Chapter 14

Six years later, the doorbell rang bringing a ghost from my past.

“Hello, Dad.”

“Elise? What are you doing here? You can’t show up at my door like this. Besides, I have nothing to say to you.”

I pushed the door to close it, but she stopped me, placing her hand on it.

“Dad, please.”

“I stopped being your dad the day you threw me away for no reason. It’s Paul to you.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Paul? Really?”

“What do you want Elise? If you need a kidney the answer is no.”

“Can we go inside and talk, please?”

“No, we can’t. This is my family home and you’re not welcomed here.”

“I was a confused teenager, Dad ... I’m sorry but I’m not calling you, Paul. My parents had divorced. I started a new life, in a new house, with a new school and new friends. It was all too exciting for me. I was dazzled by the bright lights and forgot about you and how much you were suffering.”

“You chose Doctor Dick and his money over me.”

Elise stood there, not knowing what to say.

“Don’t you love me anymore?” she pouted.

“I loved the little girl who adored me and loved me. Not the material girl who threw me away for a wealthier life!”

I was fighting back the tears. I didn’t know I could get so emotional after all this time.

A sixteen-year-old Sabrina came running and hugged me tightly. She had grown up into a gorgeous teenager who had half the Middletown boys drooling over her.

Her eyes shot daggers to my former daughter.

“He is MY Dad now! He’s the best Dad in the world. All my friends are jealous of me because of him. You can’t have him back. You abandoned him. He’s mine now. We are happy. Go away!”

“Are you going to introduce me, Dad?” my former daughter asked. I could see she was a bit pissed with Sabrina’s attitude.

“She is my older daughter Sabrina.”

Sabrina’s voice dropped to a hiss. “You broke him. Did you know that? You broke the man who loved you more than anything, he would have done anything for you! I can’t imagine a more heartless person than you except for your mother. What’s wrong with you, princess?”

Elise was crying openly now.

“I know I deserve all this and more. You are both right about me. I turned into a selfish bitch.”

“Finally we can agree on something,” I said bitterly

Elise cried some more. I wanted to hug her but I fought the urge.

“Two blocks north there is a restaurant called ‘The Jammed’. I don’t have anything to say to you, but I’ll hear what you have to say there.”

Ten minutes later, Sabrina and I walked to the restaurant. I couldn’t convince my daughter to stay at home. She was as stubborn as she was beautiful.

“I can distinguish between fake and real emotions, and, more specifically, between genuine and fake tears. I don’t trust her, Dad.”

Elise had chosen a booth in a corner.

Sabrina and I sat on the opposite side.

“This is your show, Elise. Say your piece and go back to your glamorous life.”

She sniffed. “I was hoping you’d have forgiven me after all this time. I was hoping we could move past what happened, but I can see I was being overly optimistic.”

“Why? You never apologized for what you did. That last thing you told me was that I ruined your life. To be honest I barely think about my past life. Lots of unhappy memories. I lost my home, my job, and, most of all, my wife and my daughter. What did I do to deserve that? Not a single thing. You knew about your mother’s cheating and never said a word to me! And then, you made my life miserable with every visit. You were bored ... I was not exciting ... I couldn’t compete with Doctor Dick to get you better seats at a concert ... And now, you just show up out of the blue and you think ... what? That everything will be forgiven? Fucking incredible!”

Sabrina extended her hand and I put a quarter on it.

My whole body was shaking overwhelmed by the emotions that I had buried deep down in my soul and that were now resurfacing. Sabrina was holding my hand tight, still shooting daggers towards my former daughter.

Elise blotted the tears from her cheeks.

“You’re right again. I’m sorry, Dad. I’m really, really sorry. I hurt you for no reason except my selfishness. I tried to call you but your old number wasn’t working anymore. I went to our old house only to discover that you’d moved away. I called grandma asking for you, but she didn’t know or she didn’t want to tell me your new number or where were you”

“How long did it take you to realize that? When you got the check for my lawyer?”

She nodded.

“So you didn’t text me or call me in a month.”

“You’re right. I didn’t. I was angry with you for those posters you made. People were treating us like trash.”

“If the shoe fits...” Sabrina said under her breath.

I couldn’t help but smile.

“What are you doing here, Elise?”

“I’ve met a boy in college. His name is Roger. He is from a good family.”

“By ‘good’ you mean wealthy”

Elise nodded. I shook my head.

I looked at the girl who had once been my daughter, I really looked at her. I still wasn’t sure what her intentions were but I was pretty sure there was a reason for her sudden reappearance in my life.

“I’m getting married and I wanted you to meet my fiancé and walk me down the aisle the day of the wedding.”

“Why?”

She looked confused.

“Because no matter what you say, you’re still my dad.”

“What about Doctor Dick...? Are your mother and him still together?”

“Yes, Dad. They are.”

“Why isn’t he walking you down the aisle then? I suppose he’s paying for everything.”

“Yes, he is. Well, half of it. Roger’s parents insisted to pay the other half.”

“I don’t get it.”

“What is there to get?” Elise was looking annoyed now. “You are my father and I want you there.”

“When did you graduate?”

“A couple of years ago. Why?”

“Because I wasn’t invited to your graduation.”

She opened her mouth and closed it. I could tell things weren’t going as she expected.

“Well ... I didn’t know your address or your new phone number...”

I smelled a rat. I started to think Sabrina was right about Elise.

“Did you try to find me?”

“Ehhh ... No, I didn’t.”

“How did you find me now?”

“I ... I hired a P.I.”

“So you didn’t care about me two years ago, but you care now. You chose Doctor Dick over me over and over again, and now you suddenly want me to walk you down the aisle. What changed?”

She looked down.