great at the start, helping with night feeds and everything, but now she seems bored with all of that. She spends most of her time surfing the Internet and reading interior-decorating magazines.” He sighs again. “I don’t know what to do, Amy. I love Shelly, but I’m hopeless at all this family stuff.”
That’s an understatement — he abandoned me and Mum to set up home with Shelly, for goodness’ sake. Poor Gracie! She deserves a good dad. I’m old enough to cope, but she’s only tiny. He’s not thinking of running out on her too, is he? I’m too depressed with this new thought to say anything back to him. I just stare out the window and watch the snake of cars ahead of us, all winding their way toward Dublin’s shopping mecca.
As I walk toward the shopping center, my mood’s so low it’s practically in my Converses. Dad was eager to get to his golf game and didn’t notice the way I snapped, “You’d better not be late collecting me,” when I was getting out of the car.
Even though there are crowds of people milling around, I feel incredibly lonely. I think back to when Mum and Dad first separated. I was nine and they told me about it at Dublin Zoo, of all places. I remember feeling lost and deeply sad for weeks.
Mum got very depressed too. She used to spend all day in her dressing gown, drifting around the house like a zombie. She eventually snapped out of it, but it was horrible to live through. I felt so powerless. Dad had made his decision: he wanted to move on, start again with someone else, and there was nothing either Mum or I could do about it. And now it seems to be happening all over again to Shelly and Gracie. I once overheard Clover saying to Mum, “When the going gets tough, Art Green gets going. That’s just how he is, Sylvie. Selfish to the core.”
At least Mum’s got Dave now. He’s kind and caring and looks after her. He organized a romantic marriage proposal on a beach last year, which is something Dad would never think of, and they’re getting married soon.
I love Dad, but sometimes I feel like punching him. Does he have any idea how lousy it is to have a part-time father? A dad who’s never there when you get home from school, who forgets to turn up at sports games, who never appears at parent-teacher meetings, who has no idea what his daughter is reading, listening to, thinking,
feeling,
on a day-to-day basis? I really don’t want that for Gracie. And I’m starting to feel a little sorry for Shelly too. Maybe I’ve been a bit hard on her. It sounds like Pauline isn’t being all that helpful anymore, and I bet Dad’s never once changed Gracie’s nappy or given her a bath! And if he leaves, Shelly will have to bring up Gracie on her own. That’s so sad that I don’t even want to think about it.
I sit on the edge of the ornamental pool in the plaza, feeling cross and upset, and watch water from the fountain shoot up in jets. How dare Dad dump me here on my own and sneak off to play golf? Later, I bet he’ll lie to Shelly and Pauline and tell them we spent a lovely afternoon together, strolling around the shops, holding hands, and swinging our arms, just like in a Disney movie.
My iPhone rings and I whip it out of my pocket.
“Yes?” I snap without checking who it is first. “What is it?”
“Whoa there, Beanie. Jeez Louise, jump out of bed on the wrong side this morning or what?” It’s Clover.
“Sorry, it’s just Dad. I’m so angry with him.”
“What’s he done now?” Clover doesn’t sound surprised.
“I think he’s about to do another runner. On Shelly and Gracie this time. He keeps arguing with Shelly about Pauline, apparently, and he said he wasn’t cut out for family life.”
Clover gives a long whistle. “Art Green, you never fail to disappoint me. The old ‘not cut out for family life’ chestnut.” She says a very rude word under her breath. “Sorry, Beans, but your fatheaded father has to be the most selfish, self-absorbed eejit
That’s an understatement — he abandoned me and Mum to set up home with Shelly, for goodness’ sake. Poor Gracie! She deserves a good dad. I’m old enough to cope, but she’s only tiny. He’s not thinking of running out on her too, is he? I’m too depressed with this new thought to say anything back to him. I just stare out the window and watch the snake of cars ahead of us, all winding their way toward Dublin’s shopping mecca.
As I walk toward the shopping center, my mood’s so low it’s practically in my Converses. Dad was eager to get to his golf game and didn’t notice the way I snapped, “You’d better not be late collecting me,” when I was getting out of the car.
Even though there are crowds of people milling around, I feel incredibly lonely. I think back to when Mum and Dad first separated. I was nine and they told me about it at Dublin Zoo, of all places. I remember feeling lost and deeply sad for weeks.
Mum got very depressed too. She used to spend all day in her dressing gown, drifting around the house like a zombie. She eventually snapped out of it, but it was horrible to live through. I felt so powerless. Dad had made his decision: he wanted to move on, start again with someone else, and there was nothing either Mum or I could do about it. And now it seems to be happening all over again to Shelly and Gracie. I once overheard Clover saying to Mum, “When the going gets tough, Art Green gets going. That’s just how he is, Sylvie. Selfish to the core.”
At least Mum’s got Dave now. He’s kind and caring and looks after her. He organized a romantic marriage proposal on a beach last year, which is something Dad would never think of, and they’re getting married soon.
I love Dad, but sometimes I feel like punching him. Does he have any idea how lousy it is to have a part-time father? A dad who’s never there when you get home from school, who forgets to turn up at sports games, who never appears at parent-teacher meetings, who has no idea what his daughter is reading, listening to, thinking,
feeling,
on a day-to-day basis? I really don’t want that for Gracie. And I’m starting to feel a little sorry for Shelly too. Maybe I’ve been a bit hard on her. It sounds like Pauline isn’t being all that helpful anymore, and I bet Dad’s never once changed Gracie’s nappy or given her a bath! And if he leaves, Shelly will have to bring up Gracie on her own. That’s so sad that I don’t even want to think about it.
I sit on the edge of the ornamental pool in the plaza, feeling cross and upset, and watch water from the fountain shoot up in jets. How dare Dad dump me here on my own and sneak off to play golf? Later, I bet he’ll lie to Shelly and Pauline and tell them we spent a lovely afternoon together, strolling around the shops, holding hands, and swinging our arms, just like in a Disney movie.
My iPhone rings and I whip it out of my pocket.
“Yes?” I snap without checking who it is first. “What is it?”
“Whoa there, Beanie. Jeez Louise, jump out of bed on the wrong side this morning or what?” It’s Clover.
“Sorry, it’s just Dad. I’m so angry with him.”
“What’s he done now?” Clover doesn’t sound surprised.
“I think he’s about to do another runner. On Shelly and Gracie this time. He keeps arguing with Shelly about Pauline, apparently, and he said he wasn’t cut out for family life.”
Clover gives a long whistle. “Art Green, you never fail to disappoint me. The old ‘not cut out for family life’ chestnut.” She says a very rude word under her breath. “Sorry, Beans, but your fatheaded father has to be the most selfish, self-absorbed eejit
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