“Give her time. If she’s anything like her mother, she’ll forget about it soon enough.” Conner seemed sure, but nobody knew Iz like I did. I saw the pain in her eyes, and it killed me. She also was full of her mother’s spunk. That woman could hold a grudge.
We headed off to work and separated like we did each day. Since my dad was getting older, he stuck to the easy work, like driving the tractor around or picking up things from town. The old man didn’t want to admit that it was time for him to enjoy his life. He also didn’t want to admit that Conner and I had made his small farm a very lucrative ranch. Not only were we raising and selling cattle, but we still had produce and even chicken houses. For the most part, I handled the chickens, Conner worked with the cattle, and my dad and the other farm workers managed the produce. It was what he knew, and trying to teach him something new was just a waste of time.
Halfway through the day, I got a call from Miranda. I could hear a blow-dryer in the background and knew she was at the salon. “Ty, I need you to go get Bella.”
“Why? Is she sick?”
“No, she punched a kid in the face. She’s suspended.”
“What? You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I’m not. Listen, I’m booked solid today. Your mom is at the doctors. Please, just go get her.”
“I’m leaving now.”
Of course I dropped what I was doing and headed to town to pick up Iz. After hearing the story from the principal, Izzy came out of the office and walked with me to the truck. She said nothing as she buckled her seat belt. I started the engine, but didn’t put it into drive. “Are you going to tell me what happened?”
She shrugged her shoulders.
“Izzy, I’m not playing around. Tell me why you hit that boy. Now!”
She looked out the window and refused to answer me.
“When you get home, go straight to your room, young lady.”
I started driving and got halfway down the road before she spoke and it was nothing that I would have expected her to say. “I don’t have to listen to you. You’re a liar and you’re not my dad.”
She may as well have had an arrow and shot it straight through my heart. I was stunned, hearing her say something that would crush me, without any regard for my feelings.
It was difficult to continue driving with her sitting there, but I managed to make it to the house without losing it. “Get your little ass in your bedroom and don’t even think about coming out.”
She got out of the car and slammed the door. I waited until she went inside before covering my face and weeping like a small child. I couldn’t take much more and it had only just begun. I didn’t know how I was going to be able to look at her day after day and see that hate in her eyes. It would destroy me.
Chapter 22
Miranda
It was impossible to concentrate on styling someone’s hair when I knew that my daughter had been suspended from school. My hands were shaking, and more than anything, I worried about Ty having to pick her up.
She thought I didn’t notice her ignoring him earlier in the day. I wanted to scold her, but the boys were in the car, and Ty and I both thought it was best to leave them out of this. If things worked themselves out, they never had to know.
About an hour after I’d called Ty, he called me back. I should have known that she was going to be defiant.
“Hey, babe. Is she home? Did you find out what happened?”
“We’re home, and all the principal said was that she punched a boy because he said something she didn’t like.”
“Well, did you ask her about it?”
“Of course I did.”
“So what’s her excuse?”
“Baby, she’s ain’t talking to me. In fact, she said I wasn’t her dad and she didn’t have to listen to me. To be honest with you, I don’t know how much more of this I can take. I’ve never wanted to smack her ass, but when she acted like that, it was all I could do to keep from spanking her.”
I felt horrible hearing that not only had she not listened to Ty, but also that she’d been so hurtful to him. “I don’t care how upset she is about all of this. She has no right to treat you like this. You are her father, and this shit is not goin’ to fly. I have two more clients and then I’ll be home. Are you okay for now, or do I need to see if Amy can help me out?”
“She’s in her room. I told her not to show her face until you got home. The boy’s will be getting off the bus soon, and I’m going to keep them outside. The chicken coop out back hasn’t been cleaned in a week and it’s starting to smell. Once they collect the eggs, I’m getting on their asses about keeping up with it. You know they promised they would, and that’s why I agreed to let them get the damn things in the first place. I’ll be damned if I’m stuck with taking care of another one of their pets. I already have to take care of the dog when they forget to feed her or let her in at night.”
I could tell he was looking for reasons to bitch, to elude what was going on with Bella. Who could blame him? Besides, the kids did need to be more responsible. “I’ll be home as soon as I can. Don’t worry about dinner. I’ll make something.”
“I already put a roast in the crockpot.”
Bella hated roast and he knew it. “Well, that’s one way to piss her off.”
“Yeah, if she’s hungry she’ll eat it, won’t she?”
“Baby, I know you’re irritated. I’m so sorry for this.”
“Go back to work and just get home to me. Everything’s so much better when you’re here with me.”
“I’ll be home soon. I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Amy gave me a look when I hung up the phone. She had one client under the dryer, so we knew she wouldn’t be able to hear what we were saying. “How bad it is now?”
I sat in my chair and covered my face. “Girl, I don’t even know where to begin. Now she’s tellin’ him he’s not her father and she doesn’t have to listen to him. What am I supposed to do? I can’t believe this is happenin’ to us.” I couldn’t stop the tears from falling, and Amy was at my side in an instant, trying her best to be the supportive sister-in-law and best friend that she was.
“I can’t imagine what you’re going through.”
