It takes two to love

Chapter seven

The following week, my dad and I had the best outings ever. We hung out, got ice cream, shopped, and even watched movies. He constantly apologized for how he severed our relationship all these years just because of what happened with my mum.

   He explained how he had pent up so much anger that it affected him too, I'm just glad he realizes now and we're able to go past all of it. My therapy sessions have been helping me process emotions a lot. I've found a good way to channel them.

''Bye dad''

I wave at him as he drives off. The week is over and he's getting back to work. For the first time, I'm actually going to miss him.
I smiled and walked back into the house. I continue the series, 90-day fiancée then heard a knock at the door.
Daniel is standing there, flowers in hand with a big smile on his face.

''Delivery for Miss Sanders'' he says and hands me the flowers.

''These are beautiful. Thank you Danny'' I say to him, pulling him inside and pecking him on the lips.

''Water?'' I ask him as I find a vase to put the flowers in.

''Yes, of course"

He goes to sit, and I walk back and hand him the glass of water.
"The card?" he asks

"Oh okay," I took the card from the flowers and read them out loud.
"Will you go to prom with me?"

I look up at him and he has this lit-up face like a kid receiving a toy.
"Err Dan, I actually wasn't planning on going to prom"

"I know, I just." He grabs my hands and places them on his legs.

"This is a huge experience and I don't want you to miss out on that, it won't be about anybody. Just us, Eunice, Hugo, you, and me having fun. Think of it as a hangout even. " He says, his eyes lighting up like it does when he's excited.

"Okay, a hangout it is," I say amidst chuckles as he scoops me off my feet and twirls me around.

We were still caught in the moment when the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Daniel says.

"I'll get us something to eat; maybe we can see a movie ..."
I am cut off guard as I see who's behind Daniel.
"What are you doing here?"

I ask her, taking several steps back.
"What's going on Cathy?" Daniel asked now standing by my side.
"Cathy..." she tried to say
"No, no. I don't want to hear anything. Leave now Helen"
She looked taken aback that id called her name the way I did.
"What did you think? That you were going to come up here, approach me and it'd be okay? You thought I was going to jump in your arms after you abandoned me? Leave, there's nothing for you here and there'll never be. I'm not your daughter anymore." Tears dropped from my face as I said this.

"I'm sorry" she spluttered,.
"I never meant to hurt you."
"Leave"
"I think you should leave ma'am" Daniel interjected.

I heard her mumble some words to him as he closed the door behind her. I completely broke down, why did she come here? Did she pity me? After all these years and she comes back now, what was she expecting to happen? Daniel walked up to me and held me in his arms, I shook uncontrollably as I wept for the mother that abandoned me so long ago. My heart ached so many times for her, I needed my mother and she wasn't there. She looked older, weary.  She'd clearly cried so many times before coming here. I was still crying in Daniels's arms when I heard the door open. I turned to face it thinking it was her; I'm met with my dad's face instead. He ran up to me, arms opened wide.

I hug him and we both cried. He apologized and explained that she called him to say she was coming to see me, and he'd tried to stop her. After we'd both calmed won, he sat me down.
"Cathy, I know you're really mad at her. As you should be, I am too. We were both practically kids when we got married and weren't the best parents to you. I still hate myself for the things I did during our marriage. You should talk to her."
"I'm not going to. I don't need to." I say as Daniel takes my hand in between his & massage it.
"Yes baby, you should"
"Why?"
"Not for her but for you. So you can move on from all this, you know it's wearing you down."
"I don't want to see her dad; I at least have the right to make that decision"
"Yes, you do. Your therapist said it would be good for you to talk to her and I know you have a lot of questions to ask her"
I pouted at him.
"Okay, you don't have to right now, just think about it, okay?"
"Okay," I answer.
"Promise me you will"
"I promise, just not anytime soon"
"Okay baby. I have to get back; I need to catch another flight."
"Okay dad, be safe."
"Always am baby girl"
He hugs me and pats Daniel on the shoulder. After he left, Daniel and I just sat in silence, I guess neither of us had anything to say.
"I am..."
I cut him off. "You don't have to say anything; I know you think I'm messed up"

"No, no. I'm sorry for the things that happened to you. You are strong Cathy, stronger than I thought you were. I'm sorry for the shitty assumptions I made about you initially. I didn't know you and I judged you so harshly, I'm sorry"
I smiled as he pulled me into a tight hug.
"She left when I was eleven, never looked back, never asked for visitation, nothing."
"That's horrible"

"I'm the child she never wanted. The child that ruined her life, I felt dejected for so long, like I didn't belong anywhere and she thinks she can just say sorry and it'll all go away?"
"Cathy, I would be mad too. I would. But your dad is right, those feelings you feel are so valid and you have every right to be mad at her but you need to let them go, you can't carry that with you forever"
"I know, I want to; I have so many questions to ask her, I'm scared of what'd she say, what her excuse is for abandoning me, I hate her for making me feel this way."
"I completely understand how you feel Cathy"
"I will decide on when to meet her, I'll only do It when I'm ready"
"Of course, come here." He kisses me on my forehead and hugs me.

©Aisha Adesuwa Akanbi