Page 12 of Redemption

Charlie didn’t say anything, just glanced down at his hands.

I struggled for something to say, a way to ease him and my own guilt. “It…it was quick. She didn’t suffer too long. I waited with her and held her while…the ambulance came. By the time they turned up she was…”

Charlie held up his hand, his eyes squeezed shut and I stopped talking, sensing I’d gone too far. We sat in silence for another five minutes and I prayed for the visit to end, to have this over with. Charlie folded his hands, like he was praying, his eyes closed and lips moving.

He opened them and looked at me. “Thank you for sharing that with me. I know it can’t have been easy going over it again.”

I shot him a pleading look, begging him not to thank me. Not to be grateful for anything I’ve done for him.

“Times up. Visitors say goodbye and move out,” the guard called. Relief cut through me like a knife.

But Charlie didn’t make a move to stand. “I’d like to come back, if that’s okay with you?” he asked, shocking me.

My mouth opened and closed, floundering. “Why?”

Charlie shrugged. “Because I want to forgive you. I know that’s what she would have wanted. You were a kid who did something stupid. You’re stuck here for over a decade still, your family’s abandoned you. I feel like you’re being punished enough and I don’t want any more tragedy. Something good needs to come from this.”

I couldn’t believe it. “Youwantto forgive me?” I asked, dumbfounded.

Charlie stood. “Well, I’m not going to say it’s been easy getting to this point, but Sherry and the Lord have been guiding me on the right path and I believe this is it. I don’t want any more sadness, there’s been too much, and you’re too young.”

I couldn’t speak. The guard came over to usher Charlie out and I just watched him walk away. He turned back when he was at the door.

“See you nextmonth, son.”

*

Present Day…

She came at me with such force that I stumbled back, taking us off the porch and falling back onto the grass. She straddled me, scrabbling to get to me, dragging her nails down my face and screaming at me the entire time.

I tried to hold her off. I grabbed one arm, leaving my body wide open for her to swing another fist which connected with my jaw. It hurt but not as much as it hurt her, her sharp intake of breath hissing in my ear. I didn’t want to hurt her but I tried to restrain her. Her nails sliced my cheek again and I grunted at the pain.

“Hey, whoa!” someone shouted, and then the feisty wildcat was pulled off me. A man I didn’t recognize had her around the waist but she still struggled to get to me. Her blonde hair flicking around her like pale fire whipping out, ready to attack me again.

“Easy, Kat, what the hell is going on out here?” the guy shouted over her.

Kat’s eyes blazed at me and she spat in my direction, just missing me. “Get him out of here. You have the fuckingaudacityto turn up here? How dare you!” she shouted.

The guy looked from Kat to me and I held up my hands. I didn’t want trouble. I’d only been out of prison for four hours and I didn’t want to land back there.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you would be here. I shouldn’t have come. I just wanted to see Charlie, I was worried and—”

Kat stopped fighting and went limp in the other guy’s arms, and her face dropped. “Charlie?”

Something flickered over the guy’s features and thenhis expression hardened like he realized exactly who I was. His jaw clenched and he swung his gaze from me to Kat.

“You don’t know, do you?” he asked. Kat swung her wide-eyed navy stare to him. She pushed away from him, her anger now focused on someone other than me.

“Leo, why are you talking like you know him?” she demanded, flinging an arm in my direction.

“Know what?” I asked, a cold shiver trekking my spine.

“I’m not surprised no one told you. It didn’t occur to me either.”

Kat’s glare darted between the two of us. “What the fuck is going on? And why are you here to see my father, haven’t you done enough?”

The man looked down at Kat before shooting me a sympathetic look. “Charlie died. About six weeks ago.”

---