Chapter 35: Chapter 34. My Good Friend Jack Daniels

CLAIRE

I didn’t hesitate. I yanked the door open and stormed in, my hands balled into fists at my sides.

I froze when I saw my dad holding a suitcase and my mom’s face streaked with tears.

The room was thick with silence. I shot my dad a glare, ignoring my mom who gasped and stood rooted to the spot.

I was the one to shatter the quiet. “I didn’t realize wanting to make my parents proud was attention-seeking,” I said, my voice dripping with disgust as I looked at my dad.

“Claire—” my mom began, but I cut her off.

“Tell me, Dad, when was the last time I acted like a brat? I never asked you for anything, except your love. Yes, I wanted attention. But is it so wrong to want your parents to be proud of you?

“Is it so bad to want your parents’ love and attention, especially when they barely give it to you?” I asked, my voice hard, hiding the hurt I was feeling inside.

“Claire…” my dad started, looking taken aback by my sudden appearance.

A thought struck me, and I hardened my gaze.

“Who’s the other woman?” I asked, my voice filled with distaste for this “other woman” he was leaving us for. I stood with my arms crossed, my left hip jutting out, my eyes narrowed as I stared my dad down.

He swallowed nervously, looking like a deer caught in the headlights—terrified.

“Claire, sweetheart—” my mom tried to calm me, but I wasn’t having it.

“No!” I shouted. “We’re going to talk. Now.” I pointed at my dad.

“You’re not leaving until I get my answers. Then, you can go and be on your merry, damn, way!” I demanded, not caring about my tone.

If my dad wanted to leave, he could leave, but not before he gave me the truth, both of them.

My parents just stayed silent, taken aback by my fierce tone.

“Now, we’re going to sit down. I’m going to get the truth, then Anthony is going to leave!”

I refused to call him Dad. Why should I? He hadn’t earned that right. Once upon a time, yes, he had every right to be called a dad.

But now he’d messed up, and ruined any chances of that.

Without a word, my parents complied, and walked to the couch, my dad dragging his suitcase with him. When they sat on the dark blue loveseat, I crossed my arms and stood in front of them.

“I want to know what the hell happened all those years ago. Why’d you two suddenly stop talking? Why’d you stop paying attention to me? What happened?” I demanded, needing the truth, now.

I had to know why everything had changed so drastically.

My mom was the first to speak. “It was five days before your tenth birthday,” she began. “And, your father had just found out his mother had passed away a week before—” I cut her off with a bitter laugh and a sarcastic smile.

“Right, the grandmother I never knew,” I said, my smile fake.

My mom flinched guiltily, but continued.

“He was dealing with it the only way he knew how: Drinking. And, I let him. I trusted him. He would go out and drink, then come back late at night drunk.” My mom paused, biting her lip.

“But then, he came home one night, drunk,” she sighed, struggling to hold back tears. “He came back with a woman.” She finally managed to say.

“He was beyond drunk and brought her home, to our home. You were asleep upstairs when I found them at the door. I kicked the girl out, and yelled at your father.

“After that, I told him he was sleeping on the couch, and left. Nothing’s ever been the same since,” my mom finished, wiping away her tears.

I glared at my dad, wondering how he could ever do such a thing to my mom, his wife, his love.

“So much for the wedding vows then, huh?” I spat at him.

He just stayed silent.

“Nothing to say? No ‘I’m Sorry’ to Mom. The woman who loved you unconditionally and still let you stay here!” I shouted, surprised by the volume of my own voice.

“What was I supposed to say?” my father roared back.

“You were supposed to apologize!” I screamed back. “You were supposed to kiss her, hold her, love her. Tell her you were sorry a million times before trying to earn back her love again. She let you stay in this house!

“I would’ve kicked you out! You were drunk! Never paid the bills, or even tried to! Mom let you stay, though! And why, why would she let you stay here, after what you did to her?

“After the pain and betrayal you caused her! I’ll tell you: Love! That’s why she kept you here and didn’t kick you out! She loves you!

“How could you do this to her!?” I screamed at him, my fists white from clenching so tightly and my heart pounding in my chest.

