Page 44 of Detention with Daddies

His jaw works as he looks me over, shame bowing his head briefly. “I didn’t bring you there to compare you to her—I brought you because I wanted you to feel like you belonged. I was just blindsided and didn’t recover fast enough.”

Nick takes my hand, but I don’t let him pull me in. Defeat slumps his shoulder for a second before he recovers. His thumb runs over my knuckles. “I’m sorry, Liv.”

I chew on my lip. He seems genuine enough. Tipping to peer around his broad shoulders, I meet Ruby’s eyes.

“Want to come in and have some cocoa?”

Her eyes widen, and she nods. It’s so small that my heart wrenches again.

I take my hand back from Nick and wave her forward before I let them both inside. The house is empty. Mom and Dad are out on a date. Dinner and a movie. A classic, but they make sure to go out together at least once a month.

They work so hard. They deserve it.

Theo is also working. Saturday evenings are such a busy time for the restaurant.

Gesturing them to the couch, I busy myself with the cocoa. Made with real milk, thank you very much. We don’t pull punches with food in this family.

When I return with their mugs, I sit beside Ruby instead of Nick. “Hey. Are you okay? Family dinner seemed like a lot for you too.”

The teary eyes she gives me say more than words can. She shakes her head, and I wrap an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into my side.

“Does she usually comment on your body like that? On what you eat?”

Ruby nods, and I wait her out. “Mom tries to live—” She looks at her dad for the word.

“Vicariously,” Nick supplies.

“Right. Vicariously through me. She wanted me to be popular. Dress like her. Wear makeup. Starve myself thin. She didn’t like that I played sports or got dirty. She wouldn’t let me have sweets except during holidays. Even then…” Ruby sighs and deflates. I rub her arm to let her know she’s safe here to talk about it. “I wasn’t allowed a lot. Her and Dad would always fight when he took me out for burgers or ice cream. Yell about how he was going to make me fat, and then none of the kids at school would like me.”

God, what a horrible woman. “That’s not true though, is it?”

Ruby shakes her head. “No. I mean, the girls I was friends with in elementary and middle school stopped being my friends, but I made new ones. Better ones. On the soccer team. They don’t care if I don’t wear dresses, or if I always have my hair in a messy ponytail, or if I’m not wearing makeup. I don’t even like makeup.”

I laugh softly. “I didn’t like it at your age either.”

She smiles at me, a small one. “They don’t care if I don’t go out to parties every weekend. That I like to stay home and read. Write stories.”

My breath catches, and she peers up at me again. “I didn’t know you like to write stories.”

Her smile gets bigger by an inch, but it’s still shy. “Yeah. They’re not any good.”

“Oh hush. I bet they are.”

“Mom hates that I like to write. Wanted me to be a model or actress because she never made it. I have terrible stage fright. There’s no way I could do it. And everytime I tried and failed, she’d try to take all of my stuff away. Tell me I didn’t work hard enough.”

Fuck, I really hate this woman. I chance my first glance at Nick, and his face is stormy. An old anger simmering in theserious lines around his eyes and mouth. I’ve never seen him look quite like that before.

What did she do to him?

“It really sucks when someone who’s supposed to support your dreams pressures you to fulfill theirs instead.” And I mean it. “I know sweets don’t fix everything, but there are a few extra cheesecake bites in the fridge if you want one.”

Ruby laughs a little. “Really?”

“Absolutely. You can always count on me to supply a girl with dessert. Always.” I shake her a little and stand, nodding for her to grab her cocoa and follow me.

She takes one of each and sets herself up at the kitchen counter. “Is your mom supportive?”

“She is. My dad too. The more I’ve met other families, the more I realize how lucky I am. And you’re lucky to have your dad too.”

---