Destiny

Chapter 31: Fatherhood

The next morning, Lini joins the others in the kitchen after having taken a shower and having dressed in just shorts and a black tank top because today the weather is very nice and it is very hot outside. She was having lunch quietly in the kitchen when Agnès arrived with her bag already ready for the day "take your child to work".

"Honey, are you ready yet?" She said with surprise that her daughter is already ready.

"Yes I love this kind of day!" She said enthusiastically before sitting down in her chair to eat her pancakes. Lona arrives in pajamas, sits down to eat her pancakes too that Paul has prepared, Lini drinks her orange juice looking at Lona who still has that sad look on her face.

Lini smiles sadly at Lona knowing that she is not coming with them for this day, looks at Taker who has just entered the kitchen without saying a word, already ready to leave, still looking angry from last night. He goes to take his plate of pancakes to sit next to Lona who is smiling at her daddy.

"Lona wants to come with us for 'bring your kid to work' day." Said Lini to Taker hoping he'll change his mind. But Taker glared at Lini, still angry with her.

"She won't go." He said firmly as he ate his pancakes, Lona huffed in disappointment that her dad wasn't making an effort, looking at her plate putting her head in her hand.

"And why ?" She said looking at him, she drinks her orange juice before putting some juice in Agnes' glass. Taker looks at her, trying not to show any annoyance in front of the kids but he can't.

"Because I decided so. Can I eat without getting angry in the morning?" He said annoyed looking Lini in the eyes before saying thank you when she didn't answer. Lona looks sadly at her plate, she would like her to come, she wants to see her dad fight in front of her eyes and not just on TV. Lini gets up and puts her plate in the sink, as soon as Taker has finished eating he puts his plate in the sink as well then goes upstairs.

Taker seems to be a very bossy father when it comes to his daughter, Lini isn't done with Taker, she knows she can change her mind. Lini looks for him in different rooms, when she finally found him he was in his room packing his suitcase.

"Don't be so hard on Lona, this day is for kids and sees their parents working. It's great for them to see how their parent works." She said closing the door behind her so no one would hear their conversation in case they got into a fight.

Taker puts a few sweaters and t-shirts in the bag, totally ignoring Lini who doesn't seem to let go. When he sees that she is still there, arms crossed in front of the door, he sighs, closes the drawers before turning completely towards her.

"Are you going to teach me another lesson?" He said annoyed that she minds his business instead of hers. He did not accept that she stays at his place so that he has remarks all the time.

"Listen I know you don't want me to meddle in your business but look at your daughter, all she wants is to be with her daddy, you know what she said to me yesterday? impression that you are not her father, she wants her dad to be the one he was before". She said sincerely, Taker looks at her without emotion but deep down it touches him. It touches him that Lona has this impression, it's rare that his heart, which he thought was dead, squeezes him as if someone was rolling over it. He turns to go to his wardrobe, opens it to look like he's still looking for clothes, closes his eyes and breathes slowly.

"I said no Lini."

Seeing that Taker didn't change his mind, she decided to leave the room and join the others downstairs. When he realized that Lini has left the room, he gently closes the closet before sitting down on the bed, rubbing his face and running his hands through his hair.

A few minutes later, they're all in the hallway waiting for Taker who hasn't come down yet. When he does, he puts his dark glasses in front of his green eyes but instead of walking out, he walks over to his daughter. Lini watches Taker squat in front of his daughter who smiles before giving him a big hug. He gets up when Lona rushes to her room, Lini frowns wondering if he has changed his mind and when she sees Lona coming downstairs with a small bag and getting dressed, she realizes it. Everyone out of the house, Taker grabbed Lini by the arm, spun her around to look at him.

"She is your responsibility." He let her know before he left. Everyone is already in the cars ready to leave, Taker put his bag in the trunk and headed for the driver's seat when he thought he saw something behind his house. He looks behind his house but he has nothing, not an animal, not a waste, nothing. He did see someone running towards the back of the house. I'm going crazy? he wondered. He frowns then decides to get in the car before starting the engine.

~!~

During the trip, the children were briefed by Taker on three rules: He does not want to see them near the cameras, Obey the adults and above all no nonsense. The girls said they were going to be very good and they promised. Taker doesn't look calm, it's the first time he's taken his daughter to work, but Lini assures him that everything will be fine.

Arrival in Miami, Florida They all go to the hotel, Agnès says see you later to Lona before going with her mother to the bedroom. She is very happy that her friend is coming with them but still finds her idol mean to her daughter but Lini assures her that he is not mean, he is just educating.

~!~

Lona is sitting on the bed when her dad is taking things out of the bag, the atmosphere is very calm, Lona is biting her rabbit's ear, wondering what she can do but she doesn't dare asked her dad to do things with her since he always said no.

She watches her dad putting away the things and the toiletries in the bathroom, then goes back to his bag to see in his calendar. "Dad?" She says shyly to her dad who looks at her with slightly tired eyes. "What do we do while waiting for tonight's show?" She asked, Taker looks at his calendar again then puts it back in his bag. He crouched down in front of his daughter, put his forearms on her small knees. "What do you want to do ?" He asked suddenly, it surprised Lona who thought that her daddy would have told her that they were staying there because of his character because she knows her daddy protects his character. "I would like us to go to the beach and then have an ice cream." She said smiling at her daddy, Taker looked at her, gave her a little smile.