“Is Eden okay?” I tried to pull my hand away from Joel’s as my anxiety kicked up a thousand notches, but he wouldn’t let go; instead, he held my hand tighter.
“Yes, she’s fine, Faith. I allowed her extra screen time on the tablet you bought her with the headphones to block out any noise. That seemed to help.”
“And her levels?” I asked with my heart in my throat.
“Her blood sugars are good. We tested them a couple hours after dinner, and she’s fine. I’ve had a lot of practice with this as you know, cara mia.” Him calling me “dear one” was like soothing energy blanketing my battered soul.
My father was the best man on the planet. Everything he had within him, he gave to me, my sister Grace—who didn’t deserve it—and his only grandchild, Eden.
“I’m so sorry you have to deal with this…” I whispered as the back of my neck and shoulders tightened with tension.
“It will be okay. I just wanted to make sure the devil and his goons hadn’t gotten to you. You know this old man can’t take another loss. You, Eden, and Gracie are all I have. I want this to stop. For you, for Eden. I just wish I knew how to make that happen, cara.”
I could hear the desperation in my father’s voice, and it broke another piece of my resolve and shattered it into little pieces. He sighed deeply, proving how bone-tired he was. After dealing with the restaurant all day, taking care of Eden and her needs, then to have my ex trying to break his door down? Not to mention my doped-up sister who came in and out of his life on a whim, and the endless worry about me and what might happen if I was caught… It all had to be taking its toll. He dealt with far more than a fifty-five-year-old man should. Raising his grandchild on his own with both of his daughters locked in their own versions of Hell on Earth. It definitely was not the life he’d wanted for us or for himself.
That was all going to change.
Joel Castellanos had chosen me for his bride. Everything would get better. I just had to make it to the wedding and survive the next three years without my family. But I’d do anything to keep Eden and my father safe.
“I was um…chosen, Dad. Just like I hoped.”
“Of course you were. I had no doubt you would be. You’re perfection from top to toe,” he blustered.
I pressed my lips together allowing that sweet compliment to remind me that I too had something to give to Joel.
“Look, Dad, I’ll be transferring a large sum of money into your bank account.” I forced my hand away from Joel’s and turned toward the window to give myself the illusion of privacy. “Use it for the medical bills and whatever else you and Eden need. There will be a lot more available after the wedding. I promise things will be better soon.”
“Cara mia… I don’t like what you are doing. It goes against everything I could ever want for you.” His tone was stressed and clogged with emotion.
Tears filled my eyes and fell down my cheeks. I dashed them away without a thought. “The money is going to take care of our biggest concerns. Tell Eden that I love her very much and I’ll come see her soon. When it’s safe. Okay?”
“You should be able to tell her that yourself. She needs you, Faith. Every day she asks about you. Every day I tell her soon, knowing I’m lying to my grandchild.”
“It’s not a lie if it’s true. I will see you both very soon.” I inhaled sharply because I had to ask. “You’re keeping her away from Grace, aren’t you, Dad?” I cringed, hoping for the right answer. Dad didn’t want Gracie rubbing off on Eden any more than I did, but he had a soft spot for his girls. And my sister was exactly like our mother. She could worm her way into his home and his heart in a single conversation. I’d seen her do it many times in the past.
“No, Faith. Grace has never so much as asked about Eden. She did come to the restaurant last month and beg for some money. I gave it to her, only because I needed her to leave. Eden was inside the office coloring, and I didn’t want to risk a confrontation. I know you don’t want her laying eyes on Eden, and I’ve agreed to that request, because it’s what’s best for my grandchild. But one day… All of this has to stop. The lies. The fear. The hatred. We used to be a family, cara. Now it feels like we’re in witness protection, constantly living a lie.”
I closed my eyes and let the familiar pain score another laceration upon my soul. I needed the pain, anger, and hate. The pain made me strong. The anger drove me. And the hate… That kept me focused on what mattered most.