Angels Redemption

Chapter three: Daddy's Home?

(Iris's pov)
"Dad?"
He looks at me and chuckles slightly. "Iris, can I come in?" He asks me. Really Iris can I come in? Is all he has to say. No I'm sorry for not visiting in these last 10 soon to be 11 years? No how are you? How's your mom, and brother? God he makes me sick. Swallowing that small thought I plaster on a smile and say, " one sec. Mom! Guess who just decided to drop by? Dad's here!!" I hear thumping of footsteps, and gasps of air. Turning I see mom standing a distance away, and Thomas looking confused and angry. "Moria... Thomas" Dad says, lovingly. He walks into the house without permission and closes the door shut behind him. Mom looks at me, and says "why don't we all go to kitchen and chat." My dad smiles and says "that sounds lovely."

We all walk to the kitchen together and sit down. John is no where to be seen, I wonder if he's still upstairs or if mom told him to stay put? We all sit in a tight, tense, silence for a few minutes before mom clears her throat and says, "So David how have you been? What have you been up to?" But she didn't ask the million dollar question that we all know is there, why did you show up out of the blue after ten years of silence? My dad looks at mom and replies back with "Moria I have been great! Thanks for asking. I've been around and about. Working, finding a home, making lots of cash. But I realized I was missing something. I was missing the absence of people, of noise. Of kids running around everywhere. I missed being in love, I missed all you guys. So I decided the come back. How have you guys been?" We all look at dad in shock. Mom doesn't answer so I take the bull by the horns and go, "you want to know how we have been? You FINALLY want to know after 10 damn years of silence?! Well I'll tell you. We have been miserable. Mom has had a rough go during these last ten years, Thomas and I have been struggling to help mom with money, and for our education. Mom has been through so many relationships and has lost all of them. She waited for you! We waited for you to come home! But you never did!" My voice has raised by now and mom looks at me, "Iris! Enough!"

" No he needs to hear this. If I don't say it I'll explode. Dad, I don't even know if you deserve to be called dad, you have been absent from my life for over ten years. You haven't called, you haven't written, you hadn't even bothered to drop by once in a while. You left one morning and you never looked back. You left your six year old and four year old all alone.

You left mom behind. You were angry or whatever and thought leaving was an option, you were-are- a coward!! You left us to fend for ourselves, I have had to do EVERYTHING around here. I've had to mop moms unconscious body off the floor, I've had to sweep my brothers tears and scars away from his beautiful face. I've had to push my own fears away to help others. I've had no one to support me when I've been down, no one to lean on, no one to wipe my tears away. NO ONE!!! So don't you dare think you can come in here all smiles and happiness when you left and didn't bother to call. You left us and didn't care enough to see how we were doing. Do you know that I waited by the window everyday after school hoping you'd come home? Did you know I cried myself to sleep with your name on my lips? Did you know I prayed everyday and night hoping you'd answer and come back to us? Did you?! No."

Taking a deep breath I continue, " did you ever think of us when you were gone? Did you ever wonder what we would look like after another year has passed? Dad, did you ever think that maybe we wanted you home? That we missed you? Why didn't you come home? Why now?" Stopping before I completely lose myself and cry, I stand up and turn my back on everyone. Dad is silent for a while then he whispers, " I'm sorry you feel that way Iris. But your mom and I were having troubles- mom snorts at this and dad continues- so we needed a break. I left cause that was the only logical thing I could figure out was best. For all of you. Iris I thought of your mother, your brother and you all the time. You guys were my waking and parting thoughts. I left because I didn't think I could love you guys. I went searching for love and searching for myself. Im sorry" I say nothing at first and then slowly turn around. "You're sorry? You're sorry?! Ha! That won't cut it dad, you left us for so long and you didn't care ENOUGH to come back. We loved you! You were our saviour, you were my hero. I gave up thinking you cared 3 years into your disappearance." Walking towards the hallway I hear mom say "Iris apologize to your father!" I turn around and scream "he's not my father!! John is more of a dad to me and I've only just met him!!!" Then I storm away to the stair well. I hear my father roar "who is John?!!" Then I hear my brother scream at dad to leave and that I'm right before screaming, "Iris wait for me"
***
After one hour of driving around aimlessly I stop on the side of the rode and swear. "Shit. Damn why did he have to come and show up? Why did he have to ruin everything?" Thomas looks at me and squeezes my hand. "I'm so sorry Iris. I had no idea you felt that way. I would have done more if I'd known. Please let me protect you and help you now." I squeeze his hand and whisper "it's too late to help me. I'm beyond fixing" then I turn the car onto the road and drive us home.

(Thomas's pov)
I stare at my sister in utter shock. Her words resonating in my soul. It's too late to help me. I'm beyond fixing. It breaks my heart to imagine she really means it. To think my sweet, kind, protective, sister really thinks she's that damaged. I don't blame her though. Our life has sucked and now that Dad came back out of the blue,he has turned everything upside down. I don't reply to her comment as we drove home. The car comes to a stop in the driveway and we both get out once the car has been turned off. Iris sits there for a bit and I stand with my door wide open looking at her. "You coming?" I ask silently. She nods "I'll be in; in a sec" I nod and walk to the house. A minute later I hear her open her door and walk to the house. I hold the door open for her. It's then I notice that dad is still here. "Iris wait. He's still here" I whisper, as I stick my arm out to catch her. She stops and the anger that burns in her eyes is so scary. "I'll make him think twice about staying here." I blink and whisper "he is our dad. He does have a place here-" she cuts me off. "HE'LL NEVER HAVE A PLACE HERE!!" She roars in my ear. "He can go to hell for what he did to us. Thomas don't you hate him for what he's done to mom? To you? To me?" She makes me so sad, the way Iris's passion for us is mixed with fear and hate towards dad makes me hate him that much more. "Of course I do Iris. But I think that maybe hearing his side of the story wouldn't hurt us. Maybe hearing him out can help us heal. I'm not saying he's forgiven, I'm saying that maybe hatred isn't the answer to our problem."

She hesitates but then mumbles something incoherent. Slipping inside I close the door behind us. I'm just putting my coat and boots away when I hear a dark chuckle and a voice being cleared, "so you two babies finally decided to show up huh? It's about damn time. Iris we need to talk, I'd like an apology for earlier" Iris laughs darkly, I've never seen her this angry. "An apology? Where's my apology for ruining my life?!!" She howls and then runs to her room. She hasn't made it more than 5 steps when dad reaches for her and yanks her towards him. "David!" "Dad!" I call at the same time mom does.  Everything slows down and I see John come running at of the hallway. He's charging towards dad and Iris. Oh no... Is all I think as I see his eyes glowing with a hell bound flame. John grabs dads hand and shrieks "don't you dare hit her, or hurt her. You give me my daughter you vile man!" Dad stops moving. "Your daughter? She's not yours. She's MINE. You hear me? MINE!" John and dad glower at each other. John yanks Iris from dads grip and holds her to his chest. He coos softly to her, "I've got you Iris it's ok, he won't hurt you. Not under my roof." Iris is shaking and she grips Johns' shirt. Dad snarls, "give her back" John shakes his head no. Mom holds me tightly and she says "both of you stop. Give my daughter back to me. David you'd better leave here, and don't come back." The hurt is evident in his eyes. "But I love you Moria, and all my children." Iris then steps out of Johns grip and says quietly, " if you loved us you would have come home 10 years ago. Mom is right you need to leave. You may love her still, but she loves someone else. She loves John, dad. You don't own her heart anymore. You don't own mine anymore either. We will still love you but you're not our dad anymore. I am sorry"

Dad howls with anger but before he can speak Iris turns to John and says, " John you saved me from my father, thank you. You were the hero I have been waiting for. For that I shall say this I, Iris Waylen, give you John Anderson my permission to marry my mother." Johns eyes explode with light and happiness and he hugs Iris tight. "I will also accept taking your last name as mine if you wish it." John says nothing. He kisses Iris on the cheek and then goes to mom , kneels and pulls out a ring then says "Moria, will you marry me? Will you give me the pleasure of being your husband?" Mom bursts into tears. "Yes. Yes a thousand times yes" I look to Iris as they quickly kiss each other and I see the happiness there in her eyes. Dad stares in horror. "No. I don't give my permission. You cannot marry my wife. We are not divorced." Then he stalk towards John.

Iris and I meet gazes and then the yelling starts.