We walk into the house I’ve come to loathe over the years, and I frown at all the changes I’m seeing. There are a few boxes taped up and set to the side by the entrance. Statues and vases that used to sit above small tables are now gone from view, and paintings that lined the walls are now missing as well. I even notice that Maria, the staff member who usually stands by the entrance to collect our belongings, isn’t here.
“Umm, Dad? What’s going on here?” I ask as I slip out of my spring coat, setting it down on one of the empty tables. I go over to Gracie, who sits in my father’s arms, and do the same with hers.
“Almost everything in this house was your mother’s pickings. I have no use or desire for any of it, so I’ve gotten rid of most. And I’ve given most of the staff shorter hours and more days off without affecting their pay. It’s ridiculous to have someone stand by the door around the clock for no reason.”
Wow… my dad really has changed in the last few months.
We wander over to the living room,yes, living room. Not ‘parlor room’ like my mother would have demanded,and my heart nearly bursts from my chest at the sight before me. My father has laid down a large, thick mat on the floor, and unopened toys sit beside it, patiently waiting to be taken out and played with.He did all of this for Gracie.
“So I was thinking we could order in from one of your favorite places. I know it’s not a nice expensive dinner or home-cooked meal like you’re used to, but I gave Raphael the day off before realizing I was going to need his cooking skills,” my dad says with a chuckle as he sits down on the floor with Gracie and begins to take the toys out of their packaging.
“Who are you, and what have you done with my father?” I say with wide blinking eyes.My dad never eats fast food.
A laugh I haven’t heard in years falls from his lips as he throws his head back. “I guess the single life is changing me. Or maybe it’s the old age,” he winks.
I watch him for a moment as he presents all the new toys to Little Tulip, who grabs them eagerly. “How are things with the divorce going?”
He sighs, and I see a million emotions flicker through his eyes. “It’s taking longer than I would have hoped. Your mother and I have a lot of assets together, so splitting them is proving quite difficult.” There’s a small hint of sadness in his voice.Maybe he’s regretting his decision.
“It’s okay if you miss her, Dad. You two were together for so long,” I say despite the hatred I feel toward the woman who birthed me.
“Oh no, Sunflower, it’s nothing like that. In all honesty, I feel a thousand pounds lighter now that she’s no longer around. The marriage between your mother and I was never about love. Itwas an obligation more than anything. Bringing two powerful families together.”
“But doesn’t it bother you that she ran off so quickly to someone else? She didn’t even wait a full twenty-four hours before moving in with numb bag,” I say furiously. I’m angry for my dad. He did everything for her, gave her anything she wanted, and she repays him like this?
“Elaine was never faithful to me; that was never a secret. And if it was, she didn’t try hard to hide it. Even when she was pregnant with you, I had a paternity test done because I had already found her being unfaithful.”
What?! How did I not know this?My mouth hangs open as I gape like a fish. Open, close. Open, close. “Why would you stay with her if she was cheating on you the whole time?”
“When you enter an arranged marriage, you put those feelings and opinions aside. All that matters is the front you put out. What happens behind closed doors doesn’t matter. And anyway, she wasn’t the only one at fault. I wasn’t a saint, either. Although it took me years before I looked elsewhere.”
“Wow… I don’t even know what to say.” I stare at him in complete shock.
He chuckles as he places a ball inside a toy elephant that proceeds to shoot it out of its trunk and into the air, making Gracie squeal with laughter.
“So what’s happening with the house? I’m guessing you’re keeping it since Mom already removed herself?”
“Nope. I’m selling it.”
“You’re what?!”
He gets up from his spot and comes to sit by my side on the couch with a sigh. “This house was never my dream home. It was your mother’s. I couldn’t care less about this place. The only good thing that came out of it was you, Sunflower. But I want afresh start now. I’m not a young man anymore, I don’t need all these empty rooms.”
He smiles warmly, his gaze finding mine. “The only thing I want is to be closer to my daughters and grandchildren, so I’ve been looking for places near you and Cecilia. I’ve found a couple of interesting ones within a five-minute drive from the both of you. I’m also planning on retiring within the next year.”
“But you love your job and the firm…”
He places his hand on my thigh, offering me a fatherly smile. “I do, but if I’ve learned anything over the last few months, it’s that there are more important things in life than work. I wasted years in my career to end up with a sour woman at my side and a daughter who resents her family.” He smiles again, but this one is much sadder. “It’s not the life I wanted, and I hate that I wasn’t more present while you were growing up. I don’t want to miss out on another moment of your life, and I don’t want to make the same mistake with my grandkids.”
Tears well in my eyes as I look at my father. “Oh, Daddy… I don’t resent you.” I throw myself in his arms as the first tear slides down my cheek.
Just then, my phone begins to ring in my pocket. I release my father and pull it out while wiping my tear, butterflies fluttering in my stomach at the name flashing on my screen.Wolf.
“There’s my favorite Bunny,” he says with a sexy smirk once his face fills the screen.
“Wolf.” I sigh affectionately.
“I miss you.”
