Girl Forgotten by Kate Gable

Author:Kate Gable [Gable, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Byrd Books

20

The next time I have two days off, I head up to Big Bear. I don't tell Mom in advance and immediately regret it.

I use my own key to get in, just as her friend comes out wearing her bathrobe pinched tight around his substantial body. We both jump back and I rush out of the house, shaking my head and repeating the word “No," over and over again.

"What are you doing here?" Mom emerges a few minutes later.

"Who is that?" I ask.

"It's none of your business. He's a friend of mine."

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry, I should've called."

"Of course you should've called. I didn't even know you were coming to visit."

"I just had some time off and haven't been up here for a bit, so I thought I'd stop by."

"Well, not every time is good for me, you know. I have a life."

"Yeah, I can see that.” I nod again.

I stand on the porch a little bit, but flurries begin to fall. I cross my arms and hold myself tightly.

"Do you want me to leave?" I ask, shifting my weight from one foot to the other, keenly aware of the fact that I again need to change out of my ballet flats into something a little bit more substantial for the mountains.

"Just wait in the living room. We're going to get decent, okay? I’ve wanted you to meet him, but definitely not this way. I guess life had other plans."

A few minutes later, Mom comes out dressed in an oversized sweater and a casual pair of sweatpants that I've never seen her wear in front of company before.

She then introduces her guy friend as Danny Weidner. When I come back inside and look at him closer, I have a faint memory of meeting him before.

"Were you ever friends with my dad?" I ask.

"Kaitlyn!” Mom yells from the other room.

"No, it's okay, honey.” He uses a warm tone with her like this is something that's been going on for a while. "Yeah, we used to be friends. You could say we knew each other well."

"Friends? What kind of friends? Did you sell drugs as well?"

"Kaitlyn, if you're going to be rude, you're going to have to see yourself out!” Mom yells from the kitchen, still working on getting coffee, tea, and cookies ready. "What are you even doing here? I told you that you have to let me know when you want to come over."

"Actually, you said no such thing," I say. "I thought you'd be happy to see your oldest daughter."

I'm tempted to use the phrase only daughter, but I don't want to throw salt on the wound.

"You and I have something in common," Danny says, adjusting his stance in the old recliner in the living room.

He's a broad-shouldered guy with a receding hairline and a big belly that hangs over his belt.

At least he's age appropriate, I say to myself, and not some twenty-five-year-old like I thought maybe she would take up with just to piss me off.

When the

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