“What is this about?”
“Lily hasn’t been turning in any of her homework for the past week. When I asked her about it, she said that you told her she didn’t have to do it.”
“That is not true.”
“I know it’s not. She’s become very withdrawn. She won’t answer any questions I ask and she’s putting all the wrong answers down on quizzes, even though I know she knows them. At recess, she sits on the swing alone and won’t play with the other kids. Today I asked her if she could walk some papers over to the class next door and she told me to do it myself.”
“Miss Lucas, I’m sorry. She’s been a handful at home too. I’m trying. I really am. This isn’t her. You know that.”
“I know. She’s always been a very bright and well-behaved child. She’s having trouble coping with Nanny Kate’s absence, and I think maybe she should talk to someone who can help her express her feelings in a better way.”
“I’ll take that under advisement.”
“Thank you, Mr. Kind. I told Lily that I will give her a pass this one time and let her turn in the homework she hasn’t done Monday morning.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
She reached over and placed her hand on my arm.
“Being a single parent is hard work, and I know you’re doing the best you can. But sometimes, children need a little extra help.”
After our meeting, I walked down to the art room to fetch Lily.
“Are you ready, kiddo?” I grabbed her backpack.
“Yeah.”
I waited until we got in the car to talk to her.
“Why Lily? Why did you lie to Miss Lucas about your homework?”
“Because I didn’t feel like doing it.”
“It doesn’t matter. You have to do it.”
“No. I don’t,” she spoke in angry tone.
“Actually, you do. And when we get home, you’re going to do it while I cook dinner. No TV tonight until it’s done.”
“That’s not fair!”
“No.” I pointed at her as I raised my voice. “You know what’s not fair? Your behavior! It’s unacceptable.”
She sat there with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face. I pulled into the driveway and the second I put the car in park, she opened the door and climbed out.
“You go straight to your room and do your homework!”
“NO!” she yelled as she stomped up the driveway.
“Lily Rose Kind, you do as I say, or you’re grounded for the rest of your life!”
I followed her into the house, and she threw her backpack down and ran to her room.
“I’m afraid to ask,” Sebastian said as he stepped inside the house.
“She’s driving me crazy, Sebastian. I’m literally going to lose my shit!”
“Sounds to me like you already have. Have you talked to Mom about it?”
“Yeah, and you know what she said to me?”
“What?”
“Karma, Stefan. Karma.”
Sebastian let out a chuckle.
“Anyway, I wish I could stick around and help you out, but I have to get to the restaurant. I heard the yelling as I was leaving so I thought I’d check up on you.”
“I’m sure everyone down the beach heard.”
“Hang in there, brother.” He patted my shoulder.
I picked up Lily’s backpack from the floor and took it to her bedroom. When I opened the door, she was sound asleep on her bed. I grabbed the blanket that sat on the end and covered her with it. Walking over to my liquor cabinet, I pulled the key I had safely hidden, opened it and poured myself a scotch. It felt like the earth was opening and swallowing me whole. There was more going on with my daughter than just Nanny Kate, and I needed to find out what it was.
Chapter 3
Alex
My entire life I’d fantasized about the perfect man who would sweep me off my feet. My prince charming, my knight in shining armor, my person, and the one who checked off all the boxes. Reality check. A man like that didn’t exist.
I’d been on my own since I was eighteen years old. I left home on the day of my high school graduation when my alcoholic father never bothered to show up. Instead, he was in bed with my best friend. She was nineteen and he was forty-nine. Sick fucks. Both were passed out drunk as their naked bodies were sprawled across the bed and two used condoms lay on the floor. So, I threw as much as I could fit in my two suitcases, grabbed the essentials and took the photo of me and my mother from my mirror.
In the back of my closet, I kept a shoebox buried underneath a pile of old clothes with the money I’d been saving to get the hell out. Before I left, I grabbed my father’s wallet from his pants on the living room floor and took out the only money he had: two hundred dollars.
“Thanks for the graduation gift, Dad,” I said as I shoved it into my pocket.
That was seven years ago when I left and never looked back. In seven years, I’d moved more times than anyone should in their life. I’ve had short-term relationships, short-term friendships, short-term jobs. Just enough to save some money and move on. Some people would call me a drifter, but I considered myself an adventurer. Since my mother passed away when I was seven years old, I was kept in a box. A metaphor for how I lived. Which consisted of taking care of my alcoholic father and the house while trying to go to school and learn everything I could about the world outside my box. The thought of settling in one place scared the hell out of me. I was so afraid of getting stuck and the box rebuilding itself around me. So, I kept moving.
The one state I’d never traveled to was California. But that was going to change as I was about to make my next move for a guy I’d met online. His name was Ryan, and he was twenty-six years old. Surprisingly, he’d checked every one of my boxes, except for one: sex. But that was going to be checked off soon since I was driving from Seattle to California to meet and stay with him. We carried on a relationship for three months. Three months of video chats, phone calls, and daily text messages.
After throwing my two suitcases in the back of my car, I made sure I had everything and happily punched his address into the GPS. Halfway there, I ran into some trouble when I stopped to get gas. The credit card machines at the pump were out of order and the only way to pay was by going inside. So, I grabbed my wallet and my phone and paid inside. When I stepped out the door, I noticed my passenger door was open. Running to my car, my purse that was sitting on the front seat was gone.
“FUCK!” I screamed.
All the money I had was stashed in an envelope in my purse, leaving me with only a hundred bucks left in my wallet and one credit card that was practically maxed out.
I’d been driving for fourteen hours, and it was twelve a.m. when the GPS told me to turn onto a road. A road which I shouldn’t have turned down, and now I was lost.
“Damn you, GPS!” I yelled as it kept telling me to turn around but there was nowhere for me to do it. I grabbed my phone and sent a text message to Ryan.
“Hey, babe. I’m lost at the moment, but I have an hour and a half left according to the GPS.”
“Hey. I was just going to text you. I had to take my grandma to the emergency room. They think she had a heart attack so I’m not home and I don’t know when I’ll be. I’ll most likely be here all night. Go get a hotel room for the night and get some rest.”