Butterfly Bayou (Butterfly Bayou 1)

Wow. She took a deep breath because the cruelty of those words had kicked her in the gut. She’d talked about her childhood because she loved him and wanted him to know everything about her. Not so he could throw it back in her face, weaponizing the words to win a battle she hadn’t even thought to fight.

She had to keep it together or she would end up crying, and she wasn’t going to do that. She was going to keep this professional. “My lack of parental love has nothing to do with my medical knowledge. All of the studies show if I don’t get her on her feet soon, she’ll never walk. I do not understand why you want to keep her in that chair except that you’re afraid and you feel guilty and you’re indulging her. You got to do that when she was young because you were the dad. I bet your wife was the disciplinarian. Well, she’s gone and sometimes you have to be tough. Noelle is smart and strong, but she’s also sheltered.”

“How can you say she’s sheltered? Do you know what she’s been through?”

“I know she’s willing to sit in that chair instead of trying to walk. I know she’s willing to give up all her dreams because it seems easier than doing the work. Honestly, even if she was going to spend the rest of her life in that chair, she can go to college. People do it all the time. She can have a life. She can be strong and independent.”

Armie’s eyes widened. “You do want to get rid of her.”

“Are you kidding me? Because I want to help her have a life I’m some villain plotting to exile my rival? What world are you living in?”

“Obviously not the same one you’re in,” he shot back. “Here we don’t harass people we love. We don’t break them.”

“She’s already broken, Armie. We’re all broken. Every single one of us. How we put ourselves back together and move on is the measure of our souls. Don’t take this fight from her. This is her life. Do you think I haven’t seen this? My mother said she would get clean. She said she would start tomorrow and tomorrow never came, and that’s how she spent most of her life, letting it waste away.”

He shook his head. “Do not compare my daughter to your drug-addicted mother.”

“Why not? She’s addicted to that chair. Do you know how many people who have no choice would kill to be in her place? To be able to do the work, to feel the pain so they might have a chance to walk again? Tell her. Tell her to be brave. Tell her to try. Tell her to make you proud by being the warrior you raised her to be. Don’t let one moment define the rest of her life.”

Well, she’d definitely left doctor mode behind, but she wasn’t going to cry. She could feel the tears right there, but she couldn’t make this fight about her. It was about Noelle.

“It already did, and I’m not going to put her through this.” Armie stepped back. “I’m taking my daughter home now. I hope she’s welcome back in this facility because I do understand she needs maintenance therapy, but I don’t want you in charge of her sessions anymore. She needs to go back to Tanya.”

He wasn’t going to listen to her? Maybe she needed to step back and come at this from another angle. They were both emotional at this point. They needed to calm down, get a glass of wine, and logically discuss this. “Of course she’s welcome.”

He stared at her for a moment. “She’s my daughter, Lila.”

“I know that. Why do you think I’m fighting so hard?” She reached for him. This was their first real fight and it had been a doozy.

He closed his eyes as her hands found his arms. “I have to do what’s right for her.”

“I know that, too.” They would talk and he would see that was all she was trying to do.

His eyes opened and she realized this wasn’t going to go the way she thought it would.

“I think you should go to your sister’s. I think we need some time apart. I should concentrate on Noelle.”

She took a step back, his words not making sense to her. It was a fight. They weren’t supposed to break up over an argument. “You’re kicking me out because Noelle and I had a disagreement?”

“You were saying terrible things to her. I can’t allow you to do that.”

She could barely breathe. “Did you think we would always get along?”

“Noelle gets along with everyone.”

“Yes, and that’s a problem. Can’t you see that? Can’t you see it’s not normal for her to never fight with anyone? She’s afraid to fight even for herself.”