Page 68 of Only ever you-Ana & Byron
Her parents arrived by taxi the next day.
Her dad had grown a little bulkier around the middle, and her mum's red hair had given way to more grey than Ana remembered. But she was still beautiful, still fussing, still quick to press a hand to Ana's cheek and say, "Sit, lass. I'll make tea. And your favourite beef lasagne."
The Airbnb overlooked a silver lake ringed by hills. Beyond the glass, a pair of swans glided in near-perfect symmetry, their grey-feathered cygnets trailing behind like soft shadows.
Dinner helped push back the thoughts clawing at Ana's mind. Her dad glanced at her often-thoughtful and quiet-but said nothing. Yet.
Later, her mum popped a migraine pill and offered a weary smile. "Travel never did agree with me, love," she murmured, slipping into bed and falling asleep almost instantly.
Ana stepped out onto the porch, pulling a thick throw around her shoulders. She sipped the tea her mum had made. It was still hot, still just right. Mom knew what she liked.
She felt the seat next to her depress as her papa sat down beside her.
For a few minutes, they didn't speak.
Then quietly, she asked, "Papa... can I ask you something?"
He waited like he always did.
"Say someone's kept a big secret from the person they love. And they never meant to, it just... snowballed. At first, they thought therelationship wouldn't last. But it did. A year, then more. And now the secret's so big it's choking them. D'you think the other person could forgive them? If he really loved her?"
Her father glanced sideways, mouth tugging at the corner.
"We talking about hypothetical business again, yes?"
Ana gave a small, guilty nod.
He let out a breath. "Then yes. If the love is strong and if the secret wasn't meant to hurt, it's possible. Hard, but possible."
Silence stretched again, deep and brimming with remembered pain.
Then, after a while, he spoke softly.
"I hurt the ones I love, didn’t I. For almost four whole years, I did my best to destroy the best thing that happened to me. Do you remember... when I started the shop? You were just five. It all began so well. Then things went downhill. And I leaned hard on a crutch that I should never have let into our lives. I started drinking."
Ana's breath caught, but she didn't interrupt.
"I don't remember much from that time. But your mum carried the burden of looking after both of us. Long shifts at the hospital, working herself down to the bone. And I owe a lot to Byron's dad. He pulled me out of it, out of the dark. No matter what happened to him later, I can't repay that."
He paused. His hands were clenched loosely in his lap.
"But what really made me stop drinking... was your birthday. The party your mum wanted to throw, do you remember? I wish you didn't.
She wanted to invite Cadi and a few of your friends over. And I... I must've said something about wasting money. I was drunk. I don't remember what I said exactly. But it just got worse from there. She said something about how I always had money for whisky, but not for mydaughter. I can't even imagine what she was feeling at that moment, you know."
"And I hit her."
Ana swallowed hard. She did remember.
"I didn't mean to. Money, if you don't have enough of it-and alcohol, if you have too much... they don't mix well.”
“I didn't even know you'd heard. But later, I heard you making up excuses. Telling your mum not to have a party. That you were too grown-up for it. You were only nine. And when I came in, you looked afraid of me."
His voice splintered like a brittle broken bone.
"I was so ashamed,tesoro. That's when I knew I had to quit cold turkey. Isn't that what they call it? I needed to find a job. Any job. Swore to your mom that I'd never touch another drop. Your mum forgave me eventually, God knows how but she said if it ever happened again, she'd leave. And she'd have been right to."
He looked at her now, eyes watery but steady.
