thing.”
They sat in the car in silence, until he pulled into the parking lot. Chris turned off the car and tapped the steering wheel. They sat there for a few moments before she opened the door.
“Wait. I’d like to know what happened. Don’t you think you owe me at least that?”
She shut the door a little harder than she intended and faced her dad. “I thought you would’ve done a thorough investigation by now.”
“So I check up on you from time to time. You’re my daughter and it’s not like you tell me what’s going on in your life.”
“Wow, that’s an interesting take on our relationship. I would tell you what’s happening with me, but it’s kind of hard to fit six months of my life in those twice a year five minute phone calls, you bestow upon me.”
He let out a sigh. “I know I’m not the best father, but I do love you.”
“Yeah that’s what all the dad’s say before they drop their kid off to live with a bunch of women they barely know. I know you don’t want me, hell you never wanted me, so don’t try and play concerned father now. Go back to your work and have your ‘guys’ give you their monthly report on me. I think it’s better for both of us.” She opened the door and got out.
“Zoe wait!”
She continued to her car searching her purse for the keys.
Chris exited the car and followed her; He closed the distance and put a hand on her shoulder. “Is that what you think? You think I didn’t want you?”
She held back the tears and nodded.
“Aw hell. Zoe I had my reasons for sending you there.” She pulled away from him. “Damn it! I thought I was doing what’s best for you. I was a single dad, I didn’t know how to raise a little girl, let alone teach you all the things your mom wanted you to learn. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy. I really thought I had given you that.”
“You thought I would be happy without you in my life?”
He sighed. “I didn’t think me not being there on a regular basis would hurt you so much. I thought-I thought you were better off without me.”
“Why would you ever think that?”
“There are things…things I face with my job… that I didn’t want to affect you. I wanted you to have a normal life. I couldn’t give you that. I wanted to, but I couldn’t.”
“So you sent me to live with a group of witches? Was that your idea of normal?”
He gave a lighthearted chuckle. “When you say it like that…”
He turned her around and pulled her into his arms. All those years of feeling unwanted, unloved by the only parent she had left. The dam finally broke, tears streamed down her cheeks.
He placed his chin on her head and squeezed her tighter. “After your mom died, I didn’t know how I was going to take care of myself let alone you. I thought that having your mother’s sister’s raise you were the best thing I could do for you. I’ve missed you every day.”
She glanced up and wiped her nose. “We could’ve taken care of each other. I lost mom too and then I lost you.”
“You didn’t like living with the coven?”
“They are my family and I love them, but you’re my dad. I was supposed to be with you.”
He pulled her closer. “I’m sorry sweetheart, I’m so sorry.”
She leaned into her dad and released the emotional baggage that weighed her down for the last sixteen years. Was it possible her father really did love her? That was a place she could not force her mind to go right now. She felt fragile as if she would break at any moment. This was a question she would save for another day. For now , she would savor this moment, the moment she waited her whole life for.
****
Evan paced his tiny studio apartment. There wasn’t enough room, enough space in here. He felt like he was going to suffocate. He needed to do something, anything. The look on Zoe’s face was etched into his brain and he couldn’t shake it no matter how he tried. Betrayal, that’s what he saw on her face.
He knew this
They sat in the car in silence, until he pulled into the parking lot. Chris turned off the car and tapped the steering wheel. They sat there for a few moments before she opened the door.
“Wait. I’d like to know what happened. Don’t you think you owe me at least that?”
She shut the door a little harder than she intended and faced her dad. “I thought you would’ve done a thorough investigation by now.”
“So I check up on you from time to time. You’re my daughter and it’s not like you tell me what’s going on in your life.”
“Wow, that’s an interesting take on our relationship. I would tell you what’s happening with me, but it’s kind of hard to fit six months of my life in those twice a year five minute phone calls, you bestow upon me.”
He let out a sigh. “I know I’m not the best father, but I do love you.”
“Yeah that’s what all the dad’s say before they drop their kid off to live with a bunch of women they barely know. I know you don’t want me, hell you never wanted me, so don’t try and play concerned father now. Go back to your work and have your ‘guys’ give you their monthly report on me. I think it’s better for both of us.” She opened the door and got out.
“Zoe wait!”
She continued to her car searching her purse for the keys.
Chris exited the car and followed her; He closed the distance and put a hand on her shoulder. “Is that what you think? You think I didn’t want you?”
She held back the tears and nodded.
“Aw hell. Zoe I had my reasons for sending you there.” She pulled away from him. “Damn it! I thought I was doing what’s best for you. I was a single dad, I didn’t know how to raise a little girl, let alone teach you all the things your mom wanted you to learn. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy. I really thought I had given you that.”
“You thought I would be happy without you in my life?”
He sighed. “I didn’t think me not being there on a regular basis would hurt you so much. I thought-I thought you were better off without me.”
“Why would you ever think that?”
“There are things…things I face with my job… that I didn’t want to affect you. I wanted you to have a normal life. I couldn’t give you that. I wanted to, but I couldn’t.”
“So you sent me to live with a group of witches? Was that your idea of normal?”
He gave a lighthearted chuckle. “When you say it like that…”
He turned her around and pulled her into his arms. All those years of feeling unwanted, unloved by the only parent she had left. The dam finally broke, tears streamed down her cheeks.
He placed his chin on her head and squeezed her tighter. “After your mom died, I didn’t know how I was going to take care of myself let alone you. I thought that having your mother’s sister’s raise you were the best thing I could do for you. I’ve missed you every day.”
She glanced up and wiped her nose. “We could’ve taken care of each other. I lost mom too and then I lost you.”
“You didn’t like living with the coven?”
“They are my family and I love them, but you’re my dad. I was supposed to be with you.”
He pulled her closer. “I’m sorry sweetheart, I’m so sorry.”
She leaned into her dad and released the emotional baggage that weighed her down for the last sixteen years. Was it possible her father really did love her? That was a place she could not force her mind to go right now. She felt fragile as if she would break at any moment. This was a question she would save for another day. For now , she would savor this moment, the moment she waited her whole life for.
****
Evan paced his tiny studio apartment. There wasn’t enough room, enough space in here. He felt like he was going to suffocate. He needed to do something, anything. The look on Zoe’s face was etched into his brain and he couldn’t shake it no matter how he tried. Betrayal, that’s what he saw on her face.
He knew this
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