one night three sheets to the wind. I’d been sitting in the kitchen in the dark waiting for him, getting madder with each hour that went by. And when I heard him drive in and went outside in time to see him stumble out of his truck, I decided I’d had enough.”
“And the two of you got into a fight?”
“I stood blocking the door and said he wasn’t coming into the house in the condition he was in. I told him I was sick and tired of his staying out until three in the morning at least four nights a week, stumbling upstairs and falling into bed, and then sleeping all day. And yeah, I guess you could say it turned into a fight. He got all belligerent, said some nasty things, and tried to shove his way past me.” She took a shuddering breath. “I said some nasty things back and grabbed his arm to stop him from going inside.”
She lifted her hand to her cheek. “I don’t think he intended to hit me; he just lashed out trying to make me let go of him. But his hand caught me on the side of my face, and it felt as if my head exploded. I staggered back, groping for the porch railing, but I missed and fell down the steps.”
“Was he at least sorry he hit you?” Eve asked.
Maddy gaped at her. “He was drunk. And since I was no longer blocking the door, he stumbled into the house and went to bed.”
Eve took hold of her hand. “Maddy, why didn’t you tell us Rick was getting out of control? Kenzie could have talked to him for you.”
Maddy stood up, walked to the mirror, and started dabbing concealer on what was left of her bruise. “Rick is my problem, not yours and Kenzie’s. I’m dealing with it.” She sighed. “He only started drinking in the last couple of months, really; before then it was just occasional high school parties. But once he graduated, he suddenly stopped working on old man Henderson’s fishing boat and started staying out several nights a week and coming home drunk. It’s been getting worse the closer he gets to leaving for college. I think he’s sort of scared, you know? But he’ll relax once he adjusts.” She smiled sheepishly. “Then again, maybe I’m the one who should relax—I never should have confronted him like that.”
“Don’t you dare make this sound like it’s your fault! Did he at least apologize?”
“No, because I think when he saw my face and that I was limping, he was too ashamed to say anything. He still goes out most nights, but he hasn’t come home falling-down drunk since.”
“He’s the one who needs a good slap in the face,” Eve hissed, coming to stand beside her. “He hit you, and then he pretends it never even happened.”
“He’s just a kid, Eve.”
“He’s almost twenty . If he’s big enough to flatten his sister, he should be man enough to apologize. And he should be working instead of sleeping all day.”
“He helps out on the docks once in a while for gas and spending money.”
“He should be contributing to the household.”
“I’m handling it,” Maddy growled, tossing the makeup onto the vanity, only to be instantly contrite. “I’m sorry. I know you’re just trying to help.”
“Because I love you. And because it’s killing me to see you running around with a huge smile on your face all the time, when you’re barely holding it together inside. When was the last time you did something just for yourself?” Eve gestured at her head. “You have what’s-her-name at the nursing home cut your hair because you won’t even take the time to drive to Oak Harbor and go to a real salon.”
“Elvira is a good stylist.”
“And the only new outfit I’ve seen you buy in the six months since I moved back is a new set of scrubs for work.”
“Oh, please,” Maddy said, rolling her eyes. “You’ve been watching too many Oprah shows. I do not have martyr’s syndrome; I just don’t have time to do my nails and put cucumbers on my eyes and sip mint juleps.”
She took a step back when Eve’s expression suddenly turned .
“And the two of you got into a fight?”
“I stood blocking the door and said he wasn’t coming into the house in the condition he was in. I told him I was sick and tired of his staying out until three in the morning at least four nights a week, stumbling upstairs and falling into bed, and then sleeping all day. And yeah, I guess you could say it turned into a fight. He got all belligerent, said some nasty things, and tried to shove his way past me.” She took a shuddering breath. “I said some nasty things back and grabbed his arm to stop him from going inside.”
She lifted her hand to her cheek. “I don’t think he intended to hit me; he just lashed out trying to make me let go of him. But his hand caught me on the side of my face, and it felt as if my head exploded. I staggered back, groping for the porch railing, but I missed and fell down the steps.”
“Was he at least sorry he hit you?” Eve asked.
Maddy gaped at her. “He was drunk. And since I was no longer blocking the door, he stumbled into the house and went to bed.”
Eve took hold of her hand. “Maddy, why didn’t you tell us Rick was getting out of control? Kenzie could have talked to him for you.”
Maddy stood up, walked to the mirror, and started dabbing concealer on what was left of her bruise. “Rick is my problem, not yours and Kenzie’s. I’m dealing with it.” She sighed. “He only started drinking in the last couple of months, really; before then it was just occasional high school parties. But once he graduated, he suddenly stopped working on old man Henderson’s fishing boat and started staying out several nights a week and coming home drunk. It’s been getting worse the closer he gets to leaving for college. I think he’s sort of scared, you know? But he’ll relax once he adjusts.” She smiled sheepishly. “Then again, maybe I’m the one who should relax—I never should have confronted him like that.”
“Don’t you dare make this sound like it’s your fault! Did he at least apologize?”
“No, because I think when he saw my face and that I was limping, he was too ashamed to say anything. He still goes out most nights, but he hasn’t come home falling-down drunk since.”
“He’s the one who needs a good slap in the face,” Eve hissed, coming to stand beside her. “He hit you, and then he pretends it never even happened.”
“He’s just a kid, Eve.”
“He’s almost twenty . If he’s big enough to flatten his sister, he should be man enough to apologize. And he should be working instead of sleeping all day.”
“He helps out on the docks once in a while for gas and spending money.”
“He should be contributing to the household.”
“I’m handling it,” Maddy growled, tossing the makeup onto the vanity, only to be instantly contrite. “I’m sorry. I know you’re just trying to help.”
“Because I love you. And because it’s killing me to see you running around with a huge smile on your face all the time, when you’re barely holding it together inside. When was the last time you did something just for yourself?” Eve gestured at her head. “You have what’s-her-name at the nursing home cut your hair because you won’t even take the time to drive to Oak Harbor and go to a real salon.”
“Elvira is a good stylist.”
“And the only new outfit I’ve seen you buy in the six months since I moved back is a new set of scrubs for work.”
“Oh, please,” Maddy said, rolling her eyes. “You’ve been watching too many Oprah shows. I do not have martyr’s syndrome; I just don’t have time to do my nails and put cucumbers on my eyes and sip mint juleps.”
She took a step back when Eve’s expression suddenly turned .
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