04-08-2018, 08:41 PM
Jay shelled out 300 bucks for a tow truck to haul the pickup back to a shop. He'd thought about having it hauled to the house and attempt to fix it himself. But if the transmission needed replaced, they flat out lacked the machinery required to do the heavy lifting.
Dad was quiet most of the day. Not surprising. But then again, so was Jay. Mostly because he was too angry to bring it up.
Dinner was quick and also quiet. Mom wouldn't make eye contact with anyone except Cayli, who kept shooting dark and worried glances over at Jay. Dad left the table first. Jay almost followed him, but stopped when the phone rang with the diagnosis from the shop.
Suffice to say, Jay squeezed his eyes and told them to do what was needed while he mentally calculated how much this was going to cost.
He knocked on his parent's bedroom door. Mom peeked out, wrapped in a bathrobe and hair back in clips. She blinked in surprise to see her son standing there. "What is it, Jay?"
"I want to talk to dad."
He kept his voice as flat as possible.
She shook her head, "can't it wait till tomorrow? He's in the shower."
Jay's gut twisted. He hated that she was defending him. "Sorry mom. But no. If i'm going to be up all night, I might as well be working on this cluster-fu--"
he cast mom an apologetic look. "-on this mess."
She nodded and shut the door.
Jay was on the couch updating calculation apps on his wallet when dad came in. Jay got up before he had a chance to stammer out some kind of series of excuses again.
"You need to give me access to all the accounts. I want to see every transaction from the last three years. Tax statements. Revenue. Everything for the business and yours and mom's personal stuff as well."
Dad scrubbed a hand through his hair, stammering something. Jay pulled his feet from the ottoman while his dad fidgeted. "Dad I already know we're in shit up to our eyeballs here. Might as well let me fix it."
He turned with this woeful look on his face. Jay frowned. "What do you not want me to see?"
Dad grew paler. Jay got up and went to him. They normally stood eye to eye and had ever since Jay was 14. Now, the eyes that were always a source of strength and reliability glistened with emotion. Jay wanted to shake him.
Then, when he finally spoke, Jay barely heard the words. They washed over him like water on sand, erasing every coherent thought.
Cayli is dying of cancer?
He stood there, speechless, as his dad starting weeping.
Dad was quiet most of the day. Not surprising. But then again, so was Jay. Mostly because he was too angry to bring it up.
Dinner was quick and also quiet. Mom wouldn't make eye contact with anyone except Cayli, who kept shooting dark and worried glances over at Jay. Dad left the table first. Jay almost followed him, but stopped when the phone rang with the diagnosis from the shop.
Suffice to say, Jay squeezed his eyes and told them to do what was needed while he mentally calculated how much this was going to cost.
He knocked on his parent's bedroom door. Mom peeked out, wrapped in a bathrobe and hair back in clips. She blinked in surprise to see her son standing there. "What is it, Jay?"
"I want to talk to dad."
He kept his voice as flat as possible.
She shook her head, "can't it wait till tomorrow? He's in the shower."
Jay's gut twisted. He hated that she was defending him. "Sorry mom. But no. If i'm going to be up all night, I might as well be working on this cluster-fu--"
he cast mom an apologetic look. "-on this mess."
She nodded and shut the door.
Jay was on the couch updating calculation apps on his wallet when dad came in. Jay got up before he had a chance to stammer out some kind of series of excuses again.
"You need to give me access to all the accounts. I want to see every transaction from the last three years. Tax statements. Revenue. Everything for the business and yours and mom's personal stuff as well."
Dad scrubbed a hand through his hair, stammering something. Jay pulled his feet from the ottoman while his dad fidgeted. "Dad I already know we're in shit up to our eyeballs here. Might as well let me fix it."
He turned with this woeful look on his face. Jay frowned. "What do you not want me to see?"
Dad grew paler. Jay got up and went to him. They normally stood eye to eye and had ever since Jay was 14. Now, the eyes that were always a source of strength and reliability glistened with emotion. Jay wanted to shake him.
Then, when he finally spoke, Jay barely heard the words. They washed over him like water on sand, erasing every coherent thought.
Cayli is dying of cancer?
He stood there, speechless, as his dad starting weeping.
Only darkness shows you the light.