MARIEL

21~Believe Me Now?~

Phil and his daughters sat at the dining room table in silence, staring down at the Arby's they had purchased for dinner. His eyes scanned each of their faces, trying to determine what thoughts were processing through their minds. He felt annoyed, personally attacked by their behavior towards him in the last couple days. The funeral was tomorrow, something he eagerly awaited so that, once the grieving guests were gone, he could bring back his darling wife. However, he still had not figured out an adequate plan to tell his children. He could not trust them, and he had no desire to hurt them, but he knew if the cops got involved in this he could easily be arrested for something.

Perhaps he could let it slip by their radar... even if it meant stowing Carolyn away. The woman needed to be kept from herself anyway; she clearly had not had her best interest at heart when she had stepped before that train.

Idly, he lifted a fry and dipped it into the ketchup mound on his paper plate. "Is this how it's going to be the whole week? Silence? Ignoring your dad?"

Victoria's eyes flashed angrily as she lifted her head. "You know how we feel about this, Dad. And you."

Phil dipped the fry in the ketchup with aggressive speed. "I don't... understand -" He popped the fry in his mouth. "- where you get this illusion that this is my fault."

Victoria threw her head back and laughed sharply. She returned her eyes to him and stared with vicious hatred. "What fantasy do you live in? She worshipped you until her last moments, and you can't seem to formulate in your mind that your abusive treatment finally drove her over the edge."

Phil looked at her calmly. "Is that what you think I have done? Abused her?"

Hailey finally raised her head and screamed, "What do you consider beating her to be? Fuck you, Dad, I should have gone to the police a long time ago."

His face went red. With a snarl, he rose to his feet and grasped the underside of the table. The contents of the table flew into the air as he rose to his toes and flipped it. His daughters fell backwards, tripping over their chairs as the table and its contents fell towards them. They attempted to shield their faces as the table came down over them.

Phil pulled the table away from them, leaving the loose burger contents, fries, drinks, and plates on his whimpering daughters. He approached and stood over them. "If you speak one word against me, you won't see one more cent towards your college fund. I will make sure you have no place to live, and I will keep you on the streets until I swear to God you become my prodigal daughters. Do you understand me?"

Victoria held her sobbing sister on the floor, shrinking back as if to avoid blows. Soaked in ice and Coke, they both nodded.

"You all make me exhausted," Phil barked, running his fingers through his red hair. He walked away from them and then walked back, extending a hand. "Get up. Now. Get up."

Afraid to make eye contact with their father, the girls struggled to their feet. Phil gestured towards the mess. "Clean it up. Go on."

He would need strength. This was going to be harder to deal with than he thought.

While his daughters cleaned the mess, he retired to his bedroom. He was exhausted from the explosion, and he was about to pray to God for forgiveness when he remembered the scripture in the Bible regarding righteous anger. That, he persuaded himself, was definitely righteous anger. The children he had raised knew better than to raise their voice at him, much less accuse him of driving Carolyn to her own self-initiated death.

He looked at his hands. Maybe healing her was not necessary... after all, she had done it to herself. However, he hated to think that she would be facing the consequences in hell, especially now that he had the gift of healing that could provide second chances for those who needed it.