Page 7 of Heal For Me

I wake from the phone ringing, but Joy gets to it before I can. It’s not until I hear my wife’s worried tone that I put the foot of my chair down and climb out, grunting and groaning as I do.

“Okay, okay. We will be right there.”

“I know, dear. We are on our way right now.” She points across the room to our keys, and I grab them. I have a feeling I know exactly where we are going.

“Is he coming back?”

Joy wipes her eyes and reaches into the glove compartment for another tissue. “She doesn’t think so. He took everything.

“What are we going to do, Paul? What about the kids? I could hear little Payson crying for her daddy.”

Joy sobs into her tissue, and I place a hand on her lap, hoping to comfort her in some way. I pray to myself, and I know Joy is doing the same. That’s the only thing I know to do right now.

“They will be okay, Joy. We will make sure of it.”

4

Ash

“You cheated on me!”

I shoot out of bed and throw my door open to see what the commotion is. It’s still dark out, so I know it must be early. The hallway is a stark contrast of bright lights and yelling to the calm of the night, or early morning, I’m guessing.

Janelle stands in her doorway with her arms thrown out to the side while Parker is in her face with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Only because you were in your bedroom with your ex. What was I meant to think?”

I feel Janelle’s anger from here. “That, uh, I don’t know, I don’t automatically fuck someone just because they are in my bedroom?”

Parker’s jaw locks. Is this how I look when I’m angry?

“You didn’t have to fuck my uncle.”

Janelle snaps her mouth shut, and her arms fall. Defeat written all over her face. “You fucked Alyssa. The girl that fucked my ex who knows how many times behind my back. The girl that has made it a mission to ruin my life since third grade.” Janelle flicks her eyes my way and stiffens. “And the same girl your dad fucked before Payson.”

And with that, she backs into her room and slams the door behind her. A second later, the lock clicks.

Parker stares after her for a while, then slowly turns to his room, but stops when he sees me. So many emotions pass over his face, and I watch as his respect for me, what little he had, dwindles.

“Park—”

He raises his hand and shakes his head. “I need to get ready for school.”

Good fucking morning. I hope this isn’t an omen to how the day will go.

Payson’s beauty never ceases to amaze me. I’ve been staring at her for the better part of these few weeks, and I’m positive I could draw her down to the little freckle on the side of her mouth—if I could draw, that is. She’s not been in the sun recently, so her golden skin is paler than I’ve seen, but it only makes her freckles pop. Her dark hair is in a plait to keep from knotting, making it easy to see her whole face.

I’m able to see everything, but what I want to see is her big beautiful eyes. I crave to see her green irises. The way they dilate only for me. The way she searches me out in any room she’s in. The fear that comes at realizing the last time I saw her do that may be the last time, is nearly crippling, but it will be something we work through like everything else in our path since the beginning.

Payson’s door opens, and low chatter fills the room.

“I think we should paint it blue,” Janelle says to Jethro.

“Paint what?”

Janelle twists her lips and looks to Jethro, as if she’s waiting for him to answer me. Whatever they were talking about obviously isn’t a conversation I will enjoy if she is acting like this.

“Payson’s bedroom . . . at my place.”

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