Life's Little Bumps

Chapter Nine

I slowly crept down the stairs to see what was happening. My mom was sitting down across my father and his family with a glass of wine.

"I'm sorry about Elle, she needs to remember her mannerisms," my mother blurted. She was half-way to tipsy-town I could see.

"I don't blame her. How stupid am I for thinking I could waltz back into her life like it was no big deal?" my dad replied with. I stared at him. I looked so much like him. I had his blue eyes and dark brown hair. I was tan and had the same goofy smile. Gage says it's adorable. Oh god, Gage! I left my boyfriend with my almost drunk mother and mostly absent father. What a great girlfriend I am.

"Hey... er.... sorry, I'm back," I said while stumbling into the living room. Everyone stared at me. My mother with rage, Gage with relief, and my dad with hope. I closed my eyes as I thought of one of my few memories with my dad.

"Remember that time we went to that carnival?" I asked to break the silence.

"Of course, you were traumatized after getting stuck on the ferris wheel," my dad said while kind of chuckling. I could see tears forming in his eyes. I started to tear up at the sight of him.

"Remember when we went to the farmer's market and had ice cream?" I said, tears rolling down my face.

"Year, I remember. That was the day before I..... before I left," he replied. He was full on crying now. Jesus, I even cried the same as him. "I know I should've reached out sooner. It was so hard to go 10 years without seeing you, pumpkin," he articulated.

"Can we go for a walk..... just us?" I asked. That was another thing I remembered us doing. We used to walk everywhere. Whether it was the store or the zoo, we walked. My mom thought we were crazy for walking in Vegas' 110 degree whether. We still did it, slightly to make her mad.

"Of course," he replied with. He got up from the couch with Vanya standing up behind him.

"Can I come?" she asked.

"Not right now," my dad replied with. She gave my dad a death glare. What was her deal? She was fine 10 minutes ago. She slowly sat down and crossed her arms. Jeez, over dramatic much?

We walked out the door into the 80 degree summer night. In Vegas, the coldest we ever got in August was 80 degrees. I was a few paces in front of him and I put my hands into my pockets. 

"Hey Elle?" he offered like I was a small child. I turned around and looked at him. He was almost the same guy I remember him being, just a few more grey hairs and a few more wrinkles.

"I want to be part of your life. I know you're more than half way done with your childhood, but I want to be here. I want to be a dad," he said. I looked at his eyes and automatically feel apart.

"Why did you leave?" I asked while crying. He looked a little taken aback by the question.

"Elle, can I be honest with you?" he asked while rubbing his chin. I eagerly nodded my head.

"Your mother had filed a restraining order against me, rightfully so. I was abusive and drunk, and a terrible influence. I've wanted to reach out to you, but she kept filing restraining orders, and this was the first