“It don’t even matter what I think you’re capable of. If that weren’t bad enough, you took your daughter and ran off with your lover, so he couldn’t even see her. All he wanted to do was work things out with you.” At this point I was losing my cool. Kat didn’t budge from where she stood though, so I remained in the car.
“No, he wanted to hurt me worse.” She started crying, making me wonder if it was the right time to make an appearance. If she needed me, she wouldn’t be mad that I’d come.
“Katy, do us all a favor and spare us the drama. Sarah’s so upset because she brought you into Bobby’s life. She doesn’t need to see you here.”
“Please, Dave. Please, just let me pay my respects. I have every right to say goodbye to him. You couldn’t be more wrong about me. I swear, I would never want this for anyone, especially Bobby.”
I watched the minister approach her. I expected him to help her inside. “Bobby told me things during our sessions. He had his own demons, but I’ve got to be respectful of my daughter. How about we meet later and you can say your goodbye’s then?”
I was done listening to them tear her apart. I got out of the vehicle and headed right for them. “How about you get off that high horse and let the girl through? Isn’t this the Lord’s house? Where everyone is welcome?”
The first guy started to come at me. If he thought for a second he could take me, he was wrong. Kat grabbed the back of his jacket, while I stood there, showing him how much I wasn’t threatened. “Get your boyfriend out of here, Katy. My best friend is dead because of you. Leave now before someone gets hurt.”
“Dave, please. We’ll go. Please just stop this,” she pleaded. I didn’t get it. She was backing down because of this loser?
When the guy shoved Kat, I was done. I went right after him, taking him down with little effort. Kat took ahold of my arm before I could pound it against his face.
“Please stop. You need to leave, Brooks. Please, just go.”
I stood and dusted off my clothes. “I came here for support because I knew they were going to treat you like shit.”
She touched my hand. “I can handle them without you interfering. Just go before it gets worse.”
I pulled away from her. She was insane if she thought this was okay with me. “You know what, I’m sick of trying.”
I peeled wheels when I pulled away from the church. I was so angry at her for not letting me finish giving that man a beat down. He deserved to be hurt. I wasn’t going to stand around and let him shove her like that.
What really burned me up was the fact that she felt like sending me away would solve her problems. Whether I was there or not, they were still going to treat her like shit, and she was prepared to let them.
When I got back to the house, I didn’t really explain what was going on to my mother. I grabbed B and announced that we were going out for a little while. Once we reached the park I started to calm down. It didn’t help that she was going on and on about a puppy that was running around.
“Daddy, I pet doggy.”
“You can pet him. Be gentle.”
“Daddy, I want puppy.”
I watched the owners smile as B hugged the small vanilla Labrador. “You can’t have that puppy. He belongs to these nice people.”
She stuck out her bottom lips. The guy looked at me and laughed. “How do you say no to something that cute?”
I threw up my hands. “Clearly I don’t.”
B was sad when they walked away, making me wonder if we had room in our lives for a puppy. Then I stuck the thought aside, realizing we didn’t even know where life was going to take us in the future.
For a while after that, I pushed her in a swing. She went down the slide several times allowing me to catch her at the bottom. When she began to yawn, I knew it was time to head home.
“Did you have fun, bug?”
“Yes, but I want puppy.”
“I know you do. Maybe when you’re bigger we can get one.”
It was weird walking into the house with a cheery little girl and seeing two women crying. When I first saw them, I wondered if Kat was telling my mom how she couldn’t take me being around anymore. Maybe I’d overstepped and caused her to change her mind.
“It’s time I told you both the truth, because I can’t sit here and watch you two fall apart, when you’ve got a real chance at happiness.” I had no idea what my mother was talking about. What truth?
I whispered in B’s ear to go turn on her cartoons in her bedroom. When she ran in that direction, I gave them my attention.
“Look, Mom, I appreciate you trying to help, but if it’s all the same, I’m just going to head back to the barracks for the night.” I didn’t want to be told to leave.