Family Ties

” He lifted the pistol. “With a deadly weapon.”

I looked at him in genuine confusion. After a moment I wiped blood from my brow and cheek. It didn’t show any signs of stopping, and I already felt a throbbing ache behind my eye.

“No,” I snapped irritably, “I don’t want to call the police.”

He twitched an eyebrow.

“I… might’ve deserved it.”

“You can say that again. What were you thinking? Never mind. I can guess.”

I squared my shoulders and looked him in the eye. “Nothing happened.

We fell asleep. That’s all.

“Even if that’s true, you’ve put me in an awkward position, son. You understand that, don’t you?”

“Yes, sir. I’m sorry. I’ll leave if you want me to.”

“And what if I ask you to stop seeing my daughter?”

“We both know you won’t.”

He shook his head in frustration. “You and your damned logic.”

“I’m so mad right now I wouldn’t know logic if it bit me in the ass.”

“No, I suppose you wouldn’t. But you’re right, I won’t ask you to stop seeing Birdy.

The door to the house opened. He grew angry but then relaxed when he saw who it was.

“Is everything all right?” Anne asked.

Christy appeared behind her. Her eyes widened when she saw the blood.

“Harold, he’s hurt,” Anne said. She turned to her daughter. “Go get the first aid kit. And an old towel. The bottle of peroxide, too.”

Christy turned and ran into the house with a flash of red flannel.

“Me?” he said. “I’m fine. Just thinking through my options.

“Why don’t you talk to Rich? He was packing his things. I don’t think he should leave.”

“You’re right,” Harold said. He looked down at the pistol. Then he looked at me. “Son, I don’t think you understand how close you came…” He took a calming breath and let it out slowly. “Rich is very dangerous. He’s highly trained and capable of…” He gestured at my bleeding face. “Well, violence.”

“With all due respect, son,” he said with a healthy dose of irony, “you’re bleeding and he isn’t.

I started to say something sarcastic but thought better of it. “Yes, sir,” I said instead. “And I’m sorry.”

Anne didn’t clear her throat. She didn’t make a sound, in fact.

He almost ran into Christy on his way into the house.

She looked at him fearfully and then glanced at me.

Anne told me to sit down as Christy handed her the first aid kit.