mother showed her face from behind him. “Is this a good time?” he asked, walking over. His hand held my mothers as they approached.
I got off the bed to welcome him, but Gia responded before I could. “Thank you, God. At least someone’s listening to my prayers.”
“Well, that’s the first time anyone’s ever called me God. What’s going on?” My dad walked over and kissed Gia. Then lifted Bella right off the bed, wrapping her in his arms while my mother watched and waited her turn eagerly.
Gia grinned, and I knew what she was thinking. We were a lot alike. Bella was in tune with his natural command. It calmed her, and she finally took a breath. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bother me, because it did. However, he was stronger than me in every way that mattered. I used to hate him for it.
He walked straight over to me with my daughter, and Mom went to fawn over Gia. “What’s going on with you?”
I was going to lie and say nothing. Be obstinate, but the healthier side of me decided against it. Because, at the end of the day, I didn’t want to feel this way. I needed my best advisor. I needed my father. My whole life, he was the one I could turn to when I needed a dose of good judgment and tough love. His had a unique insight and I valued his opinion, even though I acted like I didn’t and caused embarrassment to him. Incapable of sugarcoating anything or mincing words, his clear, passionate, commanding voice was always ready to give me a nudge when I needed one. Like right now.
“I’m going through something.” I shrugged, looking down at my daughter.
He nodded, and handed the baby to my mother’s waiting arms. “Let’s go grab lunch.”
Gia’s face seemed hopeful. “We’ll be fine. Please, go.” She nodded. She wasn’t asking, but urging.
“Okay.” I walked over and kissed her lips as my father pulled the chair next to Gia’s bed for my mother to sit.
My mother’s shrill voice echoed off the walls. “I love you, Abel.” I heard her words but didn’t acknowledge them. Instead, I followed my father out of the room. She tried, time and time again. However, I didn’t have enough forgiveness in the world to let a relationship between us blossom. I still had a hard time over her past…and what she did to Chance. In turn—how Chance handled it. I knew it was out of her control, yet she was the match the started the fire that almost burnt my life down.
“Any ideas where we could have a quiet meal and talk?” he asked as the elevator doors closed.
“Other than the cafeteria—no. Once we leave the building, we’re fair game to the press,” I bit out. “Fucking media,” I added with a snarl.
“It’s the business. Thought you’d be used to it by now,” he said, arching his brow.
“I heard the first picture of Bella has a price tag of half a mill. Everyone wants to cash in on that. And it’s not that I fault them for wanting to put food on their table, but they have no sense of social grace. They appear out of thin air and wait for me. It gets on my nerves because it’s not just me…it’s my daughter.” I felt exhausted after that, the anger wearing me down.
We moved quickly through the lobby and into an adjacent stairwell. I followed, not saying a word. My father is the type of guy you don’t question. He had a plan, and I could use the distraction. The basement. It was dark and the lighting poor. I kept pace as we rounded the final floor in silence, our feet on the floor the only sound around us. He opened the door and I stepped through into a dim hallway. Then the door slammed behind us and echoed loud. We moved quicker this time. His strides long and sure. We passed phlebotomy labs, x-ray rooms, storage closets, until we got to the end of a darkened hall. A faint light was just visible along the corridor. He held his hand, guiding it back and forth, and the light came on. Morgue. My inhale clogged my throat and the bitterness followed…I swallowed. We moved down two steps in silence, then stopped with his hand clutching the rail. He stood stoically still, as if listening out for something. There wasn’t a sound to be heard. What in the fuck.
Two