THALIA
When a woman dressed in a black suit approached me on a train track, whilst I was holding a bottle of blue spray paint in my left hand and a face covered with paint, I didn't hesitate to say no to her proposition:
BE HER BRIDESMAID AT HER WE...
"Looking for Dad." I tell her, but I can't tell her any more than that.
"Want me to help?"
"No!" I say all too enthusiastic and all too quickly.
Thalia breaths out a laugh, "okay then." She brushed it off by just putting a smile on her face.
"I didn't mean, No! I meant no but thank you for the offer." I try explain myself but it sounds like I'm just making excuses...Which I am.
"Alright then Gio, see you in a bit, yeah?"
"Definitely." I walk off, leaving T looking confused as hell, and I continue the hunt.
After what feels like forever...
I swear I've checked everywhere!
I've looked in the gym, the indoors pool, the outdoors pool, the games room, the sauna, all the kitchens, all the lounges, the dining room, the cinema room, every bedroom, every bathroom.
In conclusion, I've looked everywhere and I can't find my Dad.
I walk up a few sets of stairs until I reach the top floor of the yacht.
Oh my god
Well I found Dad, he's talking to one of the barmen.
"Dad!" I yell at him causing him to look over his shoulder.
"Hey, Gio!"
I all over to him and stand beside him, "Dad, I've looked everywhere for you!"
He lets out a laugh, "well clearly not everywhere because I'm here."
I groan, "not the point."
Dad puts his hands on my shoulders, "what's wrong, son?"
"Can we talk?"
"Sure."
"Somewhere a little more private, please."
My dad can clearly see the stress on my face so he stands up off of the stool and follows me to the cinema room.
"It's quiet in here," I tell him as I take a seat.
He sits beside me and sits back, crossing his arms. "What's wrong then, what do you want to talk about?"
I try form my thoughts into a sentence in my head but I'm really struggling, not gonna lie. "Don't be mad".
"No promises."
I roll my eyes, "okay but just try."
Dad nods but doesn't say any more. He's waiting for me to talk. "Okay well, have you ever thought about how much Thalia looks like us?"
My Dad nods, "yeah, I've given it some thought."
"It's weird. She looks like the carbon copy of all of us. It can't be a coincidence, right? Surely. And we share the same birthday."
My Dad scratches his beard and sits forward, "son, I watched when Avery gave birth to you. And then the Doctors let me hold you whilst they checked up on Avery."
"Yeah, but then what?"
"Then.. then she disappeared."
"Mum just disappeared?!"
"Yeah."
I take some time to process. "Could it be possible that she gave birth again? Then fled with Thalia."
My Dad puts his head in his hands, I can no longer see his expression. "I don't know son," he says but it's barely a whisper. He sounds distraught.
"Dad, do you think... do you think Thalia could be my sister?"
My Dad looks up and he looks really hurt. "I don't know."
"Maybe we should do a DNA test?"
"What do you propose we do? Go up to the girl and say "hey, sweetheart, you might be my daughter. Can we just double check?""
"Well yeah, I mean I would probably say that. Minus the daughter part. And the sweetheart part."
My Dad shakes his head like he's trying to talk himself out of the fact he thinks he's found his daughter who he never even had a clue apart. "You know, I've had this fatherly instinct to just protect her, Gio. And I've tried to ignore it so much. I've tried. But I can't. I have this underlying need to make sure she's safe." His voice breaks at the end.
I put an arm round my dad, "Dad, don't ignore it. Obviously it isn't just you feeling it. You will kick yourself in 20 years time about the fact you never found out if you were related or not. And let's say she is, not much will change she just might start calling you Dad. And if she's not, nothing will change."
My Dads eyes are bloodshot like he's desperately trying to hold himself together. He nods his head, "you're right. Let's do it."
