Forbidden Desires

Chapter One

I dropped my suitcase in front of me and took in my surroundings. There were people embracing and kissing each other all around the airport. Two people caught my eyes especially. It was a daughter hugging her mother. I had the urge to glare at them. I know it was childish but I was envious of what that teenage girl still had. I would never be able to see my mother again.

Her warm hazel eyes, long auburn hair and heart-warming smile were all gone. My mom was gone.

My best friend kept telling me that London was my get away from all the bad memories in Boston but I didn't want to forget. I was afraid that eventually her face would vanish from my memories. 

"Sydney." I turned around at the sound of my name. A middle-aged man was staring at me with an awkward smile plastered on his face.

My father.

He hardly looked different from the last time I saw him, only more wrinkles and graying black hair. I hated the fact that I took after my dad, and looked nothing like my mom, especially when old friends who knew my father would comment at say, 'you look exactly like your father.'

Grabbing my suitcase, I walked over to my dad, not bothering to smile back. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted when we heard a squeal from beside us. I saw a little blonde girl run up to her dad and leap into his arms.

"Daddy, I missed you so much," the girl said. My dad and I both watched the two of them embrace and then walk off blissfully. What a perfect picture. I turned back to my daddy and watched his face. He couldn't look anymore uncomfortable. I didn't really blame him. I mean the last time I'd actually been face to face with him was right before he left, when I was eight. We had exchanged one or two emails after that but that stopped after a while. My mom always told me that he was too busy with his new family and we didn't need him.

She was right I didn't need him then and I didn't need him now.

"I'll take that," he said taking my suitcase from me. There was a long pause as we stood there facing each other. "So… how are you enjoying London so far?" he said nervously, breaking the awkward silence. Had he not realised that I hadn't even set foot out the airport yet.

"Err… the airport is quite nice… lots of… people." Could this conversation be anymore awkward?

"Yeah, Heathrow airport is quite a busy place especially as it's the summer holidays," he said stating the obvious.

"Cool..." 

"I hope you had a comfortable flight?"

"Yep…"  

"Nice food?"

"Uh huh…" 

He rubbed his head. "Good, good." 

There was a long awkward pause.

"Well then, we should make a move," he said, finally stopping with the awkward small talk. "Gina and Graham are very excited to meet you." 

Yeah… right. Gina and Graham were my dad's real family. I mean I hardly count as family; I'm just the forgotten daughter he abandoned. He left my mom for Gina. My dad was originally from England and Gina had been his high school lover or something like that.

I actually met Gina once when I was eight. I caught her sneaking out of my dad's office, with messed up hair and an unbuttoned shirt. At the time I didn't fully understand what was going on. I was the one who told my mom, which lead to a divorce and my dad's departure.