“Hi, baby, how are you?”
And an elephant glued itself to her chest. Her elation morphed to sad, maybe anger. Covering Dad with the nap blanket they kept on the couch, she barked, “Cover yourself when your daughter is in the room. It’s not right for me to see you like that. What the hell happened? How long have you been home? You didn’t have the decency to call or text me?” She knew she sounded like a parent and couldn’t help it.
“Don’t be mad at me.” He worked up his usual appealing grin that often got him out of trouble. But nottoday.
“Why? You don’t call me direct, you left a message. You went out, got drunk, and drove. What have I told you about that? Do you know what a super deuce is? One more DUI, and you go to prison. Frigging state prison, with the robbers, rapist, murderers, the big time. Don’t you care?”
“Oh, baby, it was an unlawful arrest. The cop didn’t—”
“No.” She crossed her arms and set her feet. “Were you drunk, and did you drive while drunk?”