Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 64851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
My mother seemed to take Robin’s leaving in stride which I’d found strange at the time, but as I thought about it maybe she had gotten tired of the arguing. Kenny, however, took it the hardest because he and my sister were the closest. I visited her school to talk to her, but she refused to tell me why she never wanted to come home again, said that it was best that I just forget about it.
The only clue that she gave as to why she’d decided to cut us all off was some cryptic parting words when we parted.
“Please watch out for Kenny. She’s not well. I wish I were strong enough to stick around, but I just couldn’t take it anymore. I’m sorry for letting this fall on your shoulders, but I need to do this for my own mental health.”
To this day I still didn’t understand what she’d meant. A few years back, I had gone to the UK for business and had coincidently met someone who knew Robin. Apparently, she’d moved to France with someone she’d met in school, and they were married.
As heartbreaking as it was that I had to find this information out from a stranger, I was glad she was happy. I’d tried to locate her when Kenny died, but I had no way of getting in contact with her. Maybe it was for the best. Her absence had been felt, at least by me. My mother didn’t bring her up.
“Don’t you ever think about her?” I wanted to gauge my mother’s thoughts because it was very rare when she brought Robin up except to say she’d raised three children on her own.
She shrugged and returned her attention to the menu. “She made her decision. I suppose she’s doing well. You told me so, remember?”
We could have been talking about a stranger from the way this conversation was going. My thoughts drifted back to Frankie. I wondered what she was doing right now.
Even though I’d been avoiding her, I imagined she was doing her best to stay out of my way. She was probably home cleaning the house and moping with that sad look in her eyes.
By the time lunch ended, not only was I emotionally drained from dealing with my mother’s emotional papercuts and guilt trip, my headache was back full force. All I wanted to do was lie and work later so that I could forget about everything going on in my chaotic life.
When I arrived home, however, I knew something was different. The house had the eerie sensation of being empty. I knew without going to her room or looking through the house that Frankie was gone.
Chapter Fifteen
Frankie
To say my day was long and laborious was an understatement. But I’d accomplished what I set out to do. I’d gone to see three rehabilitation facilities. The first one was only one step up from the state-run operations that looked more like a prison than a treatment center. The second was the type where celebrities went for “exhaustion.” While it had every possible amenity one could ask for, the price was beyond my budget. Adam needed to be in treatment for at least six months, and even with the rest of the money I’d receive from Nick, I’d run out of funds before that time was up.
The third time was a charm. It had everything I was looking for at reasonable price. I was even able to arrange for transportation for when Adam was released from the methadone clinic, with an escort, to make sure he got there safely. This place wasn’t cheap either, but it wasn’t as exorbitant. I would still have some funds left over to get an apartment while I looked for work. Speaking of which, I needed to call the board of nursing to find out when my hearing would be to dispute my claim.
Once all my errands were complete, I pulled up into Nick’s garage hoping he wasn’t home. I’d used a ride share service to pick me up and take me to my car. I saw no reason why I shouldn’t have my car with me since I’d be here for several more weeks.
Besides, Nick had to eventually relax his no going outside rule which I found completely unhinged even for the way he was treating me.
Because of what I needed to pay for Adam’s rehab, I would need every bit of that money coming, and I just had to figure out a way to survive.
I knew the minute I stepped foot in the house Nick was home because the lights were on. I took a deep breath and headed straight to my room without incident. I still had no door, but I was getting used to it. At least when I went to my bathroom, I was afforded some privacy. I placed all the pamphlets and paperwork I’d filled out in the desk drawer.