A Little Cinderella Moment

Chapter 107

It was time to head back to Santa Monica. I have some unresolved issues to deal with and I cannot put them off much longer. Since Jen drove to find me with Chase she decided to journey back with me. On the open road, I put on some music to try and break the tension I feel in the car. It's not because of Jen it's because I'm anxious on how my dad is going to behave. I swear if he's still going to be an asshole when I get home, I'm staying with Jen for the night. I can't deal with him like that, he needs to understand and accept I'm growing up and need to make my own mistakes.
Just leaving Malibu and the music playing in the background, lost in our own thoughts it's not until we both hear a familiar guitar solo opening to a song is when we look at each other and smile.
"Oh, my god I have not heard this song in months, maybe even years," Jen says.
"It is a great song, isn't it?" Jen agrees and we start singing along to Rihanna 'Shut Up And Drive.'
We were just having a good time together as any friend would in a car. But it's not until we were getting closer to Santa Monica that my anxiety started to kick in.
The closer to my house we got the more nervous I felt. I pulled up outside my house and sat there for a couple of minutes to calm my nerves before Chase pulled up behind me.
Jen squeezed my arm for comfort. "We will stay here with you if that's what you want us to do. We will take your lead on this; you tell us, and we will follow, okay?" I nod at her and we climb out of my car and walk over to Chase who was standing at the hood of his car waiting for us. Jen walks up to him, and they wrap an arm around each other as they look at me.
"Well, I better get this over with. The longer I put this off the more shit I'll probably be in. But thank you, both of you I don't know where I would be without you both." I walk up to them and hug them both and they both hug me back. "I love you two," I say to them before I turn around and walk up to my door.
"We love you too Sav, call me later and tell me how it goes," I tell Jen that I will as I walk away.
Once I'm at my door I turn back to see them climb into Chase's car, we wave bye to one another, and they drive away. Taking a deep breath, I walk in prepared to go to war again with my dad. Standing in the lobby I listen out to see if I can hear anything and strangely enough I don't.
I go and look in Dad's office assuming he will be there to see that the door is shut and there's no sound coming from it. I open the door to see if he was asleep at his desk or something, to see that it's empty. I don't think I have ever seen his office so quiet and bare of anybody, I never expected Dad to not be in his office now. I come out of the office and close the door behind me and go looking for my dad.
Looking everywhere and still no sign of him. It's not until I go into my room to shower and change after thinking he's not home to see Dad sitting on my bed looking at the photo of me, him, and Mom at Lake Tomahawk in Black Mountain. It was the last vacation we had as a family before Mom passed away. I remember the day that picture was took like it happened five minutes ago. Seeing how vulnerable he looks right now sitting on my bed looking at that picture my anxiety vanishes.
"Dad?" He looks up from the picture and it's not until then is when I see he has a tear running down his face. He stands up and walks toward me and embraces me in a hug that only a father can give to his daughter. We both collapse onto the floor crying into each other's shoulders.
"I'm so sorry Dad," I sob to him.
"No baby girl I'm the one who is sorry. I took out my anger and frustration out on you and on Chase when neither of you deserved it. I shouldn't have acted the way I did toward you."
"We both said some horrible things to each other Dad you are not solely to blame for this. Instead of running away to hide from the problem I should have stayed, and we should have talked this out."
"I couldn't agree with you more baby girl, I just also need to accept you are growing up and heading off to college soon I can't keep treating you like the little baby I have always seen you as."
"I guess I still have some growing up to do then."
"We both do baby girl, we both do."
Dad and I settled our differences there on my bedroom floor, we talked and relived some of the best memories we have at Lake Tomahawk. Dad told me stories about him and Mom from when they were in college, just remembering happy times.
Later, that evening after Dad and I enjoyed a mac and cheese with bacon bits for dinner I sent Jen and Chase a text message stating that everything has calmed down between me and my dad and that we would be spending the evening together to rebuild the hurt and mistrust we both caused.
After cleaning up after dinner and loading everything off into the dishwasher I walk outside into the yard and take a seat on one of the chairs we have outside. I sit there and look up at the velvet night sky lost in the moment until Dad comes out holding what looks like my guitar.
"Dad, why do you have my guitar?" I ask him.
"I thought with it being such a beautiful night, that you could play us a song," Dad passes me the guitar and I take it from him.
Throwing the strap over my shoulder I look up at Dad and ask him, "Any requests?"
Dad thinks for a moment before he suggests "Mine and your mom's song."
I think through the mental playlist in my mind to see what song that could be and then I remember who Mom's favorite artist was for me to know what song Dad wants me to play. "Will you sing it with me?" I ask him, Dad nods and takes a seat next to me as I play the introduction to Prince's 'Purple Rain.'
We sing the song together in harmony remembering a happy time we had with Mom, and times we shared as a family. When the song ends Dad, and I look back up at the sky to see what we believe to be a single star, we then look at each other to then feel a gentle breeze blowing around us. In that moment a lone tear was shed between my father and I as we knew that, that breeze and the star was Mom saying she is proud of us for mending our differences from today. We both know she would hate it for us to be angry with each other and never speak again as we are as we have been told many times before all we have left.
After our one song together we both decided to call it a night as it has been an eventful day for the pair of us. Once I'm showered and dressed for bed I give Jen a phone call. I tuck myself in as the phone rings. Jen and I stay talking on the phone for over an hour talking about the party that's vastly approaching.
When we finally hang up it was agreed that I could call around tomorrow and help Jen decorate and arrange some balloons for an arch or display or something. I started to fall asleep during the call I was that exhausted so Jen said she will show me what she means tomorrow. The birthday party of the year as it's getting called is almost here. I know Jen is excited and our group of friends are excited. I can't wait to see how they pull off a party like this. But Chase I think he's a typical guy and is just going with the flow. I am looking forward to seeing their faces at this party it's gonna be so much fun.