48. Knock Down, Drag Out
48
KNOCK DOWN, DRAG OUT
Mara
I could feel my control slipping, anger rising like a storm I had no power to quell. Did he really want to start this fight here , of all places—right outside Don Ross’s hospital room? Wasn’t there a shred of compassion in him, or was it always going to be his way?
I glanced away, trying to calm down. That’s when I spotted Ford standing in the doorway. I could tell he’d heard what my dad had said.
I knew he’d come to my aid at the slightest indication that I wanted him. In fact, he seemed to be restraining himself. I gave him a very subtle head shake to let him know I wanted to handle this on my own.
His posture eased, ever so slightly, letting me know he’d understood.
I turned my attention back to Dad. I could hardly believe he was using this moment to attack me, right when I was the most emotionally vulnerable. With the movie’s financing falling through and then the call about Ford’s dad, I was reeling from a one-two punch.
My father was a doctor. He should know how worried and upset we all were. That didn’t seem to matter though. Dad bulldozed ahead. Apparently, what he wanted right now was all that mattered.
I tried to tap into my inner reserves of calm. It took a gargantuan effort, but I managed to pull myself back from the brink of a freakout. “We’re standing outside Don Ross’s hospital room. Do we really have to talk about this right now?”
Judging by Dad’s panicked, glassy-eyed expression, my words didn’t register with him. He wasn’t simply angry, he was freaking out. My father was completely losing his vaunted self-control.
“I told you this whole movie thing was a fluke,” he said, his voice rising.
The word “fluke” hit me like a slap in the face. Now I could hear how cruel it really was. Cruel and painful—and completely untrue.
“Of course, the investors backed out,” he continued. “They knew Ghost would flop, just like I predicted. What will you do now?” He stepped into my space to press his point. “Your plan to prop up your brother’s ridiculous dreams is going to hold you down for the rest of your life, and you only have yourself to blame. You gave up on Stel-Wood so you could follow through with that childish comic book store idea, and now you’re going to double down on your decision, even though Ghost of a Chance is failing. Are you crazy?”
I could hear the fear in Dad’s panicked voice. Fear for me—fear for my future. I had to admit, I was afraid too. Maybe part of me understood that, but understanding didn’t stop the surge of anger. Fear didn’t give him the right to tear me down. Mom was right, Dad thought he was looking out for me. But his methods? They were hateful.
I put my hands on my hips and lifted my chin. It was past time for me to put an end to this treatment. “Enough, Dad. I get it—you’re scared for me. But that doesn’t give you the right to keep throwing ‘I told you so’ in my face. You’ve had your say, more times than I can count, and I’ve listened. Now, it’s time for you to stop. I’ll remind you, these are my decisions. You need to stop trying to control my life. You need to stop harassing me when you don’t agree with me. This has to end.”
Dad jerked his head back, stunned. “You expect me to just stand by and stay silent when I know you’re making a huge mistake?”
“That’s exactly what I expect,” I said, staring him down. “If you can’t be supportive, then be quiet.”
“That’s ridiculous,” he said. “I’m your father. I won’t just watch you make a mess of your life without saying anything.”
My dad’s abusive and controlling behavior had gone unchecked for way too long.
“It’s either that, or I’ll be forced to cut off all communication with you. This isn’t healthy for me. I can’t listen to you constantly berating me and tearing me down.”
He stared at me, appalled by my threat. I could barely believe it myself, but it had been the right thing to say. He needed to understand there were limits.
Rather than backing down, I straightened my spine and stared right back at him, willing him to believe me. I continued to glare at him for a few heartbeats, needing him to understand that this was an ultimatum.
Finally, his shoulders dropped an inch or two and he gave a reluctant nod.
I almost wilted with relief, but I knew better. I needed to stay strong or risk undoing all the progress I’d made.
I have to admit, I hadn’t expected my threat to work. I’d been fully prepared to follow through on it, but I hadn’t been happy about the prospect. Maybe that’s why my heart softened towards him at that moment.
“You might be interested in knowing I spoke with Destiny today.”
He watched me, his expression grim, clearly expecting bad news.
I inhaled deeply. “We’ve decided to start a new business together. I’ve finally managed to put Ghost of a Chance on solid financial footing, so I plan to hire a manager to run it.”
