demanding her child back."
Donny looks around, making sure no one needs a drink. Tina is serving two tables of regulars who look as distraught as Donny. His mouth still curved down in a frown, Donny explains, "Mick filed for emergency temporary custody last Monday after his sister lost Kenna for almost three hours the day before. She was too strung-out on heroin to even know she was gone.
"They came to check on Mick's living conditions. Found them not suitable." Donny shrugs, effectively heartbroken. "She told Mick he can't bring Kenna to the bar, he can't be picking her up at the babysitter's after midnight, and he can't live in a one-room apartment if he intends on filing for custody."
I feel my whole body slump. "So where is she?"
"With some foster family. Mick's trying to find out where, but he can't get through to anyone."
"So that's it?" I ask angrily. "They're just allowed to take your child and not tell you where they're taking them? Did he call the cops?"
"He did. He had his friend Luke here, and his chief, and the Haledon P.D..... She was allowed. She proved she saw Kenna here at the bar while Mick was working. She had pictures." Donny's fists are clenched, and his face is turning all sorts of red with anger. "She had official papers. Cops couldn't do anything."
"So now what?"
"He can't do anything until Monday. He was trying to get in to see a lawyer today, but...I don't know. It's a Friday afternoon. Who knows who'll see him this late in the day?"
"My gosh. It's like a nightmare."
"It is a nightmare. Don't know how Mick's gonna make it through the weekend."
"You don't think he'd do something foolish, do you? Like get a gun and, maybe, shoot someone?"
Donny gives me these crazy eyes. "What kind of person do you think he is? Holy shit. No. He wouldn't shoot anyone. Oh my God." Donny chuckles at my expense. Whatever. "He'll probably drink himself half to death tonight, though."
"Well what good is that gonna do his little niece? He needs to be thinking of a game plan."
"A game plan? You are fucking crazy. What kinda plan can he possibly think of?"
I guess I am sounding like my father, but it makes sense. "I don't know. A new place to live. A new job. Daycare. Something."
"You do live with your head in the clouds, don't you? Rich girls don't know how hard it is to find a new job or a new place to live."
"Now that's not very fair. My father works very hard to give us what we need." And yes, it's a shocker to me that I'm actually defending the man. "I understand how hard it is, I just think a child is important enough to try and make sure those things happen."
"Do me a favor," Donny says, conveniently displacing his anger onto me, "don't give Mick any of your advice...unless you want to be the first one he actually kills."
"Nice." Donny walks away before I can, but I shrug it off, realizing that Mick and Kenna are his family too.
***
Through the jukebox, Usher insists the DJ's got us falling in love, but there is no romance, nor are there smiles, as one by one, Donny's customers learn about Mick's misfortune. Donny stays behind the bar for the rest of the night, and Tina helps me serve our whispering patrons. By the end of the night though, business had continued to steady and at two a.m., when the last customer opens the door to leave the bar, I hear the sound of a grumbling motorcycle.
Mick is back.
Donny stills, and Tina and I look at each other. We hear the slam of the building's side door and footsteps slowly making their way up the side stairwell.
"You gonna go check on him?" I ask Donny. "I'll finish up behind the bar."
"Nah. He's best when left alone. If he had good news, he'd have been in here."
Donny's words rub me the wrong way. First, he's the one that said Mick won't make it through the weekend, that he'd drink himself half to death. Then, he doesn't want to check on him? I may lack emotion, and I may not be too compassionate when it comes to my friends' hurt feelings, but
Donny looks around, making sure no one needs a drink. Tina is serving two tables of regulars who look as distraught as Donny. His mouth still curved down in a frown, Donny explains, "Mick filed for emergency temporary custody last Monday after his sister lost Kenna for almost three hours the day before. She was too strung-out on heroin to even know she was gone.
"They came to check on Mick's living conditions. Found them not suitable." Donny shrugs, effectively heartbroken. "She told Mick he can't bring Kenna to the bar, he can't be picking her up at the babysitter's after midnight, and he can't live in a one-room apartment if he intends on filing for custody."
I feel my whole body slump. "So where is she?"
"With some foster family. Mick's trying to find out where, but he can't get through to anyone."
"So that's it?" I ask angrily. "They're just allowed to take your child and not tell you where they're taking them? Did he call the cops?"
"He did. He had his friend Luke here, and his chief, and the Haledon P.D..... She was allowed. She proved she saw Kenna here at the bar while Mick was working. She had pictures." Donny's fists are clenched, and his face is turning all sorts of red with anger. "She had official papers. Cops couldn't do anything."
"So now what?"
"He can't do anything until Monday. He was trying to get in to see a lawyer today, but...I don't know. It's a Friday afternoon. Who knows who'll see him this late in the day?"
"My gosh. It's like a nightmare."
"It is a nightmare. Don't know how Mick's gonna make it through the weekend."
"You don't think he'd do something foolish, do you? Like get a gun and, maybe, shoot someone?"
Donny gives me these crazy eyes. "What kind of person do you think he is? Holy shit. No. He wouldn't shoot anyone. Oh my God." Donny chuckles at my expense. Whatever. "He'll probably drink himself half to death tonight, though."
"Well what good is that gonna do his little niece? He needs to be thinking of a game plan."
"A game plan? You are fucking crazy. What kinda plan can he possibly think of?"
I guess I am sounding like my father, but it makes sense. "I don't know. A new place to live. A new job. Daycare. Something."
"You do live with your head in the clouds, don't you? Rich girls don't know how hard it is to find a new job or a new place to live."
"Now that's not very fair. My father works very hard to give us what we need." And yes, it's a shocker to me that I'm actually defending the man. "I understand how hard it is, I just think a child is important enough to try and make sure those things happen."
"Do me a favor," Donny says, conveniently displacing his anger onto me, "don't give Mick any of your advice...unless you want to be the first one he actually kills."
"Nice." Donny walks away before I can, but I shrug it off, realizing that Mick and Kenna are his family too.
***
Through the jukebox, Usher insists the DJ's got us falling in love, but there is no romance, nor are there smiles, as one by one, Donny's customers learn about Mick's misfortune. Donny stays behind the bar for the rest of the night, and Tina helps me serve our whispering patrons. By the end of the night though, business had continued to steady and at two a.m., when the last customer opens the door to leave the bar, I hear the sound of a grumbling motorcycle.
Mick is back.
Donny stills, and Tina and I look at each other. We hear the slam of the building's side door and footsteps slowly making their way up the side stairwell.
"You gonna go check on him?" I ask Donny. "I'll finish up behind the bar."
"Nah. He's best when left alone. If he had good news, he'd have been in here."
Donny's words rub me the wrong way. First, he's the one that said Mick won't make it through the weekend, that he'd drink himself half to death. Then, he doesn't want to check on him? I may lack emotion, and I may not be too compassionate when it comes to my friends' hurt feelings, but
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