but—”
Ian silenced her with a movement of his hand and the look of disgust on his face. “This is not about a shopping spree! Each one of you will set a goal for your lives, something you are going to work on. Everyone will shape up here and pull their own weight! We’ll keep this house clean and organized. There will be no more staying out late or all night.”
“What?” Stacy asked.
“I’ll work with each of you on your goals and together we will achieve them,” Ian said.
“I have a goal, Daddy!” Stacy said with a smile and a giggle.
Ian nodded.
“I want to earn enough money as soon as possible so I can spend next summer in Europe with my friends,” the teen said.
Ian looked at her. She’s just not getting it. He opened his mouth, then shut it again. How do I explain self-improvement to someone who only wants more and more stuff? “Stacy,” he said with a patronizing smile, “this exercise is about improving yourself.”
“Yes, I want to improve myself in Europe next summer.”
“How? What will you do there?”
“I’ll hang out with my friends, of course, Daddy! And make new ones. And do fun things!”
Ian sighed and leaned against the wall. He remembered Stacy when she was six. She struggled with math then - didn’t see the point of it. Just wanted to play with dolls. What do I do with her then? If I don’t find something productive for her to do, she’ll end up pregnant at nineteen, or younger, like her mother.
Candy turned away from the window and looked at Jack. “This family doesn’t need self-improvement, Ian. It needs something you can’t give it.”
Ian furrowed his brow at her.
“It needs acceptance,” Candy continued, “for who and what it is.”
“I know who and what this family is,” Ian said. “It’s my family. I’m the father here. I know these things.” He held his hands out in front of him in a gesture of exasperation. “Get to the point.”
“The point?” she said with a smirk. “Okay. This is your family? Wrong. Michael and Stacy are not yours. You’re not their father.”
***
Ian stared at her. “That’s ridicu—”
“Larry is their father.”
Stacy gasped. “Larry is my dad?” Her eyes turned red, she shook her head and covered her mouth. Tears poured down her cheeks and she crossed her legs.
Candy nodded. “Jack is yours, though. He was an accident.”
Ian thought back to college, to his relationship with Candy. Larry was around then, that was true. He looked up at Candy. “Michael…?”
“Yes,” Candy said.
“But I—” Ian started.
Candy nodded faster now. “I know. Larry wouldn’t take responsibility for the baby. I was alone. You were a nice guy. I knew you would do the right thing.”
“The right thing? The right thing!” Ian yelled. “I gave up my career for you and Michael. I gave up my studies.”
She looked up at him, her eyes pink. “What can I say?”
Jack walked over to his father and hugged his leg. He looked up at the man with an expression of empathy.
“Oh yeah, sure, Jack,” Stacy said, “play it up now, you’re his only real child.” She sobbed. “Just when I get a dad who loves me and can actually show it!”
Ian felt himself wobble. He took a seat at the kitchen table facing them. He laid his head on the table and the tears leaked out as he tried to make sense of what Candy was saying.
Jack sat down next to him and looked at him. Ian felt the boy’s eyes on him.
He needs reassurance now. But the thoughts jumbled into Ian’s head too fast for him to act on any of them.
Michael and Stacy are not mine. They’re Larry’s kids. His mind wandered to Larry groping his daughter but he quickly pushed these images away.
It was possible. Larry hung around us from day one. He was always there. Candy. Unfaithful. The thought struck him with overarching certainty. Candy was out of his life. He was done with her. This latest episode wasn’t some aberration due to his own weakness. This was
Ian silenced her with a movement of his hand and the look of disgust on his face. “This is not about a shopping spree! Each one of you will set a goal for your lives, something you are going to work on. Everyone will shape up here and pull their own weight! We’ll keep this house clean and organized. There will be no more staying out late or all night.”
“What?” Stacy asked.
“I’ll work with each of you on your goals and together we will achieve them,” Ian said.
“I have a goal, Daddy!” Stacy said with a smile and a giggle.
Ian nodded.
“I want to earn enough money as soon as possible so I can spend next summer in Europe with my friends,” the teen said.
Ian looked at her. She’s just not getting it. He opened his mouth, then shut it again. How do I explain self-improvement to someone who only wants more and more stuff? “Stacy,” he said with a patronizing smile, “this exercise is about improving yourself.”
“Yes, I want to improve myself in Europe next summer.”
“How? What will you do there?”
“I’ll hang out with my friends, of course, Daddy! And make new ones. And do fun things!”
Ian sighed and leaned against the wall. He remembered Stacy when she was six. She struggled with math then - didn’t see the point of it. Just wanted to play with dolls. What do I do with her then? If I don’t find something productive for her to do, she’ll end up pregnant at nineteen, or younger, like her mother.
Candy turned away from the window and looked at Jack. “This family doesn’t need self-improvement, Ian. It needs something you can’t give it.”
Ian furrowed his brow at her.
“It needs acceptance,” Candy continued, “for who and what it is.”
“I know who and what this family is,” Ian said. “It’s my family. I’m the father here. I know these things.” He held his hands out in front of him in a gesture of exasperation. “Get to the point.”
“The point?” she said with a smirk. “Okay. This is your family? Wrong. Michael and Stacy are not yours. You’re not their father.”
***
Ian stared at her. “That’s ridicu—”
“Larry is their father.”
Stacy gasped. “Larry is my dad?” Her eyes turned red, she shook her head and covered her mouth. Tears poured down her cheeks and she crossed her legs.
Candy nodded. “Jack is yours, though. He was an accident.”
Ian thought back to college, to his relationship with Candy. Larry was around then, that was true. He looked up at Candy. “Michael…?”
“Yes,” Candy said.
“But I—” Ian started.
Candy nodded faster now. “I know. Larry wouldn’t take responsibility for the baby. I was alone. You were a nice guy. I knew you would do the right thing.”
“The right thing? The right thing!” Ian yelled. “I gave up my career for you and Michael. I gave up my studies.”
She looked up at him, her eyes pink. “What can I say?”
Jack walked over to his father and hugged his leg. He looked up at the man with an expression of empathy.
“Oh yeah, sure, Jack,” Stacy said, “play it up now, you’re his only real child.” She sobbed. “Just when I get a dad who loves me and can actually show it!”
Ian felt himself wobble. He took a seat at the kitchen table facing them. He laid his head on the table and the tears leaked out as he tried to make sense of what Candy was saying.
Jack sat down next to him and looked at him. Ian felt the boy’s eyes on him.
He needs reassurance now. But the thoughts jumbled into Ian’s head too fast for him to act on any of them.
Michael and Stacy are not mine. They’re Larry’s kids. His mind wandered to Larry groping his daughter but he quickly pushed these images away.
It was possible. Larry hung around us from day one. He was always there. Candy. Unfaithful. The thought struck him with overarching certainty. Candy was out of his life. He was done with her. This latest episode wasn’t some aberration due to his own weakness. This was
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