulary was limited, he still picked up on a lot. Like today when he asked her if she was sad, despite her cheery greeting. Even though she never actually told him she’d moved out when Delia kicked her out, whenever she came by to visit, he was always so sad when she’d leave. He’d point at her room and say, “Nicah sleep.”
Dominic took his place at the dining room table while Danica and Delia brought everything out from the kitchen. Their mother had always insisted they eat their meals together like a family. And unlike many people who rarely used their formal dining rooms, this family used it almost three times each day. Though because of work they skipped lunch a lot. But not Dominic. He even had his snacks in there at his place at the table. Once the whole spread was out on the dining table, Danica and Delia took their places. Danica made her brother his plate, reminding him before handing it to him, “Little bites, okay?”
Eating was one of his favorite things to do, but he was often too eager and would start to choke. She dug into her own food and began telling Delia about the Starbucks card and how that had just been the last straw. She left out anything about his insensitive ass since her sister didn’t know the whole truth about the baby either. Delia had met Baby Orlando a few times, but Danica had told her she’d picked up a babysitting gig to help supplement the few hours she was getting at ShopMart. Delia had even watched him a few times for Danica when she hadn’t wanted to give up her shift. She’d always been terrified about even attempting to leave him with Angie, and she refused to leave him with Ted. Not that the idiot ever offered to help with him, but even if he had, she didn’t trust him. She’d sooner have had Dominic help keep an eye on him than she would’ve Ted. Delia didn’t mind since, for the most part, the baby slept through Danica’s short shifts.
They discussed Ted’s controlling ways as they ate and finished their breakfast and then cleaned up after. Once done with breakfast and the cleanup, Danica headed out to her car to grab the rest of her stuff. On the second and last trip back to her trunk, Ted pulled up, skidding to a stop just behind her car in the driveway.
He got out, looking incensed. “Who is he?”
Danica peered at him, lost by what he may mean, but ready to tell him off. “What?”
“Don’t act stupid, Danica.” He grabbed her roughly by the arm and got in her face. “You’ve barely let me touch you since you gave up that kid. You show up late and all cheery last night when you’ve been nothing but a downer for months. Then you lie about not having gone anywhere else yesterday when I knew you had. Now you just up and move out without so much as a good-bye?” He squeezed her arm so tight Danica couldn’t even move and her heart beat erratically. “You fucking someone else, you ingrate? After everything I’ve done for you?”
“Let go of me.” Danica tried in vain to come loose.
“You going back to being a loser hood rat, Danica? Is that what you’re doing? Because without me that’s all you’ll ever be.”
“I left your ass because of this.” She hissed in his face. “I’d be insane not to.”
“Get in the car.” He shoved her toward his car, still holding her arm tightly. Danica yanked at her arm, shocked that he was acting like this. She knew he was a control freak and a heartless asshole, but this was an entirely different and terrifying side of him she was seeing now. For a moment, she came loose, but he grabbed her other arm.
“Get your fucking paws off my sister before I shoot your dick off, asshole!”
Ted froze at the sight of Delia just a few feet away pointing her gun at him. He was distracted just long enough for Danica to come free. Grabbing his crotch, she squeezed as hard as she could and twisted with everything she had. With a wail, Ted hunched over just as Danica let go, and he fell all the way down, holding his crotch area in agony. “Don’t you ever put your hands on me again,