Chicago one Imagines

Father Figure »» Matt Casey

This one is going to be a bit different. In this story your dad is Matt. Hopefully still good though🥺

Shivers escaped my dry lips, while clinging the thick blue coat closer to my body. My shaky hand reached up and knocked softly on the black door. To say I'm anxious would be an understatement right about now. I'm a 22 year old woman and it's been 15 years since I've seen my dad. He left when I was only 7 years old, without a call or a message. Now all this time later he sent me a letter a few months back, wanting to get to know me.

At first it made me angry that he wants to be apart of my life all of a sudden. I went so long without him that having a father figure became just a dream to me. My mom worked two jobs, day and night trying to provide for me and make sure I had everything I needed. She's doing much better now, but never remarried. Maybe in her mind...love wasn't worth another try. She deserved better...I deserved better.

The door swings open, revealing a man that had become a distant memory in the back of my mind. He looks me up and down with a slight frown. Suddenly the realization hit him and he knew exactly who I was.

"Y/n?" He gives a soft smile.

"Dad." My voice is quiet, almost barely audible.

"Please come inside, it's freezing out here." He steps aside, letting me enter his home. Carefully, I walk into the house, the snow on the bottom of my shoes crunching against the hardwood floor. Once removing my wet shoes, we sit down on the brown leather sofa. He offers me something to eat or drink but I politely decline. "I'm surprised you decided to come. I didn't think you'd want to see me." He admits.

"It surprised me too," I say. "Why did you reach out now? After all this time, why now?"

He sighs, leaning back in his seat. "I want a relationship with you. Believe it or not leaving is what kept you safe."

That caused me to frown confused at him. What does he mean by safe? He notices my look of confusion and continues to speak. "Before retirement, I used to be a firefighter and it caused me to get into some dangerous situations. I never wanted to leave you or your mother but at the time it felt like the only option."

His words made me more angry than I've felt in the last 15 years. He could have stayed no matter the situation. Families work through hard times together rather than leaving. He obviously doesn't understand the toll his leaving, took on my mom. Leaving a 7 year old girl without any warning destroyed me.

"I hate you..." the words had just slipped out. "I hate you for leaving me."

"I know but y/n," he sighs and looks me in the eyes. "It made you stronger. Look at you, a beautiful young woman."

A tear slips from my eye and I wipe it away, not wanting to give him the satisfaction. He doesn't deserve to see me this way. "I was a child. I didn't need to be stronger, I needed to be safe. I needed a dad." My anger starts coming out in my voice. He took notice of this and tried apologizing. "There's no amount of sorry's in the world to change the hell you put me or my mother through." I glare.

"I know but this is why I want to start over with you. If you didn't feel the same way then you wouldn't have came here." He says, his eyes glistening with tears of his own. I shake my head and stand to my feet.

"Maybe it was a mistake. I shouldn't have come here." I collect my things and start to head for the door. He follows, grabbing my hand and turning me to face him.

"Here," he grabs a pen and paper off the side table by the front door. "This is my number. If you at all change your mind, please call me." His eyes beg. I slip my shoes back on, take the paper, and leave in a hurry. Once in my car more tears slip from my eyes. Should I give him another chance? What would my mom think if she knew? So many thoughts ran through my head, giving me a headache.

What am I supposed to do?