Page 24 of Callow

Any number of awful things could have happened.

“It’s supposed to be different with Daphne.”

“Why?”

“Because she has a parent who gives a shit. Because having me there for her should have meant that she turned out better than I did when I had no one.”

“Was your rebellion about your shitty parents?” Callow asked.

“I mean… no. At least not in any sort of conscious way. I was just… looking for fun.”

“Maybe that’s all there is to it for Daphne too. She seemed to say that was why she doesn’t want to hang out with that old friend of hers.”

“Allie,” I said, my heart still aching for the fracture in their friendship.

“Yeah. She said she was boring.”

That was unkind. Even if it was true to her.

“I don’t think I would worry as much if she was, you know, chasing after age-appropriate guys. I think that’s, you know, par for the course. I hate to say it but I don’t think girls learn not to chase until they’ve been burned a time or two.”

“That other friend of hers probably isn’t helping.”

“You have no idea,” I said. Catching his interest, I sighed. “She’s doing adult content for a living. And while I’m totally okay with her doing what she wants with her own body…”

“You don’t want your underaged kid around that.”

“Exactly.”

We sat in silence for a few minutes. It was Callow who broke it. “Ever think of getting her into some sort of hobby?” he asked.

“She did dance when she was little. But, ah, is there a nice way to say someone doesn’t have any rhythm?” I asked, wincing.

“What about something that teaches some discipline?”

I mean, had the guy ever seen a ballerina? Their entire lives revolved on discipline.

“You mean like karate?”

“Yeah. Some sort of martial arts anyway. Some of the club old ladies run a martial arts gym. Have all sorts of classes.”

“It wouldn’t be a horrible thing for her to have somewhere to go for the time between when school ends and I get home.”

“I know these women, too. They’re good influences. They kinda mix life advice and shit in with the physical exercise. Might help Daphne, you know, shift her mindset about shit.”

“That would be nice if it works with our schedule. You know, if she will even go.”

“You might have to make her go the first time, but I think she will really like it after that.”

“Definitely preferable to her hanging out with Tammy,” I agreed.

With all the facts laid out and a possible plan to keep Daphne busy after school, all of the adrenaline that had been keeping me at least halfway sane fell away, leaving nothing but the raw emotions underneath making their way back to the surface.

It happened too quickly for me to fight it back.

And as I sat there with a man still bleeding from a gunshot wound he’d gotten by protecting my daughter, a man who was absolutely ridiculously good-looking, an embarrassing as hell sob escaped me as I folded forward, burying my head in my hands.

The thing when you were busy as hell was… there was no time for emotions. I had to work, parent, cook, clean, plan, and try to occasionally take care of my body by getting some exercise in.

---