Her Wish

Her Wish [Chapter 9]

“Dad, I’m home!” Jennie called out as she took off her street shoes and slipped her feet into her slippers.

When no one responded, she walked inside hesitantly, wondering where her father could have gone. He was usually home by this time and if not, called in advance.

“Dad?” she asked once more, looking around for any sight of her father.

An excited shrill sounded from the kitchen and once Jennie heard it, she was certain it wasn’t her father. Moments later, a girl who appeared to be only ten years older than her appeared in an apron with a spatula in hand.

“Oh? Who are you?” she asked, surprised, her bright smile faltering at the sight of Jennie.

She frowned, “I should be asking you the same thing. Why are you cooking in my apartment?”

“Your apartment?!” she shrieked, all hints of friendless long gone, “What do you mean your apartment?! This is my boyfriend’s apartment!”

Jennie scowled. This couldn’t possibly be her father’s new girlfriend, could it? She looked young enough to be her older sister. What had her father been thinking? Although she had by now figured out whom this person was, Jennie couldn’t stand the sight of this lady acting as though she lived here as well, “Really? That’s odd because the only male who lives here is about twenty years older than you.”

By now, she was clearly provoked. And although Jennie shouldn’t have felt such emotions, she was amused.

“What nonsense are you spewing? Didn’t anyone ever teach you to respect your elders?”

Jennie’s eyes narrowed, the merriment in this situation suddenly lost, “Are you questioning the way my parents brought me up?”

“Yeah!” she yelled ill temperedly, waving her spatula for emphasis, “What if I am?”

Having had enough, Jennie brushed past her and headed towards her room whilst calling out behind her, “Then I suppose that means you’re questioning your boyfriend’s methodology of raising his daughter.”

She slammed her bedroom door behind her, making as much noise as possible.

Throwing her backpack down on the floor, Jennie breathed deeply as she took a seat on her bed, wondering how her father had found such a horrendous girl and how he’d actually managed to favor her enough to go so far as to date her.

Of course, Jennie hadn’t really been too fond of any of her father’s girlfriends after her mother’s death. And although she hated to admit it, she never liked the idea of her father dating other people at all. She didn’t like the idea of her mother being replaced.

It was a selfish thought, she knew, but did her father really expect Jennie to welcome each and every one of them with open arms?

The sound of the door opening broke Jennie’s string of melancholy thoughts. She raised her head to find herself face to face with the woman before. Although she had previously believed that perhaps the woman would be just a tad bit nicer after hearing that Jennie was her boyfriend’s daughter, the woman felt the need to prove her thoughts differently.

“Daughter?” she spat out the words like they were a disease, “Since when did Ralph have a daughter?”

Her father hadn’t even mentioned her? Jennie’s face fell instantly, all confidence diminishing in just one second. She knew it was a bit childish of her to act in such a way but she couldn’t help to feel suddenly numb at the thought that her father hadn’t even bothered to mention to his newest girlfriend about her.