only that, but Maddie’s favorite flowers, pink roses, a gigantic bouquet of them, are arranged in a vase near the window.
Fuck him. How dare he think he can buy Maddie’s love and affection with a few items that barely cost him anything? The asshole has a lot of nerve showing up here now when he’s missed the most important moments of Maddie’s journey.
“Melly, I’m so glad you’re here!” Maddie exclaims, but I can’t drag my eyes away from the sorry excuse for a man before me that considers himself to be our father.
“Why are you here?” I hiss, directing all my hate in his direction.
Straightening his tie, he stands a little taller, trying to intimidate me I’m sure. He’s a burly man, and rather handsome, but at the end of the day he’s the same man that left my mother, myself and my sick sister without even a backwards glance. “Is that any way to speak to your father?” He smiles, but it’s tight, proving just how irritated he is with my words.
“You’re not a father,” I scoff. “A father is a man that cares about his children. It’s been months since we saw you last. You can’t just walk in and out of our lives when it suits you.” The venom in my words stings I’m sure, but I’m long past caring. After everything I’ve sacrificed, I’m not going to let him come in here like he’s the reason everything has worked out for us. He’s done nothing to help with the medical bills, or even tried to ease Maddie’s pain.
A coldness forms in eyes that look so much like mine, reminding me just how much I resemble him, sickening me further. “I’m a busy man, Mel. You know this, even if you like pretending you’re the only one who cares about Maddie.”
His words make my blood boil and I see red. “Get out! If you’re smart, you won’t dare show up here again when I’m here.”
My eyes meet Maddie’s and I see the plea in her eyes to not fight with him any longer, but when I turn back to him, I can see his jaw is tense. I wait for him to say something else, but he doesn’t. When he merely walks out of the room I’m shocked into silence.
Did he just listen to me for the very first time in my life?
“Are you okay?” Maddie’s always worried more about everyone else than herself, so I’m not surprised to hear her voice tremble as she checks on me.
I shake my head, feeling like I’m just waking up from a bad dream. “I’m not okay, but I will be eventually. Are you?” I ask, crossing the room to take my usual spot right beside her bed.
Maddie looks happy, healthier too, and that makes all of this worth it for me. I can go through with giving Remy what he wants, as long as it’s not my heart, if the money he’s giving me can keep my baby sister alive.
“What’s going on? You look like you haven’t slept since you were here last.” She of course asks but knows I won’t answer. I never tell her about my worries or fears. It’s the last thing she needs to hear when she’s struggling just to stay alive.
The look I give her says I know what she’s trying to do. She’s always trying to get me to confide in her. “Nothing. I’m good.”
Maddie rolls her eyes, a very teenage thing of her to do considering she’s been in and out of the hospital more than around other kids her age. Sitting here with her, the tension of my father’s appearance seems to ease out of me and I find myself smiling when Maddie starts a conversation about how I need to find a man and then I’ll have an excuse for not sleeping at night. “I don’t need any more excuses for that. I already have plenty of reasons.”
“You could use a man though. It has to be so boring working all the time and then going home to an empty house.”
I bite the inside of my cheek, wanting to do is tell her she has no idea how true that statement is, but I can’t. I refuse to tell her anything about Remy or the situation I’ve gotten myself into.
I’m strong enough to handle it on my own.
“I don’t need a man, Mads. I don’t need anything but you and mom.” I smile as I lean in and bop her