“Ten thousand dollars. Something close to what I owe in child support.” He pushed the check
toward her. “Take it. It’s yours.”
She stared at the piece of paper. At his elegant handwriting. At her name written in loops and swirls along the top line. Ten thousand dollars. It made her feel sick to look at.
“I don’t want your money,” she told him, her voice low. “I don’t want anything from you.”
“But Nora’s worried you’ll come for it after I’m gone. I want to settle it now. Make sure she and Chrissie are looked after.” His tone was desperate.
Van’s jaw tightened. “You’re a piece of work, you know that? Why would I come after your money? I don’t want anything to do with you. Not any of you. Once upon a time you might have made my life more liveable.” She stood, unable to sit civilly and listen to him anymore. “I know you saw me, running around town on my own when I should have been taken care of at home. And I know you know mom was depressed or drunk or both most of the time. I needed you then.” She shook her head. “I needed someone. Even if you offered me a million dollars it wouldn’t make up for that.”
His mouth dropped open. “A million…”
Van shook her head. “Don’t worry. I don’t want a dime off you. You can tell Nora and Chrissie that your money’s safe. And if you want me to sign something stating I have no claim on it, then send it to me. I’ll sign anything to get you all out of my life.”
“If you’re going to be like that about it then I should go.” He stood, sliding his pen and checkbook back into his pocket. “You’re ungrateful. Like your mom. I gave her a job, a home, and she only wanted more. Nora’s right, you’re both poison.” He pushed his chest out, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her.
“That might be the nicest thing anybody’s ever said to me.” She walked to the living room entrance, and pointed to the hallway. He walked past her, his shoulders back, his head high. “I’d rather be like my mom than you. Or any of your family.”
He pulled the front door open, then turned to look at her. “Yes, well. I’ll ask my lawyer to send you a contract.”
She was sure he would. Stupid thing was, she’d sign it, too. Because her pride was worth so much more than this excuse of a father in front of her.
He huffed and stepped outside. That’s when Van saw the passenger sitting in his car, with her hair perfectly coiffed as she lifted her nose and glanced at Van on the doorstep.
A wave of fury washed over her. Van pushed past Johnny and almost ran down the steps. Alarm widened in Nora’s eyes as Van reached for the passenger door.
“What are you doing?” she asked, as Van wrenched it open.
“I want to talk to you.”
Nora lifted her head a little more. “I have nothing to say to you.”
“That’s good. Maybe you’ll listen to what I have to say then.” She felt the cool of Johnny’s shadow fall over her as he stood behind her, saying nothing. “First of all, you can stuff your money. I don’t want a dime from you or your deadbeat husband. I don’t want anything to do with you at all.” She shook her head.
Nora pressed her lips together, saying nothing.
“But more importantly, there’s something else you need to know.” Van’s voice was short. Harsh. “You’re the worst kind of woman. One who looks down on others because it makes you feel better about yourself. One who punishes a little girl with hard words and harsher thoughts because you can’t punish your husband for being an asshole.” Van crossed her arms over her chest. “Well that’s over with. Done. You say one more bad word about me or my family, and I’ll be shouting out about you and Johnny all over town. I’ll tell everyone about how he left my mom high and dry. How he had almost thirty years to recognize me and never did. And I’ll tell them about you, Nora. About the way you thought you were better than me because you had money.” Van leaned forward, until her nose was only an inch away from Nora’s. “You keep away from my family. Otherwise, I’ll make sure you regret it.”
Nora swallowed hard, her eyes glassy. She gave an almost imperciptable nod.
Van straightened her spine and let out a mouthful of air, then turned on her heel, almost knocking Johnny over in the process. He quickly stepped back, as though he was afraid she was going to strike him.
Good. She didn’t want him anywhere near her.
“Goodbye, Dad,” she said, her voice full of sarcasm. “I hope you have a happy life. Because mine has been a hundred times better without you in it.”
Van slammed the door closed behind her and sucked in a deep breath. She was shaking. Enough for her to lean on the wood and let her head rest there for a moment.
She didn’t regret it. Not a word. Nora and Johnny had what was coming to them. So why was her body quivering like a bowl of Jello?
Because of him. Right now she should be calling him, sharing her triumph over the Fairfaxes with him. But instead she was alone in her mom’s house, aching for the one person she kept pushing away. She couldn’t do this anymore.
If she’d just talked to him instead of deciding what was best for them both, she wouldn’t be here alone now.
She had a choice. Either, she kept doing things the way she always had and suffered because of it, or she stood tall and admitted that she was afraid. So scared of losing him that she’d pushed him away first.
Last night he’d made the sweetest of gestures. Maybe she should do the same. But what could it be? She frowned, thinking about the way Jerry Maguire walked into a room full of women and declared himself to Dorothy. Or how Richard Gere climbed up a fire escape despite his fear of heights to woo Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. Actually, he was pretty good at the grand gesture in all his movies. Look at the way he walked into the factory dressed in his uniform in An Officer and a Gentleman and scooped the love of his life into his hands.