MY TOXIC TAURUS

CHAPTER 14

She did not have to look for him when she got to the coffee shop. He was seated outside on the very spot they sat when she saw him for the first time again in two years. Back then she had been so excited to meet her father and went to meet him in secret but today was different. She had no excitement in her eyes nor was she cheerful meeting this man again. It had been over a year since they sat down together to even have coffee. The last time she left was after having an argument with her stepmom feeling like she was trying to take her mother's place. Her father had taken Stephanie's side and she left later that day without informing anyone. Even her siblings whom she left staying with Henry.
"Hi dad," she said when he had not noticed her standing in front of him, occupied on his phone. He was reading an article about her and Chris' engagement.
"Veronica," he smiled one of the most genuine smiles she had seen on him but she was not moved or perhaps she only hid it because part of her felt like accepting him was just as good as betraying her mother. He got up and hugged her for sometime even though she did not respond.
"You can let go of me now."
He chuckled nervously breaking the hug. His daughter had grown up so much and now she was engaged. He felt that  he was missing out on so much of her life unintentionally. If she would only let him back in. But she was just as stubborn as he was. They sat down and he was about to call a waitress to make an order but she stopped him.
"Dad can we please just get done with this. I really have a lot to do."
If she was going to be difficult, he could do the same perhaps even better. She was his daughter after all.
"How can I let you sit here and have nothing. You're even losing weight dear."
"That's by choice dad."
"Regardless, we are having a meal together.  Think of it as a lunch meeting."
He made the order which was quickly brought to them and she was left with no choice. He could see that she was hungry such that the moment their meals were brought to them, she dug in without a word. He watched her eat seeing just how much of a similarity she had with her mom.
She probably thought he did not miss her. If only she had the slightest idea how much he did.
He had done everything to try and keep them together even after the divorce with her mom and back then Veronica had been the one person in contact with him.
Her mother's passing affected her but not as much as him getting remarried did and she felt like he was replacing her mom and replacing them with Stephanie and her two sons.
Maybe he had made a mistake in an effort to make things better for them. He just needed a way to make her understand that everything was in their best interest and no one had anything against her, especially Stephanie who had loved them from the beginning.
"Do you remember when we first had coffee here?" He smiled at the thought reminiscing a past of the daughter he once knew and wanted back. She watched him and stopped eating realizing just how fast she was having her food. She was so hungry. She could barely remember the last time she had a proper meal with everything that had been happening over the week but now was not the time to let herself go. Not infront of Henry. It would be like letting him win.
"I remember you had this sparkle in your eye the whole time and..."
"Yeah I remember."
She did not want an account of her past. All it did was depress her. Thinking of it all she did not know which one was worse, her past or her present because both caused her nothing but pain and confusion. She just needed a moment of peace away from all the chaos her life had turned into.
"We miss you Veronica."
"We?"
"Yes. Your sisters, your brothers... even Steph."
Veronica chuckled dryly at his statement.
"Steph? She's the last person who'd want anything to do with me. So why in the world would she miss me."
"You're wrong about her..."
"NO dad you are. You can't see what she's doing here because she has you so much under her control. We were doing fine before she came along acting all nice but I know she's not. It's all pretence dad."
"Why don't you at least give her a chance to prove herself  to you. Then I promise after that you will see that she is a good person."
"Dad if we're here to talk about your wife,then I think it would be best if I leave."
"Fine. We won't talk about her. But can you at least come home once."
"I'm busy dad..."
" I know, but do it once. Next week is your sister's graduation party and I'm sure she'd love for you to come."
"I'll think about it...can I go now?"
"Yes, go ahead."
Veronica immediately got up to leave.
"Ronnie, thank you."
"I didn't do this for you dad..."
"I know but thank you. You showed up and at least you still call me dad."
She could not say a word to her smiling dad knowing how right everything he said was. She grabbed her bag and left in a hurry taking a taxi just as she had come.
That name 'Ronnie'. No one had called her that in a long time and it brought back so many hidden memories. Sitting in that taxi, she could not help but think of how much she missed her family.  She missed having people around her who she knew she could count on no matter what and even though Cassie was one of those people, family just felt different on another level. She missed getting home to share her good news, she missed family game nights and even the little fights they would have. She had not spoken with her siblings in ages and had even forgotten about her sister's graduation. What kind of a sister was she? She let her anger towards her dad and Stephanie get in the way of everything good she had with her family.
She had not realized the fact that she was crying. Not until the taxi driver asked if she was okay and she had to wipe her tears away feeling embarrassed. She was not one to publicly show her emotions but the man did not seem to take it badly.
Along the way she got a call and answered without having a look at the caller id. It was probably Chris since he had not called her the whole day and he always did.
"Hello."
"We need to talk."
"Ethan?"
How in the world did he even have her new number. She was hoping to avoid him for a few more days knowing he had probably seen the news already.
"I'm coming at your place."
"Ethan you can't..."
He hang up before she could say anything more and she leaned back in frustration.