Page 67 of Long Hard Fall

“I know you said you could do it all yourself, but it doesn’t mean you have to.” Dad paused to shrug out of his winter coat. “But you can help haul them up those stairs and I won’t complain.” He looked around the place and grimaced.

Yeah, it was that bad. The state of her living conditions meant she couldn’t leave her job. Responsible Abbi was in full force. Working at a job that killed her creative soul but paid for a smelly roof over her head was her life.

“You didn’t have to move out.”

“I did. You two wouldn’t treat me like an adult if I stayed.”

“Abbi—”

“Dad.”

He fell quiet.

“I’ll go grab a load.” She spun toward the door.

“You’ve changed.”

She stopped and nodded. “You and Mom always said I had to grow up.”

“We worried about you. You’re a free spirit. Were a free spirit. I thought Perry’s death just affected you so much that you lost your energy, but that’s not what happened, was it?”

“No, that’s exactly what happened. How could I keep making you two lose sleep when you’ve suffered enough?”

A sad smile crossed his face. “I’m not going to lie, I’d rather have an unhappy daughter than have to bury you.” Her heart twisted as she recalled her mother breaking down over Perry’s casket. “But it’d be my greatest wish if you could be both alive and happy.”

She’d been so terribly happy with Cash, until he’d betrayed her trust—her one wish in a relationship. The anger fueling her righteousness was harder and harder to muster. Had it been the shock of the truth of Perry’s death that had caused her to feel so betrayed?

Did it matter anymore? Six weeks was a long time to move on. She hadn’t, but he might’ve, or even slipped back into his old ways.

A chasm’s worth of sadness opened up. She’d lost him. She’d told him they were done and yet he’d tried—until he hadn’t.

Hot tears spilled down her cheeks, and she rushed out the door. Cold Wisconsin air hit her face. She sniffled and wiped the tears away. Digging around in the trunk of Dad’s car, she picked a box to haul. When she straightened and turned, she jumped. He was right behind her.

Great. He’d heard her crying.

She dropped her gaze and rushed past him. She thought he might stop her, but instead he selected another box from her pitiful pile of belongings.

They trudged up the stairs and went out for another load. Dad didn’t make small talk as they finished unloading his car.

“It’s just your closet and what’s in the dressers that need to be hauled over.” He gave her a pointed look. “Take the dressers. They’re yours if you want them.”

Her first instinct was to say no, but she should swallow her pride if it meant not living out of laundry baskets. “Thanks.”

He rubbed the back of his neck and her heart sank. It was his “I don’t want to talk about this but as your dad, I should” move.

“You’ve been crying a lot lately. Is it about Ellis or Perry?”

The easy answer would be to say yes. He would understand and drop the subject. But part of being treated as an adult was to be true to herself.

“No.” Didn’t mean she had to spill every humiliating detail.

“That friend of Perry’s, Reno?”

That name so did not fit him. “Cash, yes. I miss him. But it’s over.”

His mouth formed a hard line of disapproval. “I was surprised, as close as you claimed to be when we were out there…well, he didn’t come running after you.”

“He called. A lot.”

---