—bullshit, I know, but what does this look like on the outside? I told him, Dad, they’re just listening. That’s all they’re doing, they’re doing their listening thing. And he said, Ash, the curtains are drawn and it’s the middle of the day. Can you imagine your mother—? Like, you don’t even sleep with the curtains drawn at night! He said you’re not yourself, you’re not in control. And I said, yeah well neither are you, Dad, and neither is fucking Brenda Francis. He said this wasn’t going to be a scene. He promised. We were supposed to have a cup of coffee at her house, to talk to her about the situation and help her find Kyle, that was it, and then she forced us to come over to your place because we thought you two might be there, and then when you weren’t—She’s had her hand up his ass puppeting him all morning.

I closed my eyes and leaned back against the wall—Put your father on.

Do you love him?

What?

Do you still love him, do you love Dad?

Of course I do.

Then finish this.

Just put him on.

And what about me?

Ash. You know I do.

Then come out. Now, with Kyle. And we can all go home.

I told her I couldn’t. She said that, if I didn’t, Brenda would call the police.

Ash, I need you to listen to me very carefully, you cannot let Brenda call the police. Do you have any idea what that would mean for me?

She didn’t answer.

Do you? Hello?

I’m fucking scared, she said, her voice small and pinched.

Then stop. Then go home.

Me? You’re telling me to—You’ve locked yourself in a house with a bunch of lunatics with the curtains drawn, and you’re telling me to stop?

Do not—these people are family to me.

Family? What are you fucking talking about?

You have no idea what we have been through, Ash.

Mom, I’m your family. Dad is your family.

I can’t believe you showing up with Brenda, who ruined everything for me, who you, you brought into all of this in the first place with your goddamn texts, do you know how humiliating it is—

Oh wow, yeah, bring that up again.

—to look outside and see you and your father standing out there with her? The betrayal of that? You’ve thrown me under the bus, Ash.

What are you even fucking—? We love you. And we’re fucking scared for you.

You’ve made this situation so much worse.

You, Mom, you made this situation. I mean what is worth this? How can this possibly be worth it?

I have felt it.

Felt what?