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I mouthed to my stepmother, “He wants to know the money.”

Cecilia shook me off. “They say six to eight weeks. Then, a re-evaluation to see if he needs another course of it.”

Dad sighed. “Great. I’ll get started on finding a home nurse or something. Which’ll cost me an arm and a leg.”

“Howard.”

I shot Cecilia an ‘I told you so’ kind of look. For my father, it was all about money. How much I cost him. How much he spent on me. How much it took to apologize. What he had to dip into in order to cover the cost of something I’d done. I had no idea how to speak with my father. Well, scratch that. I knew exactly how to talk to my father. I just didn’t care to. This entire time, all I’d wanted was for my father to come home and take care of me. Come home and visit. Field the doctors since he knew the bulk of my medical history.

But, now? Even just this video conference changed my mind.

He could stay wherever the hell he was for all I cared.

Cecilia whispered. “Howard, be kinder to your son. He’