Kayla had been sitting in her car for an hour watching the house she grew up in. The property seemed so big when she was a toddler and the scope of her life experience was minute.
She spent hours on that yard practicing her foot work with the soccer ball. It was the only time Kayla had away from her mother’s expectations back then. After forcing Kayla out of their lives, they moved the goal that had been there since her eighth birthday. The goal she taught her nieces on. It would hurt if she hadn’t expected her parents to easily get rid of her presence. Her mother had always been waiting for Kayla to prove that she was a mistake.
Eventually she mustered up the courage to ring the doorbell. The last time she stood in this position Kayla told them she dropped out of Berkley. Through the window, she watched her father approaching, she was grateful that his wife was nowhere in sight.
“Kayla.” Randall was dressed in a suit. Kayla recognized it from his collection of church clothes. “What are you doing here?”
“Hi dad. Nice to see you too.” Although Kayla wasn’t anticipating the visit to be nice at all.
He crossed his arms, his signature frustrated move. “She told you not to come back.”
“Still worried about obeying her orders. It’s nice to know nothing has changed.” Kayla had promised herself she would tone down on the sarcasm but that comment couldn’t be held back. “I need help dad. Please hear me out. I’ll leave before mom gets out of work. Former girl scout’s honor.”
The joke Kayla had overused much over the years elicited a chuckle from him. That gave Kayla hope. “Are you considering going back to college?”
“Not immediately. There are other things I need to work through – I can’t handle the pressure of college right now.”
“You’re always quick to give up.”
“What is it you want Kayla?”
“I want to go to a treatment center. A rehab. I know that friend of yours, John or James or whatever said the place he sent his daughter worked.” Kayla still was unsure whether she was ready to get sober. Although she was now convinced nobody who ever got clean was 100% confident it would work. “Without my trust I can’t afford it dad. I can’t even afford food. Without Leah’s help I would be entirely fucked right now.”
“Language.” Kayla mouthed sorry and broke eye contact. His voice became softer, more concerned. “You know the stipulations no college, no trust… but I can cover the rehab. Only if you are serious Kayla. I want you to think long and hard about it. Your mom would leave me in a ditch if this investment ends up being a waste of money. “
“She’d probably leave you in a ditch for helping me either way.”
“I’ll deal with that.” He checked his watch and furrowed his eyebrows. “I have to leave.”
“Okay.” Kayla wanted to say I love you or something resembling it but they weren’t that type of family. “Thank you.”
“On Monday expect a call from me. If you answer I’ll know how serious you are.”
While walking away Kayla realized she had once again set herself up to disappoint the people in her life.
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