“It just sucks, because he loves her so much. I get that she’s pissed off, but how can she not think about the impact that he’s had on our lives? How can she look him in the eyes and say somethin’ like that, without regard for his feelin’s? He’s so torn up over this. He hasn’t been this upset since my accident.”
“Have you considered putting them into therapy together? You know there are doctors out there that work with families? They’d probably be able to help all three of you get through this.”
I nodded and wiped my eyes. “Yeah. I told her this mornin’ that I was going to call.”
Amy hugged me. “Conner and I are right down the road if you need anything. I don’t care what time it is. If you two need to walk away for a minute, you know where to go. If you need to ship her off to our house, just drop her butt at the door. I’m sure your brother would like to get his opinion in.”
I thought about Conner scorning Bella. She hated it almost as much as Ty and I telling her what to do. Conner always said that Bella got special treatment, so I was sure that he’d almost enjoy putting her in place. “That’s definitely an option. The way things are goin’, I might ship her to move in.”
“Miranda, it’s not going to get that bad. She’s rebelling. Bella’s hurt. She feels betrayed, and I think it especially hurts because she loves Ty so much. Sure, she’s saying and doing terrible things, but put yourself in her shoes. This isn’t about her becoming a bad child. It’s about not knowing how to cope with something so devastating.”
“I know. I just don’t know what to do.”
“Be patient. When she’s settled down, hopefully she’ll come to you. In the meantime, I’d call that doctor. You’re going to need someone who isn’t in the family to be the middl
e ground.”
My client walked in the door and we dropped the subject. I turned around to walk to the bathroom to make sure my tears hadn’t caused too much damaged on my eyes.
Once I came back out and started working, I focused on the task and tried not to think about how bad the night was going to be. As much as I wanted to be able to just cut this person’s hair, my mind kept going back to Bella and Ty. There had to be a way to find a common ground, before things got any worse.
I knew Ty, and him hearing her say that to him this morning had to have been awful. I wouldn’t have been able to handle it the way he had.
Then my mind went back to our wedding day, and that’s when I completely lost it. I thought back to Ty, getting down on one knee and including Bella in his vows. He’d promised to not just love me forever, but her as well. She may not have remembered that day, but it was something that I would never forget.
Ty hadn’t just been a good dad to Bella. He was amazing, never taking her for granted for a single second. He didn’t deserve any of this.
I placed my scissors down at my station and ran into the bathroom. My sobs could probably be heard by everyone, and when Amy came running in after me, I was sure of it.
She took me in her arms. “I knew I should have sent you home. Miranda, I’ll finish up your client. She’ll be fine about it. Get your things and go home to your husband and daughter. They need you so much, because you are the glue that holds everything together.
She was right. I had to be strong. My family’s future depended on it. “Okay. You’re right. I need to find a way to get through to her. We can’t be miserable like this forever. I won’t let it destroy everything we have. She doesn’t understand how lucky we are.”
Amy walked me out, and she’d been right about my client. After she stood up and hugged me, she reassured me that Amy could finish up. It wasn’t a big deal. I had to be grateful of my job and my partner. It didn’t hurt that she was also family.
Our houses were close enough that I didn’t have to walk to work, but I was lazy and chose to drive. Bella was in middle school and she hated to ride the bus, so after taking her in the mornings, I just drove right to the salon.
I pulled in next to Ty’s truck and saw him sitting on the porch of his mother’s house, which was located behind ours. They both waved, and I walked over toward them. Once I made it up the porch steps, I could see that they’d been having a heart to heart. Ty wasn’t crying, but he definitely was upset. His eyes were bloodshot and his mother looked equally devastated.
“I told you that you didn’t have to come home early.”
“Yes, I did. I couldn’t be there for another minute knowin’ how she’s actin’. I just came to tell you to give me some time alone with her. This crap ends here, today.”
Ty tried to smile, but I could tell he wasn’t convinced things would be resolved so easily. “I haven’t gone inside since we got home.”
“Her little ass better be in her room.”
“Miranda, don’t be too hard on her. She’s upset.”
“That is no excuse. Don’t sit there makin’ excuses for her breakin’ your heart, Ty. She’s not goin’ to keep actin’ like that.”
“Just don’t go overboard. She’s fragile.”
I shook my head and thought about him still looking out for her, considering everything that was going on. It made me angrier with her.
I walked into the house and saw her sitting at the kitchen table. She was on her IPad and it immediately pissed me off. I grabbed it off the table and tossed it on the counter. “There will be no electronics in your possession, young lady.”
“I was messagin’ Noah.”
“You and Noah are the reason that all of this is happenin’. What were you thinkin’ today, Bella? Why would you hit another person?”
“He made me mad.”
“You make me mad, but I don’t punch you in the face. This is goin’ to end, or you’re goin’ to be one miserable little girl, understand that! I’ve had it with you and the way you’re actin’. Do you have any idea how much you’ve hurt your father?”
She shrugged but wouldn’t look at me. The one thing I noticed was that she wasn’t emotional at all. Her face was empty.
“Isabella Mitchell, answer me.”
She crossed her arms. “I’m not a Mitchell.”
“The hell you aren’t.” I’d lost my cool, not that I really ever had it. “You are a Mitchell in every way. That man out there has been in your life since day one. How dare you take that from him? How could you be so cold? Yeah, we lied and made you think he was your birth father, but look at what he’s done for you. Half of your friends don’t have dads at all and you have one who goes above and beyond, day after day. That man out there would die for you. He’d do anything to make sure you want for nothin’. I get that you’re mad, but dammit Bella, look at what you’re doin’ to our family.”
She still wouldn’t speak to me. I was at a loss for words. She’d never been so defiant and I didn’t know what else to do. “You’re not goin’ to say anything?”
She still remained silent.
I pointed toward her bedroom. “Get in that room and don’t come out! You’re punished until I say you aren’t longer. No phone, no electronics and no television. You’re goin’ to learn to be respectful or you’ll be miserable forever.”
She stomped into her room and slammed the door. A part of me wanted to bust in and punish her more for that. Since I’d already taken away everything she loved, I didn’t have another thing to strip from her.
I sat down in the chair that she’d gotten up from and began to cry. This was all too much for me. I couldn’t believe that it wasn’t all a bad nightmare.
I’d never punished her like that, and it broke my heart into a million pieces to have to do it. I wondered, if this lie had ruined our perfect little girl forever.
Chapter 23
Tyler
Izzy never came out of her room for dinner, nor did she show her face for the rest of the night. It tore me up knowing she was right in the next room, but refused to make the initiative to work things out with me.
We ate in silence, even the boys aware that something was wrong, even though they just didn’t know what. The last thing I wanted was for them to find out about Izzy. I didn’t care how this all turned out. To me, and anyone else that I knew, she was mine. She could be pissed and never talk to me again, but she’d still be my daughter.
Miranda was going a little overboard with the support. She was waiting on me as if I’d lost a limb and couldn’t move. It only made me aware of the situation more, instead of helping me through it. She meant well, so I didn’t have the heart to ask her to stop. Besides, she needed to keep busy to distract herself.
By the time we’d tucked the boys into bed, they couldn’t hold in their curiosity. I put the covers over Jax and he sat up in bed. “Dad, what’s wrong with Bella? Is she sick or somethin’?”
“She’s not feeling like herself.”
“Can she play tomorrow?”
“We’ll see, buddy.”
As unfortunate as it was, days passed and Izzy refused to associate with me. Day after day she’d go to school, come home, and stay locked in her room. Finally, after a week, Miranda got us an appointment with a counselor that specialized in family issues.
I would have liked to solve everything without having to bring someone else into the mix, but we were at a last resort. Izzy refused to talk to me, to look at me, or to even be in the same room as me.
She’d even stopped associating with the rest of the family and totally shut down. Our appointment was in the morning, so the three of us got into the car and headed on our way. It was the first time in weeks that we were in such a confined space. None of us talked.
Once we got inside of the office, I felt nervous. It hurt coming clean the first time, and not knowing what this doctor was going to expect from me was nerve wracking.
She took me and Miranda in first
, sitting us side by side. We held hands as we waited for the questions to begin.
The doctor wrote down some notes before looking up at us. It was a woman, who looked like she was in her fifties. Her hair was gray and down to her shoulders. She wore wide rimmed black glasses that sat low on the bridge of her nose. “I’m doctor Pritchett. It’s nice to meet you both. I understand you’re in here today because you’re having some issues at home. Can you tell me about them?”
Miranda and I took turns, starting at the beginning when she’d first become pregnant, all the way until present day. We didn’t talk about how we obtained illegal paternity papers, but just that my name was added to the birth certificate as the father.
She took notes the whole time we talked, and I felt like I was on trial instead of being helped.
“I’d like to talk to Isabella, if that’s alright with you two?”
We got up and Miranda went out, letting Izzy know that it was her turn.
After only ten minutes, the doctor came out and got us to join them. We sat there, staring forward and waiting for her to magically make us a happy family again.
“I’d like to see you all the same time next week. Would that work for you?”
I looked at Miranda and shook my head. “I knew this was a waste of time.”
Before I could get up and walk out of the room, my wife grabbed my hand. “Ty, wait!”
I turned, sighed and stood there. “For what? We’ve sat here and told her everything and now she wants to see us next week.”
“Actually, sir, I was going to suggest some exercises that you could do together at home.” I turned around to see that she’d handed Miranda a printout of paper. “The three of you have just been through something traumatic. I know it isn’t life threatening, like some things could be, but it’s important to understand that something like this takes time to get through. Isabella, excuse me, Bella, has a lot to take in. We’ve only spoke briefly, but I can see that she’s angry. The exercises that I’m asking you to do are easy. It requires you both to spend fifteen minutes alone with her, in which you are expected to ask one question at a time, until the allotted fifteen minutes are up. You don’t have to do them back to back. One of you can do it in the morning and one before, or however it works best for you. You’re not the only family that’s going through a crisis and everything is fixable as long as you can be patient with each other. Restoring things back to normal is going to take both understanding and forgiveness. I want you to head home and work on this every day. We’ll talk about progress next week.”
Loving Her (Mitchell Family Series BK9) Page 13