𝚂𝚎𝚎 𝚃𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚂𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 #1: 𝐒𝐞𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡

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AIDAN:
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Father raised his glass of wine in the air, flashing me one of his infamous grins before taking a sip of the wine.

He leaned back on the long chair he rested on, the kind people sit on under umbrellas at Beaches. I sat on one too.

I leaned back on mine, taking a sip of the wine in my glass cup as well. Shutting my eyes, I felt the cool breeze swoosh passed me and it gave me a nice feeling of relaxation as we both rested under the shade of a tree.

"It's a shame you have to leave soon." I heard my father say.

A frown came up my lips at that and I took another sip of the wine.

"Yeah." Came my curt reply.

"I had a great time with you, Son." He smiled, turning his gaze to me and I nodded.

"Me too."

My frown grew deeper and I sighed.

When I had gotten to London on Thursday morning, I was beyond mad at my Dad, because to me, it was unreasonable to make me travel out of the country right in the middle of a school week, but then, I got to know why he did that, and it filled me happiness.

Dad had taken some days off and decided to use that as an opportunity to spend time with his Son, me.

Why didn't he just come back to Nigeria? He wanted me to have a good time in London instead.

So far, Dad and I had gone hiking, swimming, sporting and sight-seeing.

He had even attended a music concert with me.

After years of living alone, it felt really nice spending the time with my Dad.

But I would leave soon, to catch up on the things I missed in school, and when I do, I wouldn't be able to contact my father again, until several months of loneliness.

I sighed deeply, looking up to meet his gaze.

"Thanks..." I trailed off.

Even after the days I had spent with him, I guess they couldn't be compared to the months I wasn't with him because, at times, having a conversation with him felt difficult.

"I really did have a good time..." I trailed off again, trying to find more words. "I'll miss you."

Dad stopped sipping from his wine and turned to me slowly, beaming at me.

He stood up at once and walked towards me. "You know what, I have a very busy schedule but I'll try my best to call and text you."

I nodded slowly, my lips in a thin line and he looked at me though it felt as if he wasn't, it felt as if he was thinking about something else, then, he shut his eyes and sighed, opening it with a small smile.

"Even if I don't call often, and I don't text you 24/7, I want you to know that I think of you and your well-being everyday and you are just as important to me as your mother and sister. Never forget that you are the son of Jayden Wilson and you hold a special place in his heart." His voice cracked as he spoke and he embraced me in a hug.

I wasn't sure how to feel. So many emotions at that point kept swirling around in me.

I was shocked, and deeply touched by his words.

I was overwhelmed with happiness and yet, still sad.

I moved away from my father and frowned. "Why don't you just come and visit me in Nigeria?"

He blinked at me for a while and broke into laughter, patting me on the back.

"A successful man like me can't go back to that country. Never." He shook his head.