This isn’t what dads are supposed to do. They’re supposed to love their wife and children.

They’re supposed to go to work every day, then come home, give their children a hug and kiss, before going to their beloved wife.

They’re not supposed to ignore their child, or go out drinking, or cheat on their wife! They’re supposed to love their family!

Tears welled up in my eyes as my fists turned white. I bit my bottom lip, hard, trying to hold back the sobs and screams that wanted to escape.

I could understand why my mom and dad fought all those years, now. I just couldn’t believe my mom let him stay after everything.

“Baby girl. Please, try to understand—”

I cut my mom off again. “No,” I shouted. “I don’t want your input in this. I don’t want you trying to save him! I want him to talk. Only. Him!” I yelled, glaring at Anthony. The man I used to call Dad.

He just sat in silence, seeming to ponder over my words. I was done being the ‘good angel’ they thought I was.

It was high time they saw the real me. The side of me that wasn’t all about boxing. They needed to understand how their daughter truly felt. They just had to.

“Okay, fine,” I say, knowing he won’t be the one to spill the beans. “Who’s the girl you’re ditching us for?” I ask, not mincing my words.

My mom and Anthony both gasp, taken aback by my blunt question.

“Claire—” my mom begins, trying to reprimand me.

“No,” I interrupt, keeping my gaze fixed on Anthony. “He doesn’t deserve my respect. He lost that privilege a while back,” I retort, my voice steady.

Anthony struggles to find a response. He opens and closes his mouth a few times, before finally letting out a resigned sigh.

“She’s the one who helped me land the mechanic job. I met her a few months back.” He pauses, taking a deep breath. “She fell for me, and when I mentioned needing a job, she managed to get me one.” He shrugs.

A bitter smile tugs at my lips. I lick them and nod, taking in all the information. Then, a sudden thought strikes me. But it couldn’t be true, could it?

“There’s more to it, isn’t there?” I ask, closing my eyes as I feel the onset of a headache.

Anthony sighs, closing his eyes, but nods his head. “There is.” He pauses, biting his bottom lip. “I—she—uh—” he stammers, struggling to articulate his thoughts.

But the truth is, I already know what he’s about to say. I just need to hear it from him.

“She’s…” he trails off.

“She’s pregnant, isn’t she?” I ask, closing my eyes again, bracing myself for the sting of disappointment and betrayal.

At first, he doesn’t respond. It seems like he’s having trouble admitting it, until he finally nods. “Yes,” he mumbles, hanging his head in shame.

I nod, feeling a single tear trickle down my cheek. “Alright. Get out,” I order, opening my hardened eyes.

Anthony and my mom stare at me in shock.

“Excuse me?” Anthony asks, taken aback.

I raise an eyebrow, challenging him. “I don’t think I stuttered. I said, get out,” I repeat, my voice stronger this time.

My mom looks like she wants to intervene, but one look from me silences her.

Anthony nods. “Alright,” he mumbles, standing up with his bag.

“Goodbye Claire, Lizzy,” he whispers, his voice choked with emotion, before turning and leaving, closing the door behind him.

As soon as the door shuts, I turn to my mom. There’s disappointment in her eyes, but this time, it’s not directed at my father, or anyone else. It’s directed at me.

“I raised you better than that, Claire. That was very rude of you—”

I cut her off with a bitter laugh.

“Rude?” I scoff. “No, what’s rude is you blaming me for all of this! Don’t play innocent! You kept this from me too! You knew everything!”

“And don’t you dare start with the ‘I raised you better than this’ crap, because you didn’t raise me at all! I had to raise myself!

“I had to navigate life feeling neglected by everyone!” I yell at her, defending myself.

“You weren’t there when I lost my best friend, or when I had my first boyfriend, or even my first kiss! In fact, no one was there! It was all me! I had to deal with the pain!

“And think about it: If you felt as neglected and out of place as I have my entire life, wouldn’t you question your reason for being here too?”

With that final outburst, I spin around and storm out of the house, slamming the door behind me.

Boxing wasn’t going to help me calm down this time. But I had a feeling my old friend Jack Daniels might be just what I needed.