Faetality |✓|

Chapter Twelve, Part Two - Deadly Confessions

I rolled my eyes and looked pointedly away as she set a brief, lingering hand on his arm before she passed. 

            "Good-bye, Tamsyn," she said with a friendly smile and cold eyes.

            I didn't reply to her, merely stepped aside and allowed her to exit the kitchen. The scent of her perfume – something spicy and sweet – left to linger behind.

            Dad cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head, refusing to meet my glare.

            "Mom's favorite movie, her favorite wine, her favorite afghan and even her favorite snack," I ticked off these details on as many fingers, hating to see my father squirm, but hating what he had done even more. "Why would you share that with Erica? Her – of all people?"

            "Tamsyn, I promise, it wasn't intentional," Dad assured in a low voice. "I was sitting in the living room, watching the movie before Erica showed up. I had no idea she was gonna stop by – especially not this late."

            Understanding that he couldn't lie and was obviously telling the truth, I relaxed enough to cross the kitchen to the fridge in order to pour some milk.

            "So what is this? The start of some new tradition or something – doing all her favorite things at once?"

            "Actually, yeah," Dad said quietly, as I opened the white, gallon jug over my plastic cup. "Today is our anniversary – I asked her to marry me fifteen years ago today in November. She always said this day was more important to her than her wedding day."

            My hand shook. I couldn't pour the milk. In one fell swoop I had lost my resolve and traded it for guilt.

            "I'm sorry, Dad," I said, and stepped into the hug that was already waiting. "I didn't even think. I just saw something and so I assumed the worse. I was so stupid – I actually started to think that you and Erica were seeing each other..."

            "We're not dating," he reassured, giving me a tight squeeze. "Well, not officially."

            I froze, and my eyes popped wide open.

            "What?" I said in soft shock, taking a few steps back.

            Dad sighed.

            "I'm sorry – I've been looking for a good way to tell you girls. I told Erica I didn't wanna make it official until after I'd closed this case and talked to you."

            It was like there was a short circuit somewhere in my brain. His words were registering and I was trying my best to analyze it, but something somewhere just wouldn't compute. It refused to.

            "What?"

            "Honey, this is still new for me and Erica, and no matter what we've agreed to take things slow –"

            "But-but you're seeing your secretary!" I spluttered. "And you're still married to Mom!"

            Dad stayed quiet for a moment, and when he looked it up it was with a pain that I found even more unbearable than my own.

            "You should sit down," he said and stretched his neck towards the table.

            "No thanks, I'd rather stand," I coldly replied. "After all it makes it kind of hard to relax after you've just found your dad's been cheating on your mom."