The phone’s ringing as I enter through the garage door. I hear little feet pounding down the hall towards me.
“I’ll get it!” Roxy yells at the top of her lungs. Little man is hanging from her arm as she screeches around the corner.
“No,” I tell her as I reach around to grab the phone, but the little girl’s too quick as she snatches the phone before I can take it. “Roxy,” I warn. She has no business answering the phone. Who knows who’s gonna be on the other end. What kind of bottom feeder who’s trying to sell shit a kid doesn’t need? With her back facing me, she stays silent, completely ignoring me. Years of being ignored are what I have in my future, I know it.
“Yes,” her little voice answers whoever else is on the other end.
“Give me the phone,” I tell her only to have her put one finger up in the air, signaling for me to be quiet. What the fuck?
“Hi, Papa.”
The tension in my shoulders slacks. She got lucky that this time.
“Do you wanna talk to Goobie? He’s right here. Here, Goobie, say hi to Papa.”
“Rox, he doesn’t want to talk to the dog. Give me the phone.”
Her eyes fill with tears, lips starting to quiver. Jesus…
“Why?”
“Baby, let me talk to Papa, and if there’s time then he can have a chat with the dog, okay?” Nodding, she hands me the phone before trotting back down the hall to her room. “Hello.”
Chuckling floats from the receiver. “How you holding up, son?”
“Why ask a question when you already know the answer?”
“Fatherhood sounds good on you. That little girl has you wrapped around her pinky, and you fucking know it.”
“I know it. But the problem’s gonna be when she realizes it. She still has some fear with me, so as long as that sticks, I’m not playing a losing game.”
“It’ll happen soon enough,” he tells me, and I know he speaks the truth. “I wanted to make a quick call and see how everything’s going. See how the kids are. Any hiccups?”
“Kids are good. School’s good.”
“What aren’t you telling me, son?”
“When did you become a fucking mind reader, eh?”
More fucking chuckling. “Not a mind reader, just a parent. It doesn’t matter that I’ve been absent all these years. Once you become a parent, the intuition’s engrained within your bones. Is Ryder giving you problems? Jenni’s all right, isn’t she?”
“Yeah, everyone’s fine. The kids are good. But listen…” I step out of the kitchen, peeking down the hall to make sure little ears aren’t listening. “I had a visitor the other day at the shop. Guy called himself Rob Masters. He was all tweaked out and shit. Nasty fucker, but he said he was the kids’ father. He tried to get money from me, saying he would leave them alone if I paid him cash.”
“And you didn’t, right?”
I roll my eyes like he can fucking see me. “Really? Do you think I’d let some drugged out piece of shit shake me down for some money?”
“Did you report it to social services?”
“Fuck no, I didn’t. I know that the only reason why the kids are here is because that lady with the county is trying her damnedest to keep them with us. I don’t understand it, but I’m not gonna question shit. Things are good here, and I’m not about to rock the fucking boat. Shit could go two ways. She could rip the kids outta here due to safety reasons, or she could track his ass down and try to get him help so he can get the kids. And there ain’t no way in hell those kids will ever live with a fucking drugged up cunt.”
I can hear my father sigh on the other end. “Have your guys been able to find anything out about him?”
“Not a fucking thing. It’s like he’s a ghost.”
“If he’s strung out like you say he is, then he’s more than likely to be homeless and unreachable until he decides he wants to be found.”
“I’m thinking about making a few trips myself. See if I can find him out at some of the street camps. Maybe ask around.”
“Don’t do that, Tylan. Don’t draw attention. Keep the kids safe and your eyes open. I’m sure he’ll be back again when he needs something from you.”
“I’m not about to live my life looking over my shoulder, Pops. I’ve done that and it ain’t happening again. Shit has got to change. I’m not playing these fucking games with some douchebag.”
“Tylan,” he warns.
I feel my blood start to boil, this entire situation pisses me the fuck off. “I’ll fucking take the kids and run before I deal with anything like that.”
“Don’t go jumping the gun, son. Keep them safe. You never know what he’ll encounter on the streets, especially if he owes anyone money for his habit. They may find him before he finds you again.”
“I hope you’re right. The shop is way too close to this house for me to feel one-hundred percent okay with the situation.”
“Everything will work out. Now go give my granddaughter a kiss for me.”
“Okay, Pops. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Hey, Tylan?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t forget to tell her that I had a talk with the dog, or you’re going to have a very unhappy little girl on your hands.”
I chuckle. “Yeah, thanks.”
“Just trying to help,” he says with humor in his voice.