No Pina.No warmth.Just a ghost of everything I’d lost.
And then the call came.
‘You need to come in,’ Mum’s lawyer said.
His voice was nonchalant, and I felt my stomach clench.
When I arrived, my dad was already there.
He barely noticed me, folding his arms, tapping his foot impatiently on the floor.
He wasn’t grieving – he was waiting.Money, I guess.
I’d never seen him emotional – until now.
‘This is a joke. A bloody joke!’ – he spat out.
The lawyer didn’t even blink. He just slid the papers across the table. ‘Legally binding. Your wife was very clear. You’re not getting anything.’
I saw my father panic.
His jaw clenched, his breathing quickened. His eyes darted between me and the lawyer, his hands clutching the chair as if the grip would stop everything from going away.
Suddenly, something clicked in his head. He jumped up so fast that the chair scraped on the floor.
‘Then I’ll take the dog.’
I grinned. ‘Good luck with that.’
He skipped out of the room. I let him walk away.
When he got to the shelter, Pina was gone.
Ashley, Mum’s best friend, had been volunteering there for years.As soon as she saw Pina on admission, she didn’t hesitate – she took her home. My dad unknowingly gave my mum’s dearest companion to someone who really cared.
When he came demanding his property, he had nothing to take.
Everything now belongs to Pina.’
The air in the room changed.Dad froze.I heard him gasp. ‘This is crazy!’- he shrieked, his voice full of disbelief.
My father?
He had nothing.
Just like he deserved.
And the last words I said to him?
‘Mum always knew you’d be alone.’