“How long have you been here like this?” Body odor slaps me in the face. Leaning away, I breathe through my mouth.
“You back?”
“Yes, and Fiona cannot see you like this. I know this is hard, but she needs you.” I need you. I’ve become a parent in the blink of an eye, and I have no clue what I’m doing. Gripping his arm, I force him to his feet. “You have to shower and sober up.”
“Leave me be.”
“No,” I bark. “I can’t do this on my own. We have to move forward.”
He shrugs me off and stumbles back. Clumsy, he trips over his own feet and falls sideways. Visions of his head smashing against the corner of the desk flash in my mind. I rush forward and right him, correcting his overbalancing.
“She already lost one parent. Don’t make her lose another one.”
He blinks, swimming up from his stupor. Grunting, he lurches forward, heading toward the bedroom they’d moved downstairs when Mom got too ill to travel the stairs. I bow my head, wondering if I’d gotten through to him at all. The sound of the pipes starting up tells me he’s at least showering. I walk over to the windows and open them, letting fresh air in before I jog to the living room and grab the pizza box. Shoving the trash down, I pull the bag and carry them all out the front door. I wave at my sister, who leaves the car.
“What happened?”
“He was closed up in the study. Passed right out at his desk.”
She snickers. “Classic Dad.”
“I had to shove him to the shower. Give me a minute to air the place out before you come in. Trust me, your nose will thank me.”
Feigning amusement, I force myself to casually walk to the trash can and back into the house. The second I clear the doorway, I race to the kitchen, opening windows, rinsing off soiled plates with hot water, and loading them into the dishwasher. I spray refresher and place a clean bag in the trashcan. I’m scrubbing the counters when Fiona makes her appearance.
“Oh, this isn’t too bad. I was expecting it to look like the aftermath of a frat party.”
I smile, glad she can’t see the empty bottles I smuggled out earlier.
“I brought these in. Are we in trouble?” Fiona holds up the pink notice letters from the water company, gas and electric, and phone. I close my eyes, kissing another chunk of my savings good-bye.
“No, honey. We have the money, but Dad’s head is just all over the place. I’ll make sure they’re paid on time from now on.”
“Okay.” She exhales.
“You don’t worry about this stuff. This is my job, yeah?”
She nods.
“Why don’t you go upstairs and get unpacked? I’ll finish straightening up and start dinner.”
Things are more dire than I believed them to be.
YOON
I unlock the door of my home and smile at the sight of my little sister. She’s sitting on the couch with her ever-present computer on her lap. Glancing up, she smiles.
“Oopa, welcome home.”
“Byeol.” It’s good to see her so happy and healthy. There were times growing up when that wasn’t the case. Born with cerebral palsy, she required better care than my mother and father could provide. The bare minimum never gave her the tools to be independent or thrive. Back then, the majority of the money I made went to her. She was the motivation for enduring the grueling schedule and lack of control over my own life.
She’d gone from a wane girl with little mobility to an independent woman with a love for life. The therapy didn’t give her back the full function of her legs, but the doctors and therapists did improve her mobility and give her the confidence to get around independently. In the world of manga, she found her place to belong. She writes a reasonably popular series about a fantasy world that exists alongside our own. Her characters all handi-capable, and I couldn’t be prouder.
“How long will you be here for?” Setting the tablet aside, she scoots over on the couch to give me room to sit down after I shed my shoes and put on slippers.
“A few weeks while we film more episodes, and then I’ll go back to film the contest.”
“I’ll take it.”