Chapter 5
Melbourne had made up a job for Allen just so he could keep an eye on him during the day. If he could have had him working later in the evening, he would have done that too, but right now, he was working out better than he thought that he would.
The job was simple enough. He was to walk up and down each street and tell him if the house was empty or not.
Then, if it was, had anyone put a sign in the yard to tell if there was a realtor involved.
He did need the information, but he could have done it himself.
This way, Allen wasn’t stuck in the house all day with Belinda, and he thought that the man was enjoying himself.
Yesterday, Sammy had gotten him a cell phone, and he thought that the man was going to cry; he’d been so happy about it.
After showing him how to program the numbers in of himself and Sammy, he put it in his pocket but kept checking to make sure it was there.
When he went into prison, cell phones hadn’t been as big a deal as they were now, and he wondered if he’d ever had one.
Thinking that he’d not, he decided to make sure that he knew how to answer it, too, if someone called him.
Today, Sammy was bringing by her sister to talk to their father, and he was worried about how that would go.
Justine was just too stressed for her to find any enjoyment in meeting up with her father, and he worried about her health.
But Sammy knew her sister better than he did, so he tried his best not to be involved in what she had going on.
At a quarter to noon, both women showed up, and he was glad that he’d had Allen pick up lunch on his way into the office today.
It would be a good meeting, he hoped, and he’d be there if things got out of hand.
He met the other man at the door when he saw him walking toward the building. He warned him that both his daughters were there, and he stood stiff as a board without saying a word to him. The look on his face was very telling.
“It’s all right, Allen. We’re all going to have lunch together and have some fun.” He just stared at him. “I’ll be right here if anything goes wrong.”
“Don’t kill me if it doesn’t. I want to talk to them both, so if you could not kill me when something happens, I’d appreciate that.
” Melbourne said that he wasn’t going to kill him over a stressful meeting.
“I hope not. I’m about as stressed out as I’ve ever been in my life.
Just…I don’t know, will you help me get through this? ”
“I promise that I will. Just be yourself and you’ll be fine.
” He was beginning to really like the other man and was glad that he was working for him.
Now, if he could get Belinda a job too, then he thought that they’d be well on their way to making something of their life.
He was still working on what she could do today.
Allen said she’d take just about anything that he offered her, but he wasn’t so sure.
He’d caught some glimpses of the real Belinda just this morning when he’d seen her out and about alone.
The four of them sat at the conference table just outside his office, and he began handing out the food.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I got French fries as well.
They were having a special on combos, so I got us all one. ”
“I love French fries. Especially the shoestring style that they have there.” He could have kissed Sammy for her trying to make everyone relax. “I’ve been looking forward to this all day. Haven’t you, Justine?”
“I don’t know.” She glanced at her father, then away to her sister. “Are you sure he’s not going to hurt me? They always acted like they were nice until we were alone with them. Are you sure I’m going to be all right?”
“You’re going to be fine, I promise.” She looked at him, and he smiled. “Dad, why don’t you tell us about your job. Melbourne said that you’ve been doing a good job by finding the empty buildings that might need to come down.”
“I’ve been walking the streets with a little map and marking the houses that have been left abandoned.
Like the one that we’re living in right now.
It has running water, so it’s not so bad, but in the winter months, it’s going to be difficult to stay warm.
I’m hoping that I can save up enough money to rent one of them.
” Allen handed the ketchup to Justine, and she nearly jumped up when he accidentally touched her fingers.
He looked at Melbourne. “She’s just nervous that I’m going to hurt her.
I don’t blame her much; I’ve been a terrible father to them both. ”
“You really were, and I don’t understand how you think I’m just going to be all right with you doing it again.
” He told Justine that he’d never harm her at all.
Never again. “I’ve heard about people saying that, but it’s been too long since you’ve been around.
What made you change into someone nice?”
“That’s a fair question. I talked to a priest while I was in prison, and he told me that I couldn’t be a better man unless I lived in your shoes for a while.
I didn’t know what he meant, and I didn’t take him all that seriously at first, but after a while, he wore me down into thinking and knowing that what I’d done to you two was the worst kind of thing to have done. ”
“You really did. And I’m not going to just jump right back to where we were either.
You were cruel and hateful to us both. It took me a long time to be able to be by myself without jumping out of my skin every time someone came too close to me.
” He said he was sorry. “That doesn’t cut it.
I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to do something more than just say that you’re sorry.
You’re going to have to prove that you’ve become a changed man.
” She stood up. “I’m sorry. I’m not ready for this right now.
” Allen stood up as well and put up both his hands when she backed away from him.
“I just need a chance, Justine. A chance to prove to you both that I’m not the same person that I was before.
And I’ll do whatever it takes to make you believe me.
Just tell me what it is you want from me.
” She said that she didn’t know. “I can understand that. I do. I’ll just keep trying until you’re ready to forgive.
If not forgive me, then at least give me a second chance in this life. ”
“I’ll try.” She sat back down and stared at her dad.
“I don’t know what to do with all these feelings and emotions that you’ve brought up by being this close to me.
I’ve been dealing with this since I was a child, and I can’t just turn it off.
You’ve had a long time to forgive yourself, but I’ve not. ”
“I’m going to do my best to make sure you feel safe around me.
I’m going to tell you every day that I love you, too.
And that I’ll beg for your forgiveness from now on.
” She didn’t say anything, and Melbourne thought that was very telling for her.
“I’m sorrier than I’ve ever been about what happened between us.
You’ve no idea how angry I get at myself for not being a good father.
Or at least one you could trust not to harm you when you’re around me. ”
“I’ll work on it on my end as well. Just don’t expect me to be able to just jump right in and be the daughter I could have been.
You were never nice to us. You were a terrible father.
I can tell that you’re working on this, but I’m going to need time.
” He told her to take as much time as she needed, and he’d be there for her.
Melbourne could tell that she was trying to believe him, but it had been just too many years with him being the man that he’d been before prison.
“I just need time. If you could give me that, I’ll work on trusting you not to hurt me. Not just physically but mentally too.”
“I understand.” Allen wiped at the tears that were streaming down his cheeks. “I promise you that I’ll be a good father and better man than I was. I won’t do you any harm at all. On that, you have my word.”
The rest of lunch was everyone talking. He could tell that Justine was making an effort to include her father in her conversations, but she was slightly stiff and sometimes had to take several deep breaths before she spoke to him.
All in all, Melbourne thought it was a good first time for them getting together, and he couldn’t wait to see it when they got to the point where they were all getting along.
It was Sammy who talked about their mother.
“I honestly don’t know what sort of person she’s going to be.” Justine asked their dad what he meant. “She’s still bitter about being put into prison. I don’t know that she’s going to be able to sit with us without losing her temper. As you might remember, it’s quite a temper she had on her.”
“She’ll either be nice or she’ll be cut off from seeing us.
We will fight back now, we’re adults and know how to protect ourselves.
” Their dad only nodded and said they’d see.
“You think she’ll want to hurt us again?
You know physical hurts aren’t as bad as verbal ones.
And I won’t put up with mental hurts either.
She can just go fuck herself if that’s the way she’s going to be. ”
Allen said that he didn’t know what was in her mind, but Melbourne did.
He didn’t need a connection to her to be able to read her mind, and at this moment, all she was thinking about was how to get a nice home from her children, as well as money enough that she wouldn’t have to do without.
Even as they all sat there, Belinda was thinking that she’d bully Justine into what she wanted, as she wasn’t as strong as Sammy.
He didn’t think that that would bode well for her, Belinda or not.