01

I heard a crash, I turned around mom had dropped her only vase, water, and dead flowers crashed to the floor. « Mom are you okay ! » I left the strange man with my eyes at the door, running over I got a rag from underneath the sink. I started cleaning up the glass, along with the water spill, throwing dead flowers in the garbage as I went.

Mom side stepped around me apparently forgetting that she had just dropped something, « Felix is that you ? »

« Yes, Darcy it’s me, « The stranger said.

Then something shocking happened, nothing I expected from my mom ; she slapped the man right across the face. « How dare you come back here after nine years, with not even a single phone call ! » Mom yelled.

I got up from the ground, nine years ? Wait wasn’t that when…my stomach flopped it couldn’t be. I looked again he had my eyes, Tanners black hair, has fair skin just like the rest of the family. Anger rushed through me ; this man was my abandoning father. I clenched my fist forgetting there was glass in it, blood dripped down the palm of my hand, but I could care less my heart was beating fast with pure hatred.

« Cassandra you’re bleeding ! » Dad exclaimed.

I looked down at my hand, he had no right to care.

Mom turned around, « Cassandra give me that rag ! » Mom took it from me throwing the glass in the garbage, running to the sink, and soaking it with hot water. Quickly she came over pulled the glass out of my hand, and rapped it with the hot rag. « Don’t scare me like that ! » She said. I still wasn’t listening. There in front of me was the one person who had brought so much sadness to this family, and all I wanted to do is hit him just like mom did, but harder. I wanted to speak but no words came out.

Dad walked in closing the door behind him, « Are you okay Cassandra ? »

Instead of answering mom snapped at him, « Who said you could come in ? »

He ignored mom, « Are you okay Cassandra ? »

My final moment, the moment that I’d been waiting for to yell, and get in his face for leaving us. Instead my passive aggressiveness kicked in, « Yeah I’m fine. » What ? Why did I say that ? I hated that at times I still was passive aggressive especially to the people who I despised. No, I wasn’t going to do that at least not to him, « I…I…, » urg this was frustrating.

« Speak up Cassandra I’m listening, » Dad said.

That’s what did it, « No I am not fine in fact that’s the opposite of what I am right now ! » As much as I wanted to keep yelling at him that was all I could get out. Tears stung my eyes, no I’m not weak, the tears went away.

« Get out ! » Mom yelled. « Can’t you see she’s hurt ? »

« Yes Darcy I know cause there’s blood on the floor ! » He yelled back. Apparently he didn’t know what kind of hurt mom meant.

« Get out ! » Mom yelled again.

« No I will not get out ! They’re my children as much as they are yours ! » Dad yelled.

That did it, mom got really ticked off, « You don’t deserve to even call them yours ! » She shoved dad into the door. When I thought things where going to get worse a little small fragile voice spoke up.

« Mom why did you push that man ? » Sophie said concerned.

Mom’s face drained instead of a face full of red anger she had a pale stricken face instead. Mom turned to Sophie, « I’m sorry you saw that sweetie. I was just angry so I pushed him, which isn’t acceptable, » Mom puffed out, « I’m sorry. »

Whoa, having a little eleven year old kid in the room really makes you change the way you handle things. « Sophie lets go pick out your pajamas, » I said taking her fair skinned hand.

I didn’t think either of us should be in here while the two talked (more like yelled.) We went into mom’s and Sophie’s room, and I shut the door. Helping Sophie choose pjs took forever and she only had two pairs. Next I grabbed the brush on the stand, and started putting two side braids in her hair when she asked the question I didn’t want to answer, « Who is that man and why does mom hate him ? »

I sighed Sophie never did know dad or even what he looked like (mom stashed all photos of him), « Sophie it’s a bit complicated. »

« What’s so complicated that you can’t tell me ? » Sophie asked.

Ugh. Little kids and their many questions on life, I might as well tell her the truth she’ll find out sooner or later. I finished her braids, turning her to face me I said, « Do you remember anything about dad ? »

« Yeah mom said he died a great man, » She said.

Ah, man mom why would you tell her that ? And what a complete lie he was not a great man, I thought. « Sophie dad’s not dead, he is not a great man he left when you were only two, and he hasn’t contacted us until now. »

« What ! » ? Sophie said exasperated.

« I’m sorry Sophie he left nine years ago, and has never decided to show up until now, » I sadly said.

Her eyes went wide, « You mean he is in our house right now ? »

« Yeah, » I whispered.

« Did he hurt you ? » Sophie asked worried looking at my cut hand.

« No that was me, it was an accident, » I went over to the dresser to get out some band-aids, to cover up the cuts.

« Cassy, » Sophie said worried, « I’m scared, I don’t know what to think of this so called father of ours. »

I walked over to Sophie offering my hand, « I do, but what I think shouldn’t affect your opinion on him. I don’t know what he is like any more, but I do know I will not let him hurt you. »

Together we walked hand in hand out the door, and into our small living space. Mom had calmed down enough that she wasn’t hitting dad any more. Should I even call him that ? After all it’s been nine years and all he is to me is a complete stranger.

« You can’t take them away from me, » Mom said.

« I’m not taking them away I just thought we could all leave this place, I’ll give you a new, more fit styling of life to live, no more being poor, living in a dump, and you can go back to college if you’d like, » Dad paused, « I’m sure Cassandra would like to go to college. Isn’t she graduating this year ? »

« Yes, I am, » I spoke out. « Why do you care ? It’s not like you were ever here. »

His face was stricken a back, « I know I’ve made some bad choices, but I’ve put my life back together, and the only thing missing is you three. »

« Cassy, » Sophie whispered, « He forgot about Tanner, Tanner is his only son. »

« No I did not forget about Tanner, » Dad smiled like he had something rolled up his sleeves.

« Tanners been living with me for the past year, » Dad announced.

The room went silent, there was nothing more in the world we’d do just to see Tanner again. I can’t believe it ; two years he suffered, and his so called dad shows up rescuing him, but not us ? We’ve struggled even with Tanner gone. We’ve all struggled, we’ve all been in pain, sorrow, and have had many afflictions. I looked up and down at dad. He was dressed like he was rich, like he had no pain, as though he suffered through nothing. I wanted to hurt him, but someone acted a lot sooner than I did. Sophie one minute she is by my side, then the next she is screaming, and is punching dad. It didn’t do anything, but I could see in his eyes that he expected it. Quickly I walked over, picking up a punchy 4ft 3 inch 70lb girl, and that wasn’t easy (she might be light but I couldn’t hold things over 50lbs) I swung her on my side, and she stopped hitting and screaming than she just started to sob in my shoulder. As for mom she just stood there too shocked to speak, apparently dad wasn’t, « can we all talk please ? » He pointed at the couch. Part of me wanted to act like Sophie, but the other part of me (my responsible side didn’t let myself) I nodded going over to the couch, sitting down, while a very pale, fragile child was in my lap crying. Mom slowly sat down, dad pulled up a chair sitting across from us.