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Daphne sat outside by herself, on top of her bags as she waited for her father to get her. The summer house was nearly empty, everyone but her stepdad had left to go to the ball. He didn't feel comfortable leaving her home alone.
"Here, I made you some hot choco." he sat down on the bench behind her after handing her the hot drink in her favourite strawberry mug. She nodded a thank you, she was in no mood to talk, he could sense that.
"He said he might be late." he was supposed to be there an hour ago. "I don't mind waiting with you." he handed her half the bar of chocolate she and Susannah had made. She was tired after a long day with the moms so she didn't get up to get it from him. "Thank you." she spoke finally, pulling on the strap of her bikini top that was carefully concealed with her white tank top.
"Since he's late, we can stop by at the ball. Your suit is still pressed." Henry had always tried to be a good father to Daphne but she always seemed to reject him, she rejected anyone who wasn't her father. Although Carlos disappointed her at every turn, she never really gave up on him, no matter what she told herself.
"I don't want him to show up and not find me here." waiting for him like a dog. "There might be a chance he won't show up at all," Henry spoke and Daphne's head snapped in his direction.
"You don't get to just say that my dad isn't gonna show up, he promised me he'd be here." she tried her best to sound calm but it was nearly ten pm and he wasn't there, why wasn't he there?
"He's done this before, Daphne." Henry never spoke about her father before this and when he did, he would praise Carlos. This felt wrong but the truth wasn't always what you wanted to hear. "This time is different, he wants me there." Daphne doesn't know why her voice breaks.
"He's going to show up." it's cold as she sits there, shaking in her shorts and tank top. She didn't want to go inside to get a jacket, she might miss him. Henry gave her his coat, they sat outside together for an hour when Carlos' car pulled into the driveway.
"Dad!" she jumped into his arms the second he got out of the car, taking in the smell of cigarettes and peppermint, two strong scents that seemed to clash against one another. "My baby." he had his head on the back of her head as she wrapped her arms firmly around him, holding on too tightly. "Listen, Daph, your mother told me about this deb ball thing and I think you should go." he said when they eventually pulled apart, she frowned, why would Natasha do that? She looked over her shoulder and saw Henry wave over at her father, he returned the wave.
"I don't want to be here anymore, I just want to go to D.C. and be with you." Daphne stood at the door as he shut it. Carlos had a way of reading Daphne in a way no one else could, maybe because he was a good father, maybe because he was a good profiler. "I heard you have a suit that's still pressed." he said and she glared at Henry again.
"Dad, I can't go. I can't do that to Belly." Daphne had given everyone else a million reasons about why she wanted to stay away but she couldn't lie to him.
"Do it for her, I don't know a lot about your life but ever since you were a kid, I've known that you love Belly and she loves you." He put his hand on her back, trying to reason with her. "When you were little you always told me that you would never regret the things you would do because at least you had the guts to try, what happened to that kid?" as he spoke she just stared at him, something aching in her chest.
"That kid had to watch her dad stop trying to be there for her. She didn't regret anything because she always had you, because I knew that if I screwed up I'd have someone." she found herself pulling away from him. "I can't be with Belly because I'm afraid she's going to leave me, like you did. Like you've been doing since the day you signed those divorce papers."
"That's not fair."
"I know but trying being ten and sitting outside in the cold waiting for your dad to come pick you up only to find out that he had to work but hey," she shrugged, "maybe next time." her entire childhood was filled with maybe next time.
"And now I'm seventeen and I'm still waiting."
"You're not, I'm right here." his phone starts going off in his jacket pocket.
"Are you really?"
"I came all the way to get you, I choose you." he couldn't hide that he was looking at his pocket. "And I want to go to the deb ball with you so get dressed. Please let me prove myself to you." he gripped her hand tightly in his own.
"I don't want to go, dad." she pushed but he took his phone from his pocket, it was work. "If I can decline a call from my boss, you can go to a deb ball. Don't let me ruin anymore thing for you. Don't close your heart to this possibility, choose love and let me choose you."
