Cashier Boy // Jack Duff ✔

four

I could see the outline of their face, but not their entire face.

I looked around my feet for a stick or a rock. I picked up the biggest small rock I could find.

"Stay a-away" I tried to sound tough, even though my nerves were shook.

"Woahh woah" they said, their voice was so calm, and deep.

"Who are you?" I replied, holding the rock firmly in my hand, not loosening my grip whatsoever.

They stepped forward, into the light, revealing their face.

"It's me."

I stared at them in shock.

"D-dad?"

I wanted to cry, I missed him so much, I haven't seen him since I was 9, seven years ago. At the same time, I wanted to slap him and ask him questions like 'why did you leave?' 'where did you go?'

"Why are you here?" The words kinda slipped from my mouth, my voice and my hands were shaking.

"To see you." He replied.

"How did you know I would be here?" I questioned.

"You've always loved this park as a little girl. You would always want me to take you here. I didn't know you would be here, honestly. I just come here sometimes because it reminds me of you. You may not remember, but I always pushed you on the swings, they were your favorite."

They were your favorite.

The words ring a bell in my head.

I felt a warm tear stream down my face. I dropped the rock. For a second, I felt like he actually cared. I roughly wiped the tear away before coldly saying, "You didn't miss me, if you did, you wouldn't have left in the first place." At this point I was yelling. My eyes were now flooding with tears.

"Why didn't you come back?" I cried.

"The truth is, your mother, she doesn't want me around you, she doesn't want me to be a part of your life. She's keeping me from you. I use to be a really bad person, in a really bad place, and I did some really bad things that I regret doing. But I got over them. I got over them for you, because you're more important to me. It took me a couple years to realize and-" he started breaking down at this point.
"-and I tried to contact your mother, but she wouldn't listen to me. S-she's blocking me from your life. But please you've gotta believe me. I've been doing so much better. I've been working for charity and I've been doing volunteer work. My life is finally coming back together. I've become a better person. I promise. I love you so much, princess. You might not feel it now, but I know deep down, somewhere in that precious heart of yours, that you love me too. Right now, you're just very angry at me and I completely understand."

I stared coldly, emotionlessly.

He was literally blaming this on Mom.

"No."

"No? No what?"

"I know how I feel about you. Don't tell me how I feel, I know how I feel. I don't- I don't love you."

I saw his heart break. He stared at me. He looked so hurt.

It hurt me to say it. It was really hard. But that's how I felt. The feeling of love should be mutual or else it's not love. Tonight, I wasn't sensing any love from that man. There was just pity.