" Bitter Truth ".

14. Dad.

I yawned and stretched like a Cheshire cat, sitting straight up on my bed, leaning against the headboard I searched for my phone finding it I checked the time...it read six-thirty in the morning, it was not just early for a Saturday but any day that I wake up.

" coming " I yelled as the knocking on the door increased.
I grunted in annoyance wearing the fuzzy flip-flops I walked towards the door.

" just a minute," I said in a calmer tone as I opened the door.

" my little girl...." the tall brown-haired, bulky man yelled engulfing me in a warm tight comforting hug.

" dad " I replied hugging him back.

He moved me at arm's distance looking at me, a smile crept on my face watching him back, the wrinkles forming at the end of his eyes, his chocolate brown eyes representing mine.

" you look so pale and lean aren't you eating well..." he asked with concern.

" I umm.....uhh..." I searched for an excuse.

" what happen?" Sergio barged in holding a ladle.

Kia followed him along with a pan " I am from the police " she shouted her hair a complete mess just like her spouse.

" hello there "My dad chimed in from the kitchen

" David..." Sergio said excitedly running into the kitchen to hug my dad.

" wow, I am surprised that you are here...." kia said looking exactly the opposite of surprised.

I eyed her critically as she hugged dad later sitting on the couch.

Dad handed her and Sergio a cup of coffee, instructing them to be careful.

After a couple of minutes, he came back with three cups, two large cups and a tiny one.

He pulled a chair making me sit in it, he placed the two large cups of coffee and a tiny empty cup on the table.

He walked towards the table to get himself another chair, I extended my hand to take my cup of coffee, my hand halted mid-air as my dad warned " honey don't touch it, it's very hot you're going to burn yourself " like I was a two-year-old kid.

My mom and dad got separated when I was fourteen years old, the reason is still unknown, but they did not impose their decision on us they gave me and Hannah the decision to choose while she immediately chose mom, I chose my grandma that way I could see both my parents but that did not work well for me, mom's visits became more and more infrequent while dad was available on the phone, but grandma was always there for me, she gave me enough love combined to both my parents, she passed away six years ago since then dad was always there just like he said I am one call away.

He came back sitting next to me, he poured a small amount of coffee from the large cup into the tiny one making it cold by shaking it and blowing over it a couple of times he handed me the warm coffee, one of the habits that he inherited from Grandma.

A small smile formed on my face reminding me of the familiar hazel eyes, the taste of the coffee similar to his.

" is it hot?" dad questioned, I nodded my head passing him the empty cup for another sip.

"'What are you thinking about hazel? " kia questioned teasingly.

" seriously guys ladle and a pan..." I questioned changing the topic.

Sergio placed the ladle behind his back looking embarrassed while kia sipped her coffee.

" dad! and you know your fingerprint is logged right..." I questioned sipping coffee.