Hearts We Mend To Break (Book I)

.19.

💫GISELLE💫

"Hi dad. I didn't expect your call this morning. How's it going?"

"Good morning, Star. I was just sitting here in your room and thought to call you. How's my girl doing in college so far?"

"You're home?" Smiling, I felt hope fill my heart. My father was never home.

"I am." He laughed.

"Well, too bad I'm all the way over here, right?" I tried to make a joke of it to hide the hurt in my voice. He chose now, of all times, to come home. The time I wasn't there to see him.

"Which is why I was calling. I was wondering if your old man could come visit his adult daughter Friday. You know, catch up."

"Dad! Really? I'd love that. I only have two morning classes that day, so I'll have all day to spend with you. We could hit the beach and catch a few waves. There's this pizza place, Hanigan's that I go to with my friends. We could eat there." Overjoyed with happiness, I couldn't stop rambling on enough for him to get another word in.

"Ok—Ok! All the things." He laughed again. "We'll do all the things, Star."

"Aww dad, you really made my day. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"I guess so. Love you, hun."

I jumped from my bed and did a dance in the middle of the floor. Happy I was in my dorm room alone, so no one had to witness the corky side of me, I twirled in disbelief, as I floated on the clouds of my hopes and dreams. It wasn't in my father's character to voluntarily offer his attendance in my world unless I acted out. Here I was, minding my own business, and he just pops in and makes plans? That's when it dawned on me. Was something wrong? Was he traveling home and then all the way to Florida because he was delivering bad news?

Strong enough to get whiplash, the way my mood whipped from one end to the other left me dizzy in the middle of the floor.

"Hey there, Sunshine." Max burst through the door.

"I wish you guys wouldn't call me that." I laughed, tucking my hair behind my ear and taking a seat at my desk.

"What's wrong? You okay?" Maxine hadn't taken the time to look my way, stripping all of her clothes off and putting them in her bin.

"Yeah. Everything is just great. My dad is coming to see me Friday."

"Awesome. Why don't you sound too thrilled?" Finally, she turned to look my way.

Sighing as I thought of the best way to explain how I felt, I shrugged it off and ignored my intuition. "I'm happy." I smiled. "I haven't seen him in a while and I'm actually pretty stoked.

"Good. But why don't you see your dad? He and your mom divorced?"

"Nope. He travels for work. He's gone most of the year and he'd been gone for three months prior to me starting school."

"Dang. How does your mom handle that?"

"Easy. She's pretty busy herself. I mean, there are times when she will leave and go be with him in whatever country he is assigned to. But other than that, she has her own thing going."

"And where do you and your siblings fit into all of that?"

"Well, its just me." I waved my hands in a 'Tada' manner, grinning and raising both brows. "I have a fabulous pair of aunts and uncles. I was raised by an amazing nanny. I manage."