“Talk to us,” I say, lighting my Cuban.
He lights up and takes a few puffs and then shrugs.
“I was married to my job. Driven. It drove her into my twin brother’s arms. She begged and pleaded for more from me and I was just… emotionally unavailable to her. She grew bitter. She started screwing around to try to get my attention. I buried my head in the sand and ignored it while I tried to build my empire. I ignored it until I found out she fucked my brother, because he not only looked like me but was everything she wanted that I wasn’t.”
Austin lets out an angry gust of breath.
Dad continues, looking like he’s seeing it all happen before his eyes again. Recounting it aloud is taking him back. “When I found out, I confronted them. He was always the sensitive one. My mother used to joke that he got the double dose in the womb and there was none left for me. I think it was the truth. He was always extreme in his emotions. Elated, then depressed. I think your mother latched onto trying to make him happy when no one could. When he killed himself, three days after I confronted him about his affair with my wife, it launched your mother on the road that led her to where she is today. Bitter. Angry. Drinks too much. Screws men half her age trying to find some happiness, numb her guilt.” He takes a haul off the stoagie and shrugs. “I created that monster.”
“You aren’t responsible for what she does, Dad. She’s an adult,” I say.
“Why didn’t you two just divorce?” Austin asks. “I mean, c’mon. It’s not the dark ages. You’re miserable with somebody, you don’t stay. You don’t waste your life being stuck in misery.”
Dad shrugs. “Mitch’s death bonded us in a different way. I needed to pay my penance. She needed to wallow. And punish me. I felt guilt, lost my sex drive completely. Haven’t been with her in well over a decade. Now, she meddles in your lives and plays social hierarchy games at the country club and in our circle, and she drinks and spends money. She won’t divorce me. That’d be admitting failure at something. Your mother won’t do that. And if I tried to do it? She’d…”
“Eviscerate you,” I say, using the words she threatened with.
He nods.
“And she’s meddling in my life, too, looks like,” I tell him.
Dad tilts his head curiously, looking at me.
“She hired a bitch I used to bang to try to get information. She was in my briefcase rooting around. I don’t know if she’s responsible, but yesterday my phone was cloned, and I got a fake text that caused other problems.”
“I’ve seen your mother pull some ridiculous stunts, but why would she do that?”
I shrug and flick the ash off the cigar into an ashtray.
“Don’t know it was her for sure yet, but it’s what I suspect.”
“Why does she want to know what’s in your briefcase?” Dad asks.
“She knows I’m having her followed and investigated. She’s spending your money faster than fast and she just took out two life insurance policies on you, Dad. Maybe she figures my briefcase has the full report on her, wants to know what I know.”
Dad winces. He doesn’t look surprised, though.
“What?” Austin asks, seeing what I see. Dad’s hiding something.
“What is it, Dad?” Austin pushes. “You don’t look surprised.”
“Was having some symptoms. Found out I…uh…” He stops talking and takes another breath. “I have Cancer. Prostate. It’s early stage and highly treatable. But, she knows and she’s not a glass half full sort of person.”
Austin and I are both stunned.
“It’s been a day for news,” Dad says and sips from his coffee mug. “Is it too early to drink?”
27
CARLY
Ally and Meryl’s sofa pulls out into a bed and it’s quite comfy. Ally had a new toothbrush still in a package and lent me a cotton orange Tigger onesie with a tail and built-in-feet, telling me that Tigger is her spirit animal. I believe that about her. She’s bouncy, trouncy, quite flouncy and pouncy, and full of fun, fun, fun.
I’ve had a good sleep despite the tail kind of annoying me.
During banana chocolate chip pancakes, I fill them in about the disaster with that ad campaign and the kiss.
“I think he might’ve even fucked with Twitter that day,” I say. “It took me hours to sort that out and I was sick to my stomach about it.