Dollface

Chapter 24 - Kai

Dining with my girlfriend's parents was the most awkward thing I did in my entire life. I wasn't raised in a perfect household. My home was fucked up as anyone could imagine it to be. Talking to parents wasn't something I do on a daily basis. Hell, talking to teachers isn't easy. So talking to my girlfriend's parents was a different level.

It didn't take long before Tamsin's father called me out to the back porch for a talk. We sat in opposite chairs while looking at their small backyard. It was clean. No garden or anything. It was expected with their busy schedule.

"Tamsin is my only daughter, and she believes you aren't the person who made you out to be."

"What kind of person am I?" I asked in return.

Her father took a sip of his beer before answering.

"That depends on what you tell me next."

I sighed and looked away from him.

"I'm neither good nor bad. If you're questioning if I truly care about your daughter, the answer is I do care for her. I love your daughter." I glanced at him and knew what he was thinking. "If you're thinking your girl deserves better than me, I'll have to agree. She is special. You raised her right and she is kind."

Tamsin's father snorted. "Are you trying to tell me you're not worth it?"

"Whether I'm worth or not, only Tamsin knows. If you're questioning if I'm the right fit for her, I can tell you I will never let your daughter do something she doesn't want to. In the future, if she wants to do something she enjoys, I'll support her in every way that I can. If she wants a shoulder to cry on, I'll be there to give her my shoulder. If she needs a hug, I'll be there to give her my arms. If you're asking if I'll leave her when times are hard, the answer will be never. I'm committed to your daughter, Mr. Smith."

I turned to Tamsin's father again. He took another long sip of his beer.

"And if she wants to leave you in the future?"

"I'll respect her decision. I'll never force her to do anything she doesn't want to."

Mr. Smith was quiet for a few minutes.

"When Tamsin was six, she fell on the playground and scratch her knee badly right here-," he points to his right knee, "I was running to her when I caught a little boy kneeling next to her. He wore old, hand-me-down clothes. The pants he wore were torn by the knees, but his face was clean. He leaned over and wiped away her tears and asked my daughter for her name. After, he said her name and told her everything will be all right. That her ouchie will go away. With a Band-Aid in his pocket, he placed it over my daughter's knee. He comforted her with gentle words and smiles."

I looked away immediately, because I remember that day. I saw Tamsin fall when I went to the park with my mom. I asked for her a Band-Aid and ran to her. When I saw her for the first time with her ponytails and cute purple dress, I thought she was as cute as the little dolls that my mom liked to look at the store.

"I watched you run back to your mom after you comforted her and put a smile on her face. When I looked at your mom, her clothes were also hand-me-down. I remember what she wore that day. She wore a thin white dress-shirt that she had rolled up her sleeves. She had the first two buttons unbuttoned and when the wind blew, I saw bruise marks around her neck. Her face looked much dirtier than yours." I tightened my hands into fists. Mr. Smith stood up and walked over to me and placed a hand over my shoulder and squeezed. "Everything that has happened isn't your fault, and you have no control over it, Kai."

"I know it isn't."

"But you still feel that it is."

I covered my face with one hand and inhaled deeply. He squeezed my shoulder again.