Mickey - The View From Here PART TWO - Gallavich

Little Red Jr

Later that morning, Ian drove me downtown. I was unsure what his idea was until we pulled up in front of a tall building with two redheads standing out front.

I rolled my eyes. “This is your bright idea? Debbie?”

Resting his hand on the steering wheel, he shrugged, a confident smirk playing on his lips. “Thought hanging out with our niece would help.”

“Mmhm…” I said, the embers of rage flickering into a tiny flame. Ian was trying to make amends for anything associated with Yevgeny. Distract me with Franny, and we move on and pretend the fight never happened. I wasn’t amused.

“At least pretend you’re happy to see Franny,” Ian jabbed.

“Don’t do that,” I requested, stepping out of the vehicle. “Quit makin' me the bad guy, man.”

“Mickey, I didn’t mean—”

I slammed the door shut, muting his words. Turning around, I plastered a smile on my face and greeted Debbie and Franny.

The four of us went to a burger shop with a play area for Franny that she didn't want to use.

“It's already paid for,” Ian argued with Debbie about the swim classes we had gotten Franny into. “Just take her to the class.”

“She doesn’t wanna go,” Debbie replied before taking a nibble of the chicken nugget in her hand. “I'm not forcing her. Plus, I can teach her how to swim.”

Ian gave her a knowing look. “Yeah? You're gonna teach her how to drown an asshole?”

Defiantly, Debbie clicked her tongue and said, “maybe I will. Might do her some good. Anyways, Ian, you really need to ease off a bit--"

“Ease off a bit?” Ian asked, aghast.

“Yeah. I'm her parent, not you!”

“Then act like it,” Ian grumbled, initiating a verbal battle with his sister.

The next table over, I ate my meal with Franny, there to ensure that Franny was distracted with a phone and some headphones. A small kindness none of us got from the adults fighting around us when we were kids.

The little redhead ate her fries and kept her eyes glued to the phone while she watched some Baby Shark rip-off video.

As Debbie and Ian argued, they retreated outside so Debbie could suck on her vape pen while they berated one another.

I tugged at Franny’s earbud, springing it free so she could hear me. “Doin’ alright, kid?”

My niece met my gaze with a maturity beyond her years. “I’m ready to go home.”

I glanced around. “You wanna leave?”

Franny shook her head in an adamant “no.”

“What do you mean?” I wondered.

“I don’t wanna have any more sleepovers with mommy and her friend. It isn’t fun.”

I nodded, saddened to hear her refer to living with her mother as something as temporary as a sleepover. “You live there. Won’t always be fun, but it’s your home.”

With a burdened sigh,  Franny said, “I wanna go home home.”

“I know,” I empathized. “But Uncle Lip sold that place, remember? It’s okay. You still have all of us. The house doesn’t matter.”

Franny shook her head once more. “I miss my room at your house.”

“I know” I repeated, unsure how I could possibly ease her mind. “But you’re with your mom. That’s good, ain’t it?”

“I guess,” she said, slumping back in her chair.

Seeing my niece like this was distressing. Although I knew it wasn’t my place and that I should have given Debbie the benefit of the doubt, I entertained the idea of talking to Ian about adoption. If Debbie didn’t want to step it up, then Ian and I would.