"Shall we?" I ask, my voice full of regret and resignation.
She nods, and we walk downstairs, making sure to keep a good distance between us. Anyone who saw us would think it innocent... I wish it wasn't.
"Cassidy!" Tony bellows as soon as we reach them, enveloping his daughter in a big hug. I smile and my mom is soon to follow, settling for a ruffle of my hair. "Hello, Dom," she says and I give her a hug nonetheless.
Upon closer inspection, Mom looks tired, with bags under her eyes and limp hair. She always looks done up, and it's a little strange seeing her out of sorts.
My eyes land on Tony next, and I see he looks a bit under the weather, too. I don't comment, instead slapping him on the back good-naturedly. "Hope you had a good trip?"
All they do is look at each other, their eyes full of something that looks like guilt. What in the name of hell is going on here?
I furrow my brows, but a quick look at Cassidy tells me she's oblivious. I'm not about to point out there's something wrong, because I don't want to worry her. In my mind, I've already decided I need to get to the bottom of this, though.
Tony leads us all into the kitchen, exclaiming he needs a good home-cooked meal. The three of us volunteer to make dinner, and he leaves to unpack their stuff.
Once again, I'm seeing a new Cassidy. I love the way she is with my mom, so at ease, always laughing and chatting away. I don't say much, but a small smile plays on my lips as I pretend to help around the kitchen, even though they're doing most of the work.
An hour or so later, they send me upstairs to get Tony, and I retreat laughing, leaving them to their whispering. It makes me so fucking happy. I'm already convincing myself we can get my mother on our side before we tell Tony what's going on between us.
The upstairs is quiet, and I give Mom and Tony's bedroom door a tentative knock. No one answers.
I crinkle my forehead, knocking again, but once more – no answer. I open the door, and I’m surprised by the scene in front of me.
The luggage our parents brought with them hasn't even been touched – the two suitcases are still lying on the floor, unopened. My eyes scan the room for Tony, finding him sprawled on the bed, snoring away happily.
I stifle a laugh, poking him. It takes a couple of seconds, but I have his attention. "Oh, Dom," he says tiredly.
"Dinner will be on the table in a moment," I say, trying to be friendly, but I can't resist poking some fun. "You needed some rest, old man?"
Tony smiles in embarrassment, getting off the bed. I don't know what they were up to on that trip, but they both seem beat. I hope they recover soon enough.
I tell Tony to meet us all in the kitchen and head downstairs to help my ladies with serving the food. They put me in charge of carving the meat while they set the table.
I'm doing so when Tony strolls into the kitchen, looking paler than he did when I saw him last. "Tony, everything alright?" I ask worriedly, my eyes glued to his sallow face.
He raises his eyes to mine, the motion painfully slow. He tries to wave a hand in my direction to convey it’s nothing, but when he lets go of the doorframe, he stumbles.
"Daddy?" Cassidy calls out, and Mom drops the cutlery.
Tony tries to catch something to hold him up, but he misses the counter by a good few inches. His eyes are already absent, and before any of us can do a thing, he collapses on the floor.
"Daddy!" Cassidy screams in horror, and the sound of the silverware hitting the floor echoes in my head.
Mom and Cassidy rush towards Tony, who's barely breathing on the floor, and I just stare at the scene in shock.
"Get over here, Dom," Mom scolds me in a cool tone, and it's the push I need. I drop everything and rush towards them, my hands shaking as I check Tony's pulse.
It's there. Weak, but there.
"What's going on?" Cassidy is asking, her voice on the verge of tears.
"We'll explain everything," Mom says after a long pause. "We'll tell you... Everything. Oh God, I can't take this. I just can't."
I just stare as both my mother and Cassidy burst into tears.
Chapter fifteen
CASSIDY
My world is falling apart.
I realize this as soon as Daddy falls to the floor, and the rest of it is a blur.
We manage to wake him up, propping him against a wall and making him drink some ice-cold water. He tries to reassure me by joking around and laughing, but my heart is beating a hundred times a minute. I'm scared.