I immediately shrank. What was I even doing? I couldn’t believe that I had just pushed him like that, and in front of my father. No matter my anger. I couldn’t look at my dad because I was afraid that I’d see more of myself in him than I could accept. I apologized to Kael immediately and loudly, but he didn’t seem fazed. He was blank, shut down, a vacant soldier replacing the man I had come to know.

Kael was slipping away from my little living room.

“None of us are right in the head anymore.” Kael’s words tore me open and I struggled to stay in self-preservation mode.

I didn’t believe Kael was being honest with me, and my dad was a notorious liar. I felt like I was in a fun house, mirrors cut in weird shapes, bent to confuse you with a distorted version of reality. What you thought was reality. Everything around me was warped.

“Both of you, just get out.” My voice was shaky in its delivery, but the words came out confidently.

Kael remained unfazed. Wow. The pain lashed at me again.

My dad persisted in pushing my boundaries.

“Karina, we need to resolve this before it becomes more of a problem.”

“This isn’t my problem. It’s yours.” I pointed at both of them and said the words through gritted teeth.

Kael barely made eye contact. I couldn’t believe his audacity to not even look me in the fucking eyes.

“Get out. Now,” I said to them both again, but I was looking directly at Kael. He was still staring straight ahead as Elodie’s voice rang through the chaos.

“Martin! You’re here again!” she chirped, having no clue what she had just walked into as she bounced across the living room to give Kael a hug. Her face shifted from excitement to confusion as he stood unmoved by her enthusiasm. He suddenly took a step, then another, and his body moved like a robot, not stopping or even glancing toward Elodie as he walked out the front door.

I couldn’t bring myself to watch him leave, so I focused on my father.

“You, too. Get out.” I looked directly into my dad’s beady eyes and gestured toward to the door.

Kael’s truck roared in the background. I felt sick to my stomach. My father looked at Elodie, opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. He was summoning his outward charm—something he had mastered for the sake of appearances.

“I heard your soldier will be home soon.” My dad’s tone was soft as he touched Elodie’s shoulder. They weren’t close, but he had always been nice to her when she tagged along for dinner.

“I hadn’t heard this, is that true?” She sounded genuinely shocked at the news. Her eyes blinked a few times as my dad nodded.