“Do you know why she came here?” Gramps asked. He was genuinely concerned for the girl.
“All she said was my children like you better,” I explained. “She suggested that I take them.”
Sam was here, I could see him walking up the sidewalk. I rose letting Sky’s hand slip from mine. She turned her head to watch me as I opened the door for him. “Sam, thanks for coming over.”
“No problem kid,” he told me slapping my back. “Mr. Moore, nice to see you.”
Gramps rose and chuckled. “Sam Clifton, I hear you are staying out of trouble these days.”
“I wouldn’t go that far Mr. Moore. I still manage to irritate people on a regular basis but god willing I’m making a difference in people’s lives instead of getting them high.”
Gramps laughed. “Good to see you, son.” He shook Sam’s hand.
“Good to see you too sir.” My mother and father came from the kitchen with Dom. “Ah Declan Moore,” Sam said. “Good to see you, man.”
“Sam?” I could tell my father was confused as to why he was here.
“My church is where Ronan has been attending group meetings every week,” Sam explained to my dad. “I’m also a recovering addict.”
“Huh, I thought you just dealt drugs,” Dad said to him.
“Still speaking your mind, I see Declan,” Sam teased him.
Dad’s eyebrow shot up. “What kind of church do you run Sam?” He asked.
“It’s Christ Church of Kings. A non-denominational church. I’m the pastor there.” My dad couldn’t hide his laughter even when my mom elbowed him in the gut hard. “Stevie still as beautiful as ever.”
“Nice to see you Sam.” She shook his hand.
“Ronan, why don’t we move her to a bedroom so we can talk,” Sam said.
“I’ll move her,” Dominick said. “She’s my mom.” He laid the plate down on the table and lifted his mom in his arms. Skylar rose from the chair and guided him down the hall to one of the guest rooms. When they returned she took her seat in the chair where she had been with me on the one before I let Sam in.
Gramps took a seat on the sofa. Dom sat next to him. Sam took the chair opposite Sky and me. I glanced over my shoulder at Mom and Dad. “Are you sitting down or standing up?” I asked. Dad took a seat at the bar away from us but Mom sat on the other side of Dominick.
Sam leaned forward on his knees. “I know you want to help this woman, Ronan. I think your concern and compassion is honorable but you need to remain focused on your recovery. It’s too new.”
“I can’t turn my back on her,” I said again Skylar reached for me and I looked down at her and smiled then I took her hand in mine. Sam sighed.
“Okay but you can’t help her if she doesn’t want help. Does she want it?”
“I don’t know,” I replied.
“That is the first step,” Sam told me. “Finding out what she wants.”
I looked at Dominick taking it all in. “Mom, Gramps, I’ve heard the stories about Grams. This is a little bit different. Delilah isn’t physically abusing the kids. She loves them in her way but she’s hurting them emotionally.” I dropped my head. “Tell me what to do?”
Mom looked at Dominick then back at me. “What are you asking Ronan?”
“Dominick deserves to be a kid not a parent to Nickolas and Maddie but I want to be sure that they can stay together. How can I help them? Is that
the right thing to do to help them get away from her?” Dominick’s head swiveled around to look at me. It was the hardest thing I ever asked him. “Is that what you even want Dominick? Do you want me to interfere?”
He leaned over and sat his plate on the table. “I don’t know.”
Sam looked at me hard. “I don’t think you can ask that of a child Ronan.”
“Sam, I have to.” I couldn’t bare it if I did interfere and they were split up. He was all that was keeping them together. “This kid is keeping a roof over their head and food in their stomachs. He’s the one that is making sure their homework gets done. He’s protecting them from her. He’s protecting them from the outside finding out just how fucking bad it is at home.