Chapter Nineteen
Two days before we were supposed to leave for New York, dad called me into the living room for a little talk. Mom and grandpa were shopping and running errands in town. I was in the process of packing. I’m a little obsessive compulsive when it comes to my things and packing them. Therefore, it takes me days to get one suitcase ready. Mom and dad had a Saturday morning flight set out of Austin for nine o’clock. I was so excited to go home, I could barely contain it.
“Regina!” Dad called out. “Come in here for a moment.”
He sat in one of the softer sofa chairs in the living room. He had his glasses on the bridge of his nose so he could read the newspaper. I saw his shoes by the side of the chair, his feet were up on the ottoman.
“What’s up?” I asked as I sat down on the couch.
“Regina, there isn’t any better way to say this, but your mother and I don’t think returning to New York is what’s best for you. She worries about you since the incident with Steven. We think we’ve spent too much time away from you and may have missed certain warning signs. Your mother and I feel that the best thing we can do is keep you in Lee so you can see a psychiatrist. If you stay here, no one in New York has to know. You can get better in privacy without people back home knowing .”
I couldn’t breathe. Somewhere inside me, I knew my parents would find a way to keep me here. I didn’t expect them to use the birthday party attack as the reason. Ever since we arrive in Lee, our lives changed so drastically, we were unrecognizable. Dad was no longer the uptight financial advisor and mom was far from the news anchor she once was.
“You really believe I hurt Steven?” I whispered.
“What?” He asked.
“I asked if you thought I really hurt Steven. Do you, dad? Do you really think I took a bite out of his shoulder and ate it?” I snarled at him.
“It doesn’t matter what I believe. It matters what you did.” He said firmly.
“But you know I didn’t do it. I know you do. You don’t want me to leave this town.”
He stood up quickly. I was caught off guard and could not stand up fast enough. He pointed his index finger at me and narrowed his eyes into two cold slits. “Now you listen to me, Regina. You will stay here and see the psychiatrist. You will not tell anyone the real reason why we decided to stay in Lee, but you will see the psychiatrist. When the psychiatrist assures us you are not a danger to us or society, we will go back to New York. Until that time, your mother and I will enroll you into the local school here.”
I scoffed at him. “Are you serious? Dad, you’re suggesting I attend the very same school as the boy I supposedly attacked. That’s not logical. Why don’t you send me to a private school where the teachers are paid to keep an eye on me? It’s not like we can’t afford it.”
“Your mother and I are taking some time from work to stay here and help you through your problems.” He said. “Psychiatrists are expensive and so is private school. We can’t afford both if we’re not working.”
“Does grandpa like the fact that a criminal is living in his home?” I said sarcastically, but dad thought I was coming to terms with attacking Steven.
“He volunteered to help you through your tough time. He isn’t charging us rent and he said you could talk to him anytime you needed him.” His voice softened and he became happy. “I know we can help you, Regina. We all love you and want to help you.”
All my hope deflated in front of me. My relationship with my father was forever changed in this moment. My father used to treat me like a daughter he loved. We went to baseball games together. He taught me how to swim in the ocean, ride my bike, and to be wary of bad boys. Now, I was someone he considered mentally ill.
My memory returned to the day I saw the email on mom’s laptop in New York. It was the email advising my mother that her mother had died.
Dear Lynda, Your mother died. Your father was going to send a letter, but I told him I would contact you. My deepest condolences. –Sincerely Joan Huddins
The email was the first time I heard of my grandparents. I tried to talk to my mom and tell her I was sorry for her loss, but she shocked me when she locked herself in the bathroom. She cried her eyes out in there for hours. When dad came home, I told him what happened.
“Why didn’t you call me!?” He shouted at me. His face was red with anger. I’d never seen him so mad. I was stunned and didn’t know what to say.
“I..I…I, I.” I started to say.
“I, I, I,” He mocked at me. “Is that all you can say for yourself?”
My father stood there with his arms stretched out and anger boiling in his eyes. I was beyond shocked. Heat rose in my face and humiliation burned shamefully in my heart.
“No, I, I’m sorry daddy.” I stammered out.
“You’re damn right you’re sorry! And you will be sorry!” He shouted.
I expected him to hit me, he was that mad, but as quickly as he got mad, he settled down. The redness left his face and returned to the natural tan sheen. His fingers started to unclench and he rubbed them against his pants. He looked down, as if ashamed for losing his temper.
“I’m going to check on your mom. I don’t care if it’s summer, get to bed. If I hear you up or on the phone, you will be grounded.” He said firmly. Though the anger had left his face, it was clear in his voice. Daddy spun on his expensive shoes and walked away, his footsteps were hard yet controlled on his way to their room. I didn’t hear or see my parents until the next day.
I left my father without speaking a word to him. A picture of the room with windows from my nightmares flashed in front of my eyes as I turned away from him.
Regina Page 19