Daddy Issues (Andy Barber x OC)

10

Pippa's eyes went from her magazine to where her daughter was pacing the living room and constantly looking out of the window whenever she heard a car pass. "You'll wear a hole in the floor and fall through it." She smirked.

Isla spun round to her, "What if he doesn't show?"

"Isla, he said he will and your dad is a man of his word...he'll be here."

"What's the time?"

Pippa looked at her watch. "11am, sit your butt down, you're giving me a headache with your pacing."

"I can't help it." Isla fanned herself, "Do you know how long I've been waiting for this."

"A far shorter time than I have, believe me." Pippa replied.

Isla had been on high alert all morning, keeping a watch from the window, pacing, questioning whether Andy would come or if he would simply decide that he didn't want her. Pippa knew that he would show. He'd estimated that he'd be with them by 11:30 at the latest, traffic depending.

"Mom..." Isla was becoming a little more anxious and Pippa sat her down in the chair by the window.

"Ok you, calm down -he'll be here. Just breathe ok? I knew you were nervous from the moment I looked at you this morning."

Isla looked at her as though she was about to cry. "It's just...he's my dad...and I'm about to see him for the first time ever. Were you nervous when you saw him last weekend?"

Pippa nodded. "I took one look at him and knew I had to leave, but he came after me."

"But how did you feel?"

She looked away from her daughter and then back at her seriously. "I had those same butterflies I had when I first met him years ago."

Isla stared at her. "You've never really told me about him, just the brief things and when the picture I have was taken. You never properly speak of him or have done, you always avoided the subject."

"And now you know why."

"Do you still love him?"

Pippa got back on her feet. "I'm gonna get you a drink."

"Mom." Isla turned. "Do you?"

Pippa stopped and didn't turn back. "It's always been your dad, but what I feel for him and have done? It won't change. His feelings have though, he married another woman and had your brother. Today is about reconciling with you, not trying to reignite something that died out long ago."

Walking into the kitchen she took a deep breath. Hoping that everything would go right today, for all their sakes.
Making Isla her drink, she returned to the living room and passed it to her daughter. Both of them then hearing a car pull up outside. Isla was immediately by the window with Pippa alongside her. "Is that his car?" She glanced to her mother.

Pippa watched as Andy got out of his Audi and remembered to breathe finally. "Yep...that's him..."

Isla was already gone and throwing open the front door before she realised.

**

Jacob had decided to wait to meet his sister, telling Andy that it was better if he wasn't there. "I mean, I wanna meet her, but like you said, probably better if you do first." Andy could sense his sons hesitation and didn't blame him for it. It was a delicate situation for all.

Now, a week later and after dropping Jacob off at school he was making the hour drive to finally meet Isla.
He hadn't really slept the night before, wondering whether his daughter would take one look at him and then decide she actually didn't want anything to do with him - Andy wouldn't blame her for that either. All the while he worried that she would find herself disappointed in him. What if he wasn't what she was expecting? That she'd built a picture of him in her head and he didn't meet her expectations, the dream that she'd had of him since she was a little girl.

With every mile that passed, and every one that brought him closer to her - the more his anxieties built up inside of him.

He could do this.

He was going to finally hold his baby girl sixteen years too late...

Pushing his thoughts aside, he continued the journey, finally turning into the sleepy Northampton neighbourhood where Pippa and Isla resided.

There it was. The home had blue shutters, and Pippa had told him he would know it when he saw it.
Pulling up just outside of it, he got out and checked that it was the right house number.

It was...

The front door then opened and immediately his heart stopped on seeing the blonde haired girl staring back at him.

"Daddy?" Isla was frozen in the doorway.

He nodded, unable to take his eyes from her. "Yeah sweetheart...it's me..."

She flew out of the door within seconds and was running to him, finally throwing her arms around him as he locked his own around her slim frame. Andy buried his face into her and finally held his little (or not so much anymore) girl for the first time ever. Isla sobbed against him and he took a step back.

"C'mere, let me look at how beautiful you are." He said, taking her in. It was like looking at Pippa...however she had some of his features. "My god, look at you...you're just like your mom..." He told her, brushing away some tears.

Isla wiped her eyes. "She says I look like you more..."

"You're our daughter, half me, half your mother...I just...I can't stop looking at you..."

She half laughed, half cried, "I can't stop looking at you either..." Wiping her eyes on the cuff of her jumper sleeve. "I only have like one picture of you and I've tried to imagine what you looked like and sounded like - but I never got it right."

He smiled at her, the emotional wave finally washing over him and he embraced her again.

This girl would become absolutely and already was everything to him, just like Jacob.

Pippa watched from the door, brushing a few tears away from her own eyes. The man who she saw at the bottom of the driveway clearly wanted his daughter. He hadn't stopped staring at her and now was locked in a long embrace.

She had never thought she would see this day ever.

"C'mon, your mom's waiting." Andy now said eyeing Pippa over Isla's shoulder, giving her a kiss on the cheek and walked up the path with her to where Pippa was.

"How was your journey?" She smiled warmly as he gave her a peck on the cheek.

"A smooth one thankfully."

"Coffee?" She asked, ushering both him and her daughter inside.

Andy nodded, "Please."

"Milk and one sugar still?" Pippa asked, the three of them walking into the kitchen.

She still remembered? "Yeah...how did you..."

"I remember." Pippa smiled as though it was no big deal and started the coffee machine. She remembered everything about him. How he always liked to start his day off with a coffee, his favourite food etc etc.
Andy sat himself at the table while Isla took the chair next to him. "I'm gonna be out in the garden so you two can have some time. Pippa told them, passing Andy his coffee and Isla a can of soda. "I think you two need the privacy..."

"Mom, I said it was fine that you could be here..."

Pippa shook her head. "This time is your time for you two. I'll only be outside, just enjoy each other's company because it is long overdue." and disappeared outside to leave the pair to finally get to know one another.