Page 13 of Enough
“You didn’t buy it,” he responds innocently as he motions in my direction. “Mom did.”
Mike’s fist slams into the table, causing both Kale and me to jump. “And where do you think she gets the money to buy that shirt?”
I can see the uncertain fear in Kale’s eyes as he glances back and forth between his father and me. “From… her… wallet?”
Mike sighs, and I can’t help the small chuckle that leaves my lips. Mike’s head turns and I feel him glare at me. I focus on Kale. “Hey, hun, why don’t you see if you can show Marlow some of your moves. I bet she’d love karate if she gave it a chance.”
Kale’s shoulders slump. “Okay…” I watch him slowly tread away. I know he’s hoping Mike will stop him, but he doesn’t. I feel an ache in my chest at the disappointment in his eyes.
As soon as Kale is out of earshot, I sit down at the table and grit my teeth at Mike. I know he can see me staring at him as he sips his coffee. I get a whiff of it and it makes my stomach curl. I’m not sure why.
“I don’t want to hear it, Everly,” he says.
“He barely sees you. You leave before he gets up and you come home after he’s in bed. He wants to spend time with you. He misses you and he needs you, Mike.”
“Don’t try to lay a guilt trip on me. I didn’t say I wouldn’t spend time with him. I just asked for a minute to wake up. Is that too much to ask?”
My lips twist to avoid saying something nasty, and I pushaway from the table. As I stand, I grasp the edge of the table to steady myself.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing… I think I just got up too fast,” I respond.
“Are you not eating again? I swear every time I turn around you and Gwen are trying some new fad diet in an attempt to get back your high school body. We all know it’s long gone.” He laughs. “How is the crab, anyway?”
“Don’t talk about her like that!” I bark. “She’s my best friend and you know it bothers me that you two don’t get along.”
He sets his coffee cup down and turns toward me. “Does she want to get along with me?” he asks. “Does she suddenly want to bemyfriend?”
I sigh and my eyes fall to the floor. I wish I could lie and say she does, but it’s so far from the truth. I know he wouldn’t believe it even if I somehow managed to lie well for once in my life.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” he responds with a chuckle. “She hasn’t liked me since the moment she found out you were pregnant.”
“That’s not true,” I respond sincerely as I dry a pan from breakfast. “She hasn’t liked you since the moment shemetyou.”
“Ha!” he says with blatant sarcasm. “Well, the feeling’s mutual.”
“Daddy…” Marlow calls as she runs down the stairs. “Kale kicked me in the leg.”
“Kale?” Mike calls out.
Kale stomps down the stairs. “What?”
“Did you kick your sister?”
“It was an accident. I was showing her how to take someone’s leg out.”
Mike turns to me. “Well, it was your idea. You can handle this one. I’m going to take a shower.” Mike stands and moves toward the stairs.
“Dad, will you play soccer with me today?” Marlow asks.
“I already asked him to watch my karate moves,” Kale responds to her angrily. “I asked first. He’s going to play with me.”
“That’s not fair. I was going to ask him earlier, but Mom said I couldn’t wake him.”
“You snooze, you lose, loser,” Kale responds.
“Kale…” I interject.
