up and walk away, or if he actually wants to have this conversation with me.
"He's not your dad," he repeats.
I guess he wants to go there, so I turn back. "A father is the person who cares for you when you're young. That guy, as you call him, is my father. And even if I was Fiona, and I'm not, it would never change the way I feel about him. That man is my father and I love him. And my mother's name is Sophia, she's been my mother since I was seven, and I love her too. I love them so much, just talking about them right now is a struggle. And all you guys care about is making me fit back into this family as Fiona. You do not care one bit that he is hurting, that Sophia is hurting, or that I am hurting. You guys dragged me through court to get your way, you forced me to come here against my will, you won't even let me call him and explain that I am so sorry this is happening."
He stares at me as I begin to cry, but I can tell my words are affecting him. "What can I do to make it easier, then? Just tell me. What can I do?"
I swoop in and make my request. "Let me talk to him in secret. Please."
He's already shaking his head before the last word is out of my mouth.
"Please, Sean. If you take me to town and help me make a secret phone call, I will participate in the family stuff, OK? I'll ride the horses, and do the chores, and show up for dinner every night at seven. Just, please !"
"I don't know…"
He's wavering so I make my move. "Just think about it, OK? I'll be good today, I'll do everything right, and I'll show you how much nicer I can make it be for everyone. But if I do this, then you have to help me."
He sits in silence as he thinks it over.
"Because if you refuse, I can get Brody Mason to help me. I'll go behind your back and I'll still get my way, but you will not get yours."
"Fiona, if Frank finds out I helped you talk to him he'll be crushed. And maybe Frank is a total asshole most of the time, but he's still my dad and maybe you think he doesn't care, but he does. He's reliving the whole kidnapping thing all over again and it's killing him. And the fact that you deny him is making it worse."
"Then see? I'll be nice if you help me with this one thing. I'll even try to fit in with Frank. It's a win-win, right? Win-win."
He looks out my window and whispers, "When?"
I have to contain my squeal of excitement. "Today, after we have a Fruit Roll-Up lunch with Brody. We can go into town and buy a card from the store and go to a pay phone and I'll make one very quick five-minute call and I promise, I'll be nice to everyone for the whole summer."
"I'm not having lunch with Brody Mason," he says with disgust.
"Good. We don't want you to come anyway. You can just drop me off at noon and pick me up at one."
He sneers. "Nice try. OK, I'll do it, but you have to do chores with Aimee this morning, show up for breakfast at eight, and then help Lindsey with her lessons in the back arena until it's time for lunch with Brody. I'll go over there with you to make Frank and Angela happy, and then we'll take a little trip into the next town over and buy the card, so no one says anything to Frank."
I sit up and hug him. Fiercely. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are my favorite brother, ever!"
Even though I can tell he's trying to pretend this doesn't make him happy, I find the happiness.
And for a moment I feel a little guilty. That these people love me because they think I'm their long-lost Fiona. But his arms come up and hug me back and all that melts away too. Because I have to admit, Sean's protective brotherly embrace is filled with something I like.
Chapter Twenty - Francesca
Sean lets me borrow another pair of jeans for my Brody lunch after a small argument. I wear yesterday's pair for chores and lessons with Lindsey. He doesn't understand why I can't just wear Angela's jeans.
Angela's jeans. Seriously, that's not even a valid question. She's old. That's like me wearing Sophia's jeans. Those high-riding
"He's not your dad," he repeats.
I guess he wants to go there, so I turn back. "A father is the person who cares for you when you're young. That guy, as you call him, is my father. And even if I was Fiona, and I'm not, it would never change the way I feel about him. That man is my father and I love him. And my mother's name is Sophia, she's been my mother since I was seven, and I love her too. I love them so much, just talking about them right now is a struggle. And all you guys care about is making me fit back into this family as Fiona. You do not care one bit that he is hurting, that Sophia is hurting, or that I am hurting. You guys dragged me through court to get your way, you forced me to come here against my will, you won't even let me call him and explain that I am so sorry this is happening."
He stares at me as I begin to cry, but I can tell my words are affecting him. "What can I do to make it easier, then? Just tell me. What can I do?"
I swoop in and make my request. "Let me talk to him in secret. Please."
He's already shaking his head before the last word is out of my mouth.
"Please, Sean. If you take me to town and help me make a secret phone call, I will participate in the family stuff, OK? I'll ride the horses, and do the chores, and show up for dinner every night at seven. Just, please !"
"I don't know…"
He's wavering so I make my move. "Just think about it, OK? I'll be good today, I'll do everything right, and I'll show you how much nicer I can make it be for everyone. But if I do this, then you have to help me."
He sits in silence as he thinks it over.
"Because if you refuse, I can get Brody Mason to help me. I'll go behind your back and I'll still get my way, but you will not get yours."
"Fiona, if Frank finds out I helped you talk to him he'll be crushed. And maybe Frank is a total asshole most of the time, but he's still my dad and maybe you think he doesn't care, but he does. He's reliving the whole kidnapping thing all over again and it's killing him. And the fact that you deny him is making it worse."
"Then see? I'll be nice if you help me with this one thing. I'll even try to fit in with Frank. It's a win-win, right? Win-win."
He looks out my window and whispers, "When?"
I have to contain my squeal of excitement. "Today, after we have a Fruit Roll-Up lunch with Brody. We can go into town and buy a card from the store and go to a pay phone and I'll make one very quick five-minute call and I promise, I'll be nice to everyone for the whole summer."
"I'm not having lunch with Brody Mason," he says with disgust.
"Good. We don't want you to come anyway. You can just drop me off at noon and pick me up at one."
He sneers. "Nice try. OK, I'll do it, but you have to do chores with Aimee this morning, show up for breakfast at eight, and then help Lindsey with her lessons in the back arena until it's time for lunch with Brody. I'll go over there with you to make Frank and Angela happy, and then we'll take a little trip into the next town over and buy the card, so no one says anything to Frank."
I sit up and hug him. Fiercely. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are my favorite brother, ever!"
Even though I can tell he's trying to pretend this doesn't make him happy, I find the happiness.
And for a moment I feel a little guilty. That these people love me because they think I'm their long-lost Fiona. But his arms come up and hug me back and all that melts away too. Because I have to admit, Sean's protective brotherly embrace is filled with something I like.
Chapter Twenty - Francesca
Sean lets me borrow another pair of jeans for my Brody lunch after a small argument. I wear yesterday's pair for chores and lessons with Lindsey. He doesn't understand why I can't just wear Angela's jeans.
Angela's jeans. Seriously, that's not even a valid question. She's old. That's like me wearing Sophia's jeans. Those high-riding
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