Dad gaped. An instant later, he pressed his lips together and glowered at me. “It’s about damned time. I’ve been telling you for the past year that you made a mistake by leaving her.”
I leaned forward and glowered right back at him, pushing into his personal space. “There you go again, saying ‘I told you so.’ Stop it . These are my choices. My decisions. This is my life. I’ve done exactly what I set out to do, Dad. I’ve made Ghost of a Chance a success. You can call that ‘propping up Chance’s ridiculous idea’ if you want, but I call it grit. Perseverance. Hard work. And I did it all on my own, without any help from you. Don’t harass me like that ever again. That was your last warning.”
Dad lifted his hands in the air. I wasn’t sure if it was a gesture of surrender, or if he was emotionally pushing me away, washing his hands of me. All I know for sure is that he backed down from fighting me in that moment, and it felt good. Really good.
As Dad turned to one side, he spotted Ford standing not far behind him at the door of Don’s hospital room. Maybe that’s what finally brought my father to his senses. All I know is that he turned back to face me, his expression sober and contemplative. Then, he held out his hand for me to shake.
I stared at it, confused, but still, I took hold of it.
“Congratulations, Mara. On everything. The store. The hard work. The movie. The new deal with Destiny. You’ve done well.”
I closed my eyes, letting the long-awaited words sink in. But the relief I expected didn’t come. His approval had lost its power somewhere along the way—maybe because I’d stopped needing it. What I needed now wasn’t validation from him—it was the strength to keep following my own path, without looking back.
I sighed as I tried to let go of my anger, and I looked him straight in the eyes. “I’m glad you finally noticed.”
He grimaced and then headed down the corridor toward an empty nurses’ station.
I turned to Ford, who’d been watching in silence, his face a blend of concern and quiet pride. The moment our eyes met, he opened his arms, and I stepped into them, letting his warmth ground me. Exactly where I wanted to be.
“Hey there, Wonder Woman,” Ford said, holding me close. “You’re amazing. Have I told you that lately? I have some great news. Dad says he won’t have any trouble finding new investors.”
I pulled away to look into his eyes. “Wait, what?” I shook my head, the emotional whiplash of the past hour leaving me confused and doubting my own ears. He couldn’t have just said what I thought he’d said, could he?
Ford let out a soft laugh. “I know. It’s wild, right? Dad said the guy was a flake, begging for years to invest in a superhero film. But here’s the kicker—he’s already got other investors lined up for Ghost . This movie is happening, Mara. Nothing’s stopping it now.”
As the news sank in, I felt that knot of dread that had settled in my chest fade away to nothing, and once it was gone, my heart soared.
Shoes tapped as they moved toward us, and I turned to see my dad.
He cleared his throat. “Did I hear you say you’re still making the movie?”
Ford frowned at him. “Of course, I’m making the movie. That was never in doubt. I simply thought I might have to delay it, but it turns out I was wrong.”
Dad dragged his hand down his face, then stared at the floor, his ears turning red. Finally, he faced me and cleared his throat. “I owe you an apology.” He glanced at Ford. “To you, Ford, but mostly Mara.”
I looked into his eyes. “Exactly what are you apologizing for?”
He looked confused. “For everything.”
I shook my head. “You need to be more specific. A blanket apology won’t cut it. I need to know you understand exactly what you did that was wrong.”
He pressed his lips together, irritated at being put on the spot, but then gave a tight nod. “I’m sorry... for how I treated you and Chance. For not being there when I should’ve been. I second-guessed every decision you made because I was scared—for both of you. But that’s no excuse. I was wrong.”
I waited more, but when he didn’t continue, I said, “That’s a pretty good start. Can you also apologize for constantly criticizing both me and Chance and for saying such cruel things? Like calling me a quitter and naive? For saying Chance was wasting his life? For calling his success a fluke instead of acknowledging that it was the product of hard work and talent?”
Dad’s face turned red as I spoke. I waited, and he blew out a breath. “I’m sorry for all that too. I regret a lot of the things I said to your brother. I didn’t want him to turn out like your aunt, but that’s no excuse.” He glanced down. “You’re right. Predicting doom isn’t exactly something to be proud of. In fact, I need to tell you right now, I’m impressed with you. Your perseverance and determination made all this happen. You knew what you wanted to make happen, and you did it.”
He looked me straight in the eyes. “I’m proud of you, Mara.”