Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
I wonder if we’ll have a boy or a girl, and what we might name the baby. I’m thinking maybe Emma or Sophie for a girl, Alex or Riley for a boy. Or maybe if it’s a boy he should be named Viktor after his father. I know I’m getting ahead of myself, but I’m so excited about it, I just can’t help myself. Maybe Laura for a girl and Joshua for a boy. Or Harry for a boy and Amelia for a girl. I smile up at my ceiling. I’m way, way ahead of myself for sure. Heck, at this rate, I’ll be looking at schools and colleges next.
I hear the trailer door open, then slam closed. I sit up. Dan is out somewhere, most likely in a bar drinking away the money my mom claims not to have. The door was my mom going out to work. It was nice of her to say goodbye when she left.
I used to pity my mom, working so many hours to feed Dan’s habit. But now, I just can’t bring myself to feel sorry for her anymore, not after the stunt she’s pulled. Now all I think of when I hear her going out to work to support Dan’s drinking habit is what a monumental idiot she is. And then I feel angry that she somehow thought I would be willing to step into the role of supporting Dan through Viktor. They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, but in this case, the apple has landed in another freaking country, we’re that far apart.
I’m glad she’s gone out though, even if she didn’t bother to say goodbye to me. It means I can do a bit of tidying up without having to make any sort of small talk with her, and then I fix myself a sandwich and eat it in the living room for a change. I refuse to go out there when Dan or my mom are around. I have nothing much to say to either of them, and I don’t like being around Dan, always wondering if he’ll try to rape me again.
I think he’s likely learned his lesson with that one, but you never can tell with someone so dense and deluded. I’m pretty sure I’m safe this time around though - although my mom took his side the first time he tried to rape me, he’d be hard pushed to sell the idea of me trying to seduce him when I’m always wrapped up with only my hands and my face showing. Surely even my deluded mother couldn’t believe I’m trying to seduce Dan dressed like this.
I go through to the living room, shaking my head at the mess. Let me clean up before I eat. I grab a trash bag and scoop up all of Dan’s empty bottles and cans. I empty the ashtray and the aluminum take-out tray with congealed remains of a curry. I take all the trash down to the trash cans and then I come back and run the tap, rolling up my sleeves, ready to tackle the dishes. There aren’t many.
Dan isn’t civilized enough to use glasses or plates. There’s just the plate and fork my mom used and a fork that she must have persuaded Dan to use. Plus, the cups from breakfast and two cereal bowls. None of them are mine, but it’s nothing new that I end up doing the dishes too. If I don’t, they’ll just pile up until they’re moldy and the whole trailer stinks of partially rotten food. The stale beer and cigarette smell is bad enough.
I fill the little sink with hot water and add some dish soap. I’ve barely gotten started when the trailer door opens. My heart sinks when a drunken, swaying Dan steps in. He pushes past me although there is plenty of room to get around me without touching me. I don’t know for sure if it’s intentional or if he’s just so drunk that navigating around me was too hard for him.
He goes to the living room, throws himself onto the trailer’s answer to a couch and turns the TV on. I keep washing the dishes, telling myself I’ll be done shortly and then I’ll go straight back to my room. I might even go out and stay out until my mother will be back. As much as I have nothing to say to her, at least I’m confident Dan will keep his dirty hands and his inane thoughts to himself while she’s home.
40
VIKTOR
I’m physically sitting in the car, but mentally, I feel like I’m floating on air. In minutes, I’ll be with my Amelia again. I’m going to pull her into my arms and kiss her like I’ve never kissed her before. Then I’m going to take her home and make love to her all night long, and we’ll never, ever look back.