you not like my steak and order a pizza?” he quips.
“Very funny. You saw my empty plate, didn’t you?”
I walk to the kitchen, put the wine down and walk down the hall to the front door. I look out the side window to see who is there and it is black. Too dark to see anything outside.
I flip the switch to turn the porch light on and nothing happens. The light is out.
I think quickly about the neighborhood and it is top notch, so I unlock and open the door.
At first, I don’t see anyone, but then, as I open the storm door and stick my head around it to see… I almost pass out. All of the blood goes from my head and I feel light. OH MY GOD.
He is standing there with that shit-eating grin on his face. I am so shocked that I can’t find any words. I start to pull the storm door shut, but he grabs it.
“Not so fast,” he says, “Aren’t you even going to invite me in?”
It looks like he hasn’t shaved in a year and his eyes are red. The one vein is bulging. The one that always bulged on his forehead. He looks like a nightmare. My nightmare.
“Who’s you’re friend,” Everett says standing close behind me now.
Thank god, I think. Saved me AGAIN.
“Oh, what do we have here? This your boyfriend now, Cora? My little daughter’s all grown up?” he says, turning to spit a wad of tobacco out of his mouth as he finishes.
Half of it runs down his chin and he just wipes it off on his sleeve. He’s as repulsive as the last time I saw him.
Everett has moved next to me and I feel him brushing my side as he gets himself more in front of me than by my side.
My dad sees this, and Everett’s stature, and takes a step back. He surveys the scene and says, “What, you having some kind of a date night with my daughter? That what this is about?”
Calm as ever, Everett says, “Just having dinner together. Two friends,” he says.
And then I can’t believe what he says next.
“Want to come in and join us? Cora told me all about you.”
“Oh she did now? And what exactly did my little sweetheart have to say about her old man?”
The fumes from his breath have invaded the foyer and I can feel the nausea boiling up in my stomach. I take a step further back and I can only see half of his profile now. Everett is fully between us.
“Well, your daughter,” Everett says, “She’s got the heart of a lion, you know, and she had nothing but nice things to say about you. That’s something else, isn’t it now?”
I could feel Everett take control of the conversation with those words, but I’ve heard my dad in stiffer arguments. Many times too.
“And what is your name, big fella?” my dad says to Everett.
“The name’s Everett. Everett Colson, sir. And me and your daughter’s just two friends having a nice dinner together.”
“Well, you just keep it that way, son. If you know what’s good for you… And you behave yourself young lady. I’ll be back for you later tonight and we’re hitting the road back east.”
My stomach drops through the floor. And I turn to move further away. The only thing keeping me from running is the fact that Everett is here. That he is standing between me and my father. That he is keeping my father from coming into this house.
I hear grumbling and steps going away, then the door shutting. Click of the lock.
“Holy shit, Everett. I am so sorry about that. I didn’t know he was here. Didn’t know he would find me. Didn’t know he was out… that he was out of jail.”
“He’s not going to hurt you now,” Everett says, coming to me and pulling me in close. “I’m sorry that had to happen tonight, Cora. Sorry it had to happen at all.
His arms grip me tight and I move mine around him. I feel the thickness of his upper back and I hold on tight. I bury my head in his chest and all my emotions come to surface. Fear. Anger. Tears.
My fucking dad. I can’t believe
“Very funny. You saw my empty plate, didn’t you?”
I walk to the kitchen, put the wine down and walk down the hall to the front door. I look out the side window to see who is there and it is black. Too dark to see anything outside.
I flip the switch to turn the porch light on and nothing happens. The light is out.
I think quickly about the neighborhood and it is top notch, so I unlock and open the door.
At first, I don’t see anyone, but then, as I open the storm door and stick my head around it to see… I almost pass out. All of the blood goes from my head and I feel light. OH MY GOD.
He is standing there with that shit-eating grin on his face. I am so shocked that I can’t find any words. I start to pull the storm door shut, but he grabs it.
“Not so fast,” he says, “Aren’t you even going to invite me in?”
It looks like he hasn’t shaved in a year and his eyes are red. The one vein is bulging. The one that always bulged on his forehead. He looks like a nightmare. My nightmare.
“Who’s you’re friend,” Everett says standing close behind me now.
Thank god, I think. Saved me AGAIN.
“Oh, what do we have here? This your boyfriend now, Cora? My little daughter’s all grown up?” he says, turning to spit a wad of tobacco out of his mouth as he finishes.
Half of it runs down his chin and he just wipes it off on his sleeve. He’s as repulsive as the last time I saw him.
Everett has moved next to me and I feel him brushing my side as he gets himself more in front of me than by my side.
My dad sees this, and Everett’s stature, and takes a step back. He surveys the scene and says, “What, you having some kind of a date night with my daughter? That what this is about?”
Calm as ever, Everett says, “Just having dinner together. Two friends,” he says.
And then I can’t believe what he says next.
“Want to come in and join us? Cora told me all about you.”
“Oh she did now? And what exactly did my little sweetheart have to say about her old man?”
The fumes from his breath have invaded the foyer and I can feel the nausea boiling up in my stomach. I take a step further back and I can only see half of his profile now. Everett is fully between us.
“Well, your daughter,” Everett says, “She’s got the heart of a lion, you know, and she had nothing but nice things to say about you. That’s something else, isn’t it now?”
I could feel Everett take control of the conversation with those words, but I’ve heard my dad in stiffer arguments. Many times too.
“And what is your name, big fella?” my dad says to Everett.
“The name’s Everett. Everett Colson, sir. And me and your daughter’s just two friends having a nice dinner together.”
“Well, you just keep it that way, son. If you know what’s good for you… And you behave yourself young lady. I’ll be back for you later tonight and we’re hitting the road back east.”
My stomach drops through the floor. And I turn to move further away. The only thing keeping me from running is the fact that Everett is here. That he is standing between me and my father. That he is keeping my father from coming into this house.
I hear grumbling and steps going away, then the door shutting. Click of the lock.
“Holy shit, Everett. I am so sorry about that. I didn’t know he was here. Didn’t know he would find me. Didn’t know he was out… that he was out of jail.”
“He’s not going to hurt you now,” Everett says, coming to me and pulling me in close. “I’m sorry that had to happen tonight, Cora. Sorry it had to happen at all.
His arms grip me tight and I move mine around him. I feel the thickness of his upper back and I hold on tight. I bury my head in his chest and all my emotions come to surface. Fear. Anger. Tears.
My fucking dad. I can’t believe
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