Free Painless by Derek Ciccone Page A

birth parents. She said it was to learn her medical history for Carolyn’s sake, in case her fevers were related to what her brother had. But I know it’s about her making peace with the abandonment.”
    Billy knew all too well about trying to make peace with the past. And when it came to a separation of a parent and child, he doubted such a thing was possible.
     

Chapter 14
     
    Billy persuaded Dana to rejoin the party. Children’s laughter could be one of the world’s great medicines and he suspected Dana could use some.
    As if using radar, Carolyn spotted their approach and made a mad dash toward them. “Aunt Dana! Aunt Dana!”
    Dana picked up the little girl. “How is my beautiful niece?”
    “I’m foe!”
    “You’re almost as old as me.”
    “How old are you , Aunt Dana?”
    Her breezy laugh returned. “I’m forever twenty-nine.”
    Carolyn looked at her with wonderment. “Wow, twenty-nine is really old.”
    “I used to think so,” Dana said, her tears in the rear-view mirror. “So are you going to come visit me soon?”
    “Will I get to ride the train?”
    “That’s the best part,” Dana said cheerfully, before turning serious. “Let me see that tongue, sweetie.”
    Carolyn proudly stuck it out, exposing the jagged black stitches. Dana cringed, but forced a comforting look. “Why did you do that?”
    Carolyn was smart and likely realized the “having fun” answer led to further inquiry. She shrugged with contrived sadness, and replied, “It wasn’t my smartest move.”
    “No it wasn’t, sweetie, no it wasn’t,” Dana said as she set the girl down.
     Carolyn then spotted the bike and began hopping up and down like she had to go the bathroom “Is that for me?”
    “It sure is.”
    Her mouth dropped open, forming an O, and her big saucer eyes expanded. “That’s a big girl bike!”
    “A big girl bike for a big girl!”
    Beth appeared out of nowhere, approaching her older sister. They seemed like they were backwards. Beth’s motherly aura made her seem like the thirty-five-year-old, while the aging-like-a-fine-wine Dana could’ve passed for twenty-five.
    They embraced. “Thank you so much for helping us with the party. She loved it,” Beth said, her eyes welling with tears.
    “Hey, it saved me a trip to Chuck E. Cheese,” Dana deflected.
    “I don’t know how we can ever re-pay you. This meant so much to Carolyn.”
    They hugged again. “You know I’d do anything for her—I love that kid.”
    “But you’ve done so much beyond…”
    Dana cut her off. “I can only buy so many pairs of shoes.”
    As usual, they were heeled, leather, and expensive. Beth’s work boots were full of mud from the scavenger hunt. The contrast was as sharp as a blade.
    “Mom—Aunt Dana got me a big girl bike,” Carolyn exploded.
    “I know. What do you say, Carolyn?”
    “I say let’s ride bikes!”
    Beth’s head tilted in disappointment. Carolyn picked up on the error of her ways. “I say thank you, Aunt Dana?”
    “Much better,” her mother said.
    “So are you having fun at your party?” Dana asked the girl.
    “Oh my gosh, we…” She thrust into a long tangent about animals, dragons, scavenger hunts, and strawberry milk. Then her cute cheeks drooped. “I just wish my dad was here.”
    Moving behind her, still wearing the Big Bird costume, sans the head, Chuck swooped his daughter into his yellow-feathered arms.
    The smile instantly returned to her face. “Daddy—you came!” She then viewed him up and down with a perplexed look. “You are wearing Big Bird’s clothes, you silly.”
     
    As the party began to dwindle, they were approached by a portly man flanked by his equally portly kid. It took Billy a moment to recognize him; the night before was a little hazy. But then he placed him as the loud sports talk radio guy named Hawk.
    Hawk hit Billy on the arm like they were long lost friends. “A different woman every time I see you, Harper.”
    Billy smiled awkwardly.
    “Hey,