Fire and Rain, Season 2, Episode 5 (Rising Storm) by R.K. Lilley Page A
Authors: R.K. Lilley
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many times is she going to trip or fall or turn up with bruises that never make sense before you see him for what he is?”
Their conversation thus far had been hostile, but relatively quiet. At his words, Dakota’s voice suddenly raised, and he became conscious for the first time that they might be making a scene in the parking lot closest to the square.
“You’re a liar!” she spat at him. “You’re all liars. If Daddy was like that, I would know it. I know him better than any of you!”
He was suddenly too incensed to care about being overheard, but he managed to keep his voice down anyway as he responded with a furious, “Here’s what you know! A different version of him than the rest of us. Because that’s what he allows you to see, and you help him with the lie by being in denial . How do you explain that in all these months with him gone, Mom hasn’t had one ‘accident?’ Not one. But within a few minutes of him being back, she predictably ‘trips.’ Go ahead, try to explain that to me.”
“She likes to get him in trouble,” Dakota defended, but her voice was trembling. Marcus suspected, but was afraid to really hope, that she was beginning to see the truth. “She likes the attention.”
“Think about Mom. Who she is. What makes her happy and what embarrasses her. Do you really think she enjoys the type of attention she got when she ‘tripped’ and had her husband and oldest daughter berate her for it? Does that add up to you?”
Dakota didn’t respond to him for a long time, and as they stood there staring at each other, Marcus wondered why he even bothered. It was possible that Dakota was as much of a lost cause as Hector. Marcus was likely just wasting his time by even trying to convince her of the truth.
In fact, that was very likely. He couldn’t even get their mother to walk away from his asshole of a father. It still stung that Joanne had chosen that abusive bastard, once again, over her children. Over her own welfare. She’d rather live as his punching bag than leave him.
What could anyone do about that?
And Dakota had, as always, automatically sided with Hector. The blind little fool.
* * * *
Dakota stared at Marcus’s back, her temper rising. “Screw you!” she snarled.
He spun back around. “You want to know why he treats you differently? Why you see such a different side of him? Why you’re his favorite?”
Her jaw was set stubbornly, but for some reason, she was feeling more and more ill at ease. “Why?” she asked.
“Because you’re just like him, and that should worry you.”
Dakota felt disloyal to her father, but for some reason the comparison offended her. She compensated for her mixed emotions by lashing out. “You’re the violent one! You’ve gotten into way more fights than I have!”
“Never in my life have I hurt someone that was weaker than me. Someone that was helpless. I’ve never bullied anyone, Dakota. Can you say the same?”
She opened her mouth to retort, but he wasn’t done.
“You’ve alienated everyone around you except for Hector, and vice versa. What does that tell you?”
She really didn’t like the way those words made her feel, so she lashed out again. “You’re just upset because once Daddy came home you were booted out! You don’t get to stay at the house anymore! I’m not the outcast here! You aren’t even allowed to come back.”
“You think I want to stay there?” he asked her, eyes wide, voice incredulous. “It’s toxic when he’s around, and I can’t get far enough away. Good luck to you. You’re going to need it.” With that parting shot, he strode away.
Dakota glared at him even after he’d left her sight. “Insufferable, self-righteous prick!” It had taken some time for her to muster up a comeback, but better late than never.
“Whoa!” a voice with a smile in it said behind her. “I hope that wasn’t directed at me. What’d I do now?”
She turned to meet the amused eyes of
Their conversation thus far had been hostile, but relatively quiet. At his words, Dakota’s voice suddenly raised, and he became conscious for the first time that they might be making a scene in the parking lot closest to the square.
“You’re a liar!” she spat at him. “You’re all liars. If Daddy was like that, I would know it. I know him better than any of you!”
He was suddenly too incensed to care about being overheard, but he managed to keep his voice down anyway as he responded with a furious, “Here’s what you know! A different version of him than the rest of us. Because that’s what he allows you to see, and you help him with the lie by being in denial . How do you explain that in all these months with him gone, Mom hasn’t had one ‘accident?’ Not one. But within a few minutes of him being back, she predictably ‘trips.’ Go ahead, try to explain that to me.”
“She likes to get him in trouble,” Dakota defended, but her voice was trembling. Marcus suspected, but was afraid to really hope, that she was beginning to see the truth. “She likes the attention.”
“Think about Mom. Who she is. What makes her happy and what embarrasses her. Do you really think she enjoys the type of attention she got when she ‘tripped’ and had her husband and oldest daughter berate her for it? Does that add up to you?”
Dakota didn’t respond to him for a long time, and as they stood there staring at each other, Marcus wondered why he even bothered. It was possible that Dakota was as much of a lost cause as Hector. Marcus was likely just wasting his time by even trying to convince her of the truth.
In fact, that was very likely. He couldn’t even get their mother to walk away from his asshole of a father. It still stung that Joanne had chosen that abusive bastard, once again, over her children. Over her own welfare. She’d rather live as his punching bag than leave him.
What could anyone do about that?
And Dakota had, as always, automatically sided with Hector. The blind little fool.
* * * *
Dakota stared at Marcus’s back, her temper rising. “Screw you!” she snarled.
He spun back around. “You want to know why he treats you differently? Why you see such a different side of him? Why you’re his favorite?”
Her jaw was set stubbornly, but for some reason, she was feeling more and more ill at ease. “Why?” she asked.
“Because you’re just like him, and that should worry you.”
Dakota felt disloyal to her father, but for some reason the comparison offended her. She compensated for her mixed emotions by lashing out. “You’re the violent one! You’ve gotten into way more fights than I have!”
“Never in my life have I hurt someone that was weaker than me. Someone that was helpless. I’ve never bullied anyone, Dakota. Can you say the same?”
She opened her mouth to retort, but he wasn’t done.
“You’ve alienated everyone around you except for Hector, and vice versa. What does that tell you?”
She really didn’t like the way those words made her feel, so she lashed out again. “You’re just upset because once Daddy came home you were booted out! You don’t get to stay at the house anymore! I’m not the outcast here! You aren’t even allowed to come back.”
“You think I want to stay there?” he asked her, eyes wide, voice incredulous. “It’s toxic when he’s around, and I can’t get far enough away. Good luck to you. You’re going to need it.” With that parting shot, he strode away.
Dakota glared at him even after he’d left her sight. “Insufferable, self-righteous prick!” It had taken some time for her to muster up a comeback, but better late than never.
“Whoa!” a voice with a smile in it said behind her. “I hope that wasn’t directed at me. What’d I do now?”
She turned to meet the amused eyes of
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