Page 35 of Wick
"Drugs?" Malik says it for me. Georgia just hangs her head.
"Were you using while pregnant?" The thought of anyone being so selfish makes me angrier.
Her head shakes vigorously. "No—never." Georgia looks at her daughter again. "Loving your brother and having Sydney are the two things I know I've done right in my life. My depression got worse after giving birth to mine and Damien's daughter. I couldn't seem to dig my way out of the hole I found myself in. The doctors called it postpartum depression. I just thought it was because I was lost, and my heart was broken. I thought having Sydney around would fix everything—fix me. It felt like nothing they put me on was working. I managed to get through my days. I've taken care of her the best I can. For eleven years, I've been surviving just to make it to the next day." Georgia begins to cry, and her daughter is instantly at her side.
"Mom. You should rest. Let's go home." Sydney almost begs her mother, as her eyes dart between, me, Malik, and my dad.
"No. I'm fine. Go sit down, please," Georgia assures her daughter and waits for her to follow orders before she continues. "We'd be here for several more days if I gave you an in-depth look at my life since losing Damien." Georgia looks at me. "Your brother was my everything, and I'm letting him down. I'm letting our daughter down and merely surviving. I need help. I need to learn to live. I need to get better not just for my daughter but for myself, which is why I am here. I need to go away for a while."
Malik inserts himself, asking a fundamental question. "Not to sound like a dick here, but we don't know any of this to be true. You can't just claim for your child to be Damien's daughter without proof."
Georgia's eyes cut to my dad. "Mr. Wilder offered up a DNA sample two days ago." I'm taken back by her statement. My dad never mentioned this to me over the phone.
"The results should be in before the end of the day. A friend of mine has taken care of everything herself and will call as soon as she has news." My dad informs us, and I become pissed because I'm the last to know this little bit of information. "Before you go running your mouth," my dad directs his words at me, "this is my house, and it was my choice. If there is any chance Sydney is my granddaughter I want to know, and I needed to know as quickly as possible. Keep all that in mind before you say another word." He warns me, and I give Malik side-eyes as he suppresses his amusement at my dad scolding me. Mainly because he knows I won't sass my father.
Taking a deep breath, I ask Georgia, "you mentioned going away for a while to get some help. Where?"
"A place in Nevada. It's a rehab facility that specializes in mental health as well as substance abuse. They have a bed available. I've taken out a loan to pay for three months. Unfortunately, insurance doesn't cover this kind of thing." She wrings her hands together. "They can only guarantee my spot for two more days." We can all hear the desperation in her voice.
My dad's phone rings, and we all share a look before he pulls it from his back pocket. "Hello." His eyes stay glued on me as the rest of us continue to hang on by a thin thread. "I'm doing well. Vayda is home," he smiles. "What's the verdict?" The anticipation causes my stomach to knot. "Thank you, hon. We all appreciate it." Finished with his call, he slips the phone back into his pocket and walks away.
"Daddy." I go to follow him, but he turns around, and when he does, his emotions are written on his face. "I have a granddaughter."
Those prove to be the trigger words needed to set off a storm. Sydney flies off the couch, where she had been sitting quietly as her mom had asked. "Mom, please. Don't leave me here. You need me. I need to take care of you." My heart breaks watching her cry. Georgia embraces her.
"Sweetie, I need you too. I need to get better so I can be a better mom for you." She strokes her daughter's hair.
"I'll take care of you," Sydney cries.
"Oh, honey. It's not your job to take care of me. I'm doing what's best for you. I hope one day you will see that." Georgia consoles Sydney.
"I don't know these people. They are not my family." Though she doesn't mean them, Sydney's words hurt me, and I can tell it hurts my dad as well.
Georgia hugs her tight. "That's my fault, Sydney. They are your family, and this is your chance to get to know them."
Needing space to breathe, I head toward the French doors leading to the backyard and step outside. After a couple of minutes, I hear the door open and close behind me just before Malik's strong arms embrace me, pulling my body close to his. He rests his chin on the top of my head. "You have a niece."
"I have a niece." I sound like a parrot repeating his words.
"It's a lot to take in."
I grunt. "You think?" My head falls back against his shoulder. "Does my dad really think he can do this on his own? Take care of an eleven-year-old girl, who will be torn from the only life she has known, to live with a complete stranger?"
The two of us stand in silence, staring out at the yard. "We could take Sydney back home with us." Malik's words have me spinning in his arms and wincing because the sudden movement pulls at my side.
"Are you serious?" I study him, thinking he has lost his mind.
"Why the hell not? You're right. It would be rough on your dad. Besides, we have that huge empty house back home. We have plenty of room." I look at him in wonderment. Malik never ceases to amaze me. His eagerness also scares the shit out of me. I have no idea how to take care of a kid.
"Okay," I tell him without giving any further thought because if I do, I might talk myself out of it. "Let's go tell my dad."
Chapter Thirteen
Wick
While Vayda, her dad, and Georgia talk alone to hash out their plans on where Sydney will be staying, I decide to go visit my parents while in town. Vayda's father excuses himself from their family gathering and follows me outside. Standing on the front porch, I regard the man in front of me. Mr. Wilder takes a seat on the porch swing and nods toward the chair beside him for me to follow suit.
"First, I want to ask how you're handling all this?"
