Must Love Flowers(7)

Her father shrugged. “Al and me…”

“You spent it at the Half Pint, didn’t you?” She did her best to keep the accusation out of her voice. Her father’s lack of responsibility had become a constant frustration. He relied on her for everything. It was too much when, as best she could tell, he made no effort to change.

“Don’t start on me,” Roy muttered. “I’m doing the best I can. You have no idea of the pain I’m in.”

After suffering a back injury from a construction accident that prevented him from ever working again, Roy had collected government disability checks for years, even before her mother died. Her mother’s death was all he needed as an excuse to drink. Beer helped him get through the day, he claimed, not seeming to realize his dependence had made him an alcoholic. Several times Maggie had tried to suggest he join Alcoholics Anonymous. She might as well have been talking to the wind. Roy insisted his drinking was under control; he could stop anytime he wanted.

“I need you to pay that bill, Mags, or the city will do what they say.”

“I already gave you what I had.” She noticed an empty six-pack of Bud Light rested next to his recliner along with a couple empty whiskey bottles.

“Dad, how could you be so irresponsible? If we lose power, it’ll be your fault.”

Even with limited income, they shouldn’t have these money problems. The house was an inheritance from his mother and came without a mortgage. Roy, Maggie, and her mother had moved into it following her grandmother’s death. Maggie had been ten, and this was the first real home she’d ever had. Until then, the family had lived in small apartments. Since inheriting the house, Roy had done little toward upkeep and care. The roof had started to leak, and several areas of the house were showing signs of water damage.

“Dad,” Maggie tried one more time, “you can’t go on drinking like this. It’s killing you. I can’t live here and watch you drink your life away. I want to move out, and you should know I’m looking for a place.”

That got her father’s notice. He sat up and glared at her. “You’d leave me?”

“Yes. I can’t bear to see what you’re doing to yourself, drinking day in and day out. You keep saying you can quit at any time, but you don’t, and I can’t keep picking up after you. You have a problem.” Although she didn’t say it, Maggie felt like her living at home was aiding and abetting him. He relied heavily on her, and the burden had become more than she could bear.

“You won’t do it,” he said, sounding confident. “We both know you could never afford to move into an apartment, with all those pricey classes. You’ll just have to stick around if you’re so hell-bent on wasting your money on schooling that you don’t even need.”

“I’m going to be a nurse,” Maggie insisted. “It’s what Mom would have wanted for me and I don’t care how much it will cost.”

He simply shook his head, silently scoffing at her.

Maggie did her best to ignore him. The minute she got word from Mrs. Royce, Maggie was moving. Her father was right about the cost of renting an apartment. As a financially struggling college student, she couldn’t afford the rent, even if she shared the space with three others. Rent in the Seattle area was outrageous.

“You’ll never leave me,” Roy insisted. “I’m all you’ve got.”

“You’re wrong, Dad. I plan on moving out as soon as I find somewhere affordable to live.”

He snickered as though he didn’t believe her. “No, you won’t. You need me just as much as I need you.”

Maggie had heard it all before and did her best to block him out. “I need to get to work.”

Maggie headed toward the front door, refusing to allow his words to taint her day. She let his negative attitude flow away from her like water off a duck’s back, because it wasn’t her father speaking, it was the alcohol.

“Don’t you dare walk away from me, girl. I’m talking to you. We could afford to pay the bills if you gave up school and took on a full-time job.”

The urge to argue was so strong she had to clamp down on her jaw to the point that her teeth ached. She was aware her dad wasn’t thinking straight and tried not to let his words discourage her, but it was hard. “I’m going to be a nurse. It’s what I want for my future, and you’re not going to take that away from me.” Despite her attempt to not let him get to her, Maggie’s words came out like nine-millimeter bullets, each one hitting the target.

“Come on, Mags, let’s not fight. I’ll stop drinking, I promise.”

Maggie had heard it all before.

“I need to go, or I’ll be late for work.”

“Okay, but when you finish your classes, would you bring me dinner? I could go for a Whopper.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Likely that would be the only food he’d eat all day.



* * *



—

Because her father had held her up, Maggie arrived at Starbucks with only minutes to spare. She cleared her mind, determined to make the best of her day with a positive attitude.

She took her place at the cash register. Several of the morning customers were regulars, and she’d gotten to know them by name. It took effort to leave the negativity behind. Disciplined as she was, Maggie had learned to smile despite how unsettled her father made her feel. For the first time since her mother’s death, Maggie had hope of escaping him.