Trying To Heal

Chapter Twenty

April

Rose is on the floor, playing with her Barbie dolls. The TV is streaming an episode of Vampire Diaries, and Malli and I are arguing.

"Stefan is hotter!"

Dad is laying on a sofa, his head on Mum's lap as she scrolls on her phone.

If I have known Ethan was gay earlier on, we would have more good-natured debates on this.

"None of them are."

I gasp. "Your taste is weird."

Ethan rakes me up and down. "Coming from the girl who's first boyfriend was trash."

"Hey!"

"Lying is a sin, Akki."

Dad flutters his eyes open. "Heston is in jail, yes?"

Ethan nods. "Wallbank Hill. It was where Bodie Banks was killed. You know what, that prison guard should have killed Roy instead."

I stare at Dad. "Dad, don't even think about it."

"Think about what?"

Mum's fingers rapidly tap the screen of her phone. "Do not go there and intimidate Roy."

"You think a grown man has time for that?" He casually smirks.

Dad does not care what other people think. One time, years ago, I was bullied by a group of boys for, again and as expected, my looks. They occasionally vandalised our house with eggs. I eventually told Dad what was going on and the next time that group of boys decided to mess with him, he rampaged out of the house holding a gun. They pissed their pants and ran away.

Dad does not accept shit.

"Dad—"

He ponders, "I haven't seen him since the day he took you on your first date."

"He's not worth it," I argue. "Please. He left my life ages ago and you doing that is only going to bring him back."

Dad considers. "I quite enjoy putting puny dickheads in their place—"

Mum cuts him off with a sharp glare.

Dad sighs, folding an arm behind his head. "Fine. Be boring. What time is Derek coming?"

Rose's head lifts up at the mention of his name. "Derek?"

On cue, the doorbell resonates.

I stand. "That's probably him."

I walk to the entrance. Rose rushes to her feet and sprints past me, squealing his name. "Derek! Derek!"

I open the door, the sharp wintry winds of a close Christmas whacking me so fiercely, my whole body trembles in a rough shiver.

"Derek!" exclaims Rose, clapping her hands in excitement.

The dark-haired young man smiles down at her, reflecting, "Rose!"

He spreads out his arms. Rose happily walks into them. He fluently hoists her to his hip and the little baby curls her chubby arms around his neck. The interaction warms my chest. Two small, large bodies of blackness appear at his sides, their tongues out, lowering onto their bottoms and gaping up at their owner. Rose peers down, gasping, "Puppies!"

"I brought them for you," says Derek.

"What do you say, Nanga?" I feel Dad stopping behind me, his hands on my shoulders.

"Thank you," says Rose, her incoherent pronunciations making me melt even more.

I would have expected Derek to react the same, although he is more focused on my Father. He nods in recognition. "Captain."