turned toward home and nearly collided with a tall gentleman in a black trench coat.
“ Daddy!” she exclaimed, when she looked up into the stranger’s face. Ronald Gaines smiled down at his daughter tentatively.
“ I was hoping to run into you here. I knew you wouldn’t be able to sit still for too long. I was sure once you were all better, you’d be back to dancing.”
Shayla shrugged. “I’m doing great. Couldn’t be better. It was nice to see you Dad.”
“ Wait!” he grabbed her arm gently before she could breeze past him. “Please don’t treat me like a stranger, Shayla.”
“ For the last two years I haven’t heard a word from my own parents. I’d say that’s pretty strange.”
“ I was hoping I’d find you here so we could talk. Would that be okay?”
Shayla sighed, annoyed, but couldn’t help feeling a twinge in her heart for her father. She supposed he hadn’t meant to be neglectful; he was just a workaholic. Where her mother was cold and brittle, her father had always been warm and friendly. He just hadn’t been around enough for Shayla to see that side of him often. She supposed she could at least talk to him.
“ I haven’t had lunch yet,” she said. “There’s a little diner I like on the end of this street.”
“ Sounds good.”
They fell into step beside each other and walked in silence until they reached the diner. Not one word passed between them as they looked over their menus and ordered. Once their food was in front of them, Ronald finally spoke.
“ I’ve wanted to reach out to you, Shayla. All this time , I haven’t stopped thinking about my little girl.”
“ I’ve been right here!” she cried, banging her open palm against the table. Every old and bitter feeling she’d ever held against her parents was bubbling to the surface. She felt as if someone had ripped the stitches from an old wound. “I was right here and you never called. You never called or showed up!”
“ You never reached out to us either Shayla,” he said pointedly.
He had a point. Shayla turned away to stare out of the window. “You cut me off. You cut me off because I didn’t want to be what you wanted me to be.”
“ We were just a little shocked by your decision. After we put you through four years of college, you stop just one semester short of graduation to pursue a career as a dancer? We didn’t know what to think.”
“ You could have supported me. You could have encouraged me to live my dream.”
“ You’re right.” Ronald sighed in resignation. “Of course now it would seem you’re living your dream just fine without our support.”
Shayla’s eyes met his and she saw the glistening of tears there. Her heart melted and she reached across the table to take his hand. “I still need you, Daddy. I still need your support.”
He smiled and dabbed at the corner of his eye. “I’m so sorry about everything that’s happened, Princess. I know I can’t undo the last two years, but we can start over. I’d really love to hear about how your career has been going.”
Shayla, never one to pass up an opportunity to talk about dance, spent the rest of their lunch date telling him everything. She told him of her first failed auditions, of her money troubles the first few months when jobs were few and far between. He glowed with pride when she told him of her acceptance into the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
“ It sounds as if things are going well for you. I know you may not believe this, but I’m proud of you.”
“ Thanks Daddy.”
“ I don’t suppose you want to tell me about the young man who was at your apartment when your mother and I stopped by?”
Shayla’s smile faded rapidly and she instantly retreated behind a mask of indifference. “Just a friend, Daddy.”
Ronald chuckled good-naturedly. “And what is this ‘friend’s’ name?”
“ Amir.”
“ Interesting name. He certainly seemed protective of you.”
“ Daddy I don’t want to talk
“ Daddy!” she exclaimed, when she looked up into the stranger’s face. Ronald Gaines smiled down at his daughter tentatively.
“ I was hoping to run into you here. I knew you wouldn’t be able to sit still for too long. I was sure once you were all better, you’d be back to dancing.”
Shayla shrugged. “I’m doing great. Couldn’t be better. It was nice to see you Dad.”
“ Wait!” he grabbed her arm gently before she could breeze past him. “Please don’t treat me like a stranger, Shayla.”
“ For the last two years I haven’t heard a word from my own parents. I’d say that’s pretty strange.”
“ I was hoping I’d find you here so we could talk. Would that be okay?”
Shayla sighed, annoyed, but couldn’t help feeling a twinge in her heart for her father. She supposed he hadn’t meant to be neglectful; he was just a workaholic. Where her mother was cold and brittle, her father had always been warm and friendly. He just hadn’t been around enough for Shayla to see that side of him often. She supposed she could at least talk to him.
“ I haven’t had lunch yet,” she said. “There’s a little diner I like on the end of this street.”
“ Sounds good.”
They fell into step beside each other and walked in silence until they reached the diner. Not one word passed between them as they looked over their menus and ordered. Once their food was in front of them, Ronald finally spoke.
“ I’ve wanted to reach out to you, Shayla. All this time , I haven’t stopped thinking about my little girl.”
“ I’ve been right here!” she cried, banging her open palm against the table. Every old and bitter feeling she’d ever held against her parents was bubbling to the surface. She felt as if someone had ripped the stitches from an old wound. “I was right here and you never called. You never called or showed up!”
“ You never reached out to us either Shayla,” he said pointedly.
He had a point. Shayla turned away to stare out of the window. “You cut me off. You cut me off because I didn’t want to be what you wanted me to be.”
“ We were just a little shocked by your decision. After we put you through four years of college, you stop just one semester short of graduation to pursue a career as a dancer? We didn’t know what to think.”
“ You could have supported me. You could have encouraged me to live my dream.”
“ You’re right.” Ronald sighed in resignation. “Of course now it would seem you’re living your dream just fine without our support.”
Shayla’s eyes met his and she saw the glistening of tears there. Her heart melted and she reached across the table to take his hand. “I still need you, Daddy. I still need your support.”
He smiled and dabbed at the corner of his eye. “I’m so sorry about everything that’s happened, Princess. I know I can’t undo the last two years, but we can start over. I’d really love to hear about how your career has been going.”
Shayla, never one to pass up an opportunity to talk about dance, spent the rest of their lunch date telling him everything. She told him of her first failed auditions, of her money troubles the first few months when jobs were few and far between. He glowed with pride when she told him of her acceptance into the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
“ It sounds as if things are going well for you. I know you may not believe this, but I’m proud of you.”
“ Thanks Daddy.”
“ I don’t suppose you want to tell me about the young man who was at your apartment when your mother and I stopped by?”
Shayla’s smile faded rapidly and she instantly retreated behind a mask of indifference. “Just a friend, Daddy.”
Ronald chuckled good-naturedly. “And what is this ‘friend’s’ name?”
“ Amir.”
“ Interesting name. He certainly seemed protective of you.”
“ Daddy I don’t want to talk
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