Page 67 of Blame It On Midnight

“Don’t you? You’ve spent pretty much every day with that woman since she’s been here. Now picture the next few weeks with that smile. The next few months. Picture next Christmas with her at your side, sitting in front of a tree. There’s snow and presents, and family. Pretty, isn’t it?”

“It’s nice,” he admitted.

“Now picture all of that without her.”

“It’s not that simple. She lives in the city, and I have Nora to think about. I can’t just spring a woman on her. Tell her she’s got a new mom.”

“Your Collins isn’t a city girl anymore, and Nora knows people just fine. You don’t think she wants her dad to be happy? You don’t think she understands that you’re alone? She’s a Bridgestone, son. She sees all the angles. Plus, she’s smart as hell. Gets that from her Grampy.”

Another step, and he was on the ground. “Anyway, just some ramblings from your old man. You don’t need to pay attention if you don’t want to. You’re grown and can make your own decisions.” Manley winked. “Just make sure they’re the right ones.”

He stood on the front porch in the dark and waited until his dad’s taillights disappeared. In the distance, he heard coyotes, their yips sharp as they cut through the quiet. He wondered where Collins was and felt bad that he hadn’t messaged her in days. I’ll do it tomorrow, when I’m fresh, he thought. Still tired from lack of sleep, he walked back into the house and found Daisy Mae still at the table, sipping her broth.

“You feeling better?”

She shrugged, but then slowly nodded. “Yes. I think the worst has passed.” She looked up at him, eyes shiny with unshed tears. “Nora didn’t…” Her lips were dry and cracked. “Did she hear me?”

“Nora’s enjoying an extended sleepover with Taz and Scarlett and their girls. She’s doing okay.”

“Good,” she whispered. “Thank you.”

He snagged a cookie from the plate Rosie left. Was trying to figure out the best way to broach the subject, when Daisy Mae surprised him.

“We should discuss next steps.”

He finished his cookie and nodded. “We should.”

She looked up at him and in that moment she looked so damn young and lost, it was like looking at the past. “I want to be well.” Her voice trembled, and her eyes leaked.

“I know you do.”

“And I’m scared, Bent. My aunt overdosed when she was my age. Left behind three kids.”

He remembered, but said nothing.

She turned in her chair and swiped at the tears on her face. “I want you to know I’m sorry for all of this. For trying to take Nora away, when clearly, no judge on the planet is going to award custody to a junkie.”

He winced. Hated hearing her talk about herself like this.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Don’t know why I can’t say no to that junk.”

“I might not know the intricacies of addition. About the pull or how the need is so strong, you ignore the bad stuff. But I’ve seen my dad live through it and a few others. I know that each journey is individual and that what works for one addict doesn’t work for another.” He walked over to her and sat on his haunches, so that they were face to face. “Some of the best people in my life have struggled. Their addiction doesn’t mean they’re less than the rest of us. In fact, I think in some ways it makes them more than. Because they’ve had to overcome the kind of pain I’ll never experience, just to live. I respect what my dad did to turn his life around.”

“You hated him for years.”

He nodded. “I did. But hate and love go hand in hand. They’re two sides of the same coin. He needed to put in the work before we could toss that coin in the air and change things. He did. And we’ll get you there.”

He saw the yearning on her face, and when she leaned forward and put her arms around him, he wasn’t sure how to react. She stared at him, moved closer, but he shook his head.

“That won’t work for us, Daisy. I’ve got someone else occupying that space.”

“Collins.”

“Yeah.”

“What now?” she asked quietly.

“Now we focus on finding the right place for you to get better.”

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