04-09-2018, 01:04 PM
"What?!"
Jay demanded, only to be quickly sushed.
"Keep your voice down, won't you!"
Dad interrupted. "She doesn't know."
Jay didn't know he could be even more shocked, but his voice lowered to a soft whisper of compliance. "What the hell?! What do you mean she doesn't know?"
Dad turned toward the mantle on the fireplace. It was decorated with a dozen photo frames of the lives of their children. "We've taken her to doctors. The bills are extensive. They've done lots and lots of tests. We told her she has mono. There was no point in scaring her. But, Jay, the doctors say there's nothing they can do. They can't even identify the source of it, but it's spread to her whole body."
Jay's jaw slowly dropped. It did explain a lot. Cayli didn't act like herself. She went through really bad spells, but then seemed to bounce back. Enough that Jay just thought she was tired with the winter. The weather. Maybe a virus. Teenagers are weird. Then there was the day he took her to wal-mart and how protective mom had been at the time, like she hated to see her daughter out of her sight.
If Jay hadn't been wrapped up dealing with his own demons, he would have noticed. He should have noticed. He might be sick.
"We gotta tell her,"
he said quietly.
Dad spun, anger pinching his wet eyes. "That's exactly why we didn't tell you."
Jay blinked as dad went on. There was something in his gaze Jay never realized before. He took a step back while dad went on.
"We know how close you two are. You'd tell her despite our wishes to protect the last of her innocence. Look at her, Jay. She's happy. She's living her life. All that would be gone. And for what?"
Jay stared. Torn. Dad was right. He was on the verge of running to Cayli that very moment to tell her the truth. But doing so would only kill her faster. Dammit. He was right.
"That doesn't explain the gambling. Pissing money away you don't have."
He uttered through grit teeth.
Dad shrugged. "Cay is fading. You didn't want any part of this farm. You jet off to god knows where. With the battles against that fucking Custody trash, we expected the call about you any day. What does money matter when your family falls apart?"
Jay had no words. He collapsed to the ottoman, face in his hands.
How to fix this?
Jay demanded, only to be quickly sushed.
"Keep your voice down, won't you!"
Dad interrupted. "She doesn't know."
Jay didn't know he could be even more shocked, but his voice lowered to a soft whisper of compliance. "What the hell?! What do you mean she doesn't know?"
Dad turned toward the mantle on the fireplace. It was decorated with a dozen photo frames of the lives of their children. "We've taken her to doctors. The bills are extensive. They've done lots and lots of tests. We told her she has mono. There was no point in scaring her. But, Jay, the doctors say there's nothing they can do. They can't even identify the source of it, but it's spread to her whole body."
Jay's jaw slowly dropped. It did explain a lot. Cayli didn't act like herself. She went through really bad spells, but then seemed to bounce back. Enough that Jay just thought she was tired with the winter. The weather. Maybe a virus. Teenagers are weird. Then there was the day he took her to wal-mart and how protective mom had been at the time, like she hated to see her daughter out of her sight.
If Jay hadn't been wrapped up dealing with his own demons, he would have noticed. He should have noticed. He might be sick.
"We gotta tell her,"
he said quietly.
Dad spun, anger pinching his wet eyes. "That's exactly why we didn't tell you."
Jay blinked as dad went on. There was something in his gaze Jay never realized before. He took a step back while dad went on.
"We know how close you two are. You'd tell her despite our wishes to protect the last of her innocence. Look at her, Jay. She's happy. She's living her life. All that would be gone. And for what?"
Jay stared. Torn. Dad was right. He was on the verge of running to Cayli that very moment to tell her the truth. But doing so would only kill her faster. Dammit. He was right.
"That doesn't explain the gambling. Pissing money away you don't have."
He uttered through grit teeth.
Dad shrugged. "Cay is fading. You didn't want any part of this farm. You jet off to god knows where. With the battles against that fucking Custody trash, we expected the call about you any day. What does money matter when your family falls apart?"
Jay had no words. He collapsed to the ottoman, face in his hands.
How to fix this?
Only darkness shows you the light.