Sydney stepped off of the plane and was immediately hit with a wave of heat. She was warned that Cali was going to be hot but she was okay with it. The sweat accumulating on her forehead was a good distraction from her pestering thoughts.
For years, Sydney had forgotten about her father, not a second of her time was wasted thinking about him and the past. He was a horrible person who deserved to be forgotten. In her mind, he was the monster that caused her mother pain and tore their family apart. She decided she would block out all memories of that man... until now.
All that she could think about was her father for the past four months since his name had been brought up by the courts. He was talked about everyday as her mother tried to calm her and the others while they stressed about the dramatic turn of events. Oh her mother, how she missed her already. Mary would gather the kids to look up photos of the California beaches. She would tell them stories of how she visited Richard's parents there when they were dating. Sydney knew this was to reassure everyone that it would all be okay. Mary was trying to find a positive side. Sydney was also trying to find a positive side but she could never find one.
Sydney had heard how her mother spoke of her father's parents and siblings. According to her, they were all dead beat like her dad. Apparently, her mother's views on them had changed within the four months though as she told stories of how nice they actually were. Sydney and her sister could see through her lies but the stories were believed by Jake and he was comforted by them so there was no point in pointing out the falsehood to her mother. It was better to pretend she believed the stories her mother told anyways. It would allow her mother to relax more, knowing her children were going in with a positive mind and attitude.
Sydney would pretend to have a positive outlook but inside she was counting down the days until that plane ride back to London. She wanted nothing more than to go back to her normal life. To top it all off, It was hard for her to make friends. In England, she really only had two friends but she felt that was all she needed. Riley and Jessica were the people she could hang out with on rainy days and eat lunch with at school. Sydney met them just last year when she started highschool and all of her elementary school friends had gone. Riley and Jessica were nice but they were better friends with eachother than they were with Sydney so sometimes she felt like a third wheel. When she needed someone to talk to, she would always go to her big sister instead. To her, Taylor was her best friend. She could talk to Taylor about anything and they did everything together. This was another reason that she wasn't absolutely heart broken to leave London. She had her best friend to help her and be with her all year.
She looked at Taylor now. Taylor was sweating as well but Sydney also noticed that her right hand was pinching her thigh. Sydney knew this to be one of Taylor's tactics to keep herself from crying. Sydney had cried on the plane silently; she knew just how Taylor felt. Sydney reached over to her sister and rested her head on her shoulder. Taylor rested her head on top of Sydney's as tears rolled down her cheeks on to Sydney's hair. She then reached out and grabbed Jake's hand. They were in this together. They always were and they always will be.
Sydney jerked her head up as she heard a car horn honk. The grey Honda slowed and stopped in front of the children and Sydney squinted to look at the driver. It was a slim man with firm arms. Neatly trimmed hair and a collared Polo shirt on. This was not her father. Richard was a man with a large stomach, greasy hair, and an un shaven face. Yet, as the man stopped the car and got out, there was no doubting that the face the man had was the same as her father's. As he came closer, she could see his eyes were wet and glistening. He stopped in front of them and paused, as though composing himself to prevent a breakdown.
"Taylor, Sydney, and, and Jakey", he said, looking at each of them carefully. His mouth broke into a smile, "Hey guys, I missed you."
No one replied. Sydney wasn't having any of it. The sight of him made her sick. This cold-blooded creature had hit her mother and had tried to hit herself many times. This man was a fake man, a liar and a coward.
Richard laughed uncomfortably and pulled a bag from behind his back, "Urm, here. I brought you all some gifts," he smiled again, this time uneasily, as he held out the bag.
Sydney had to fight back tears of rage. He couldn't hurt and abandon them for years and ask for forgiveness as simply as asking where the bathroom is at a highway-side McDonald's. She was even more upset that he had tried. His new look and approach would have been much more appreciated years back when they were starving and in debt. Why did he wait so long to get his life back together? Why does he think that he can buy back their love with presents?
Sydney clutched Jake's hand tighter and kept her glare on her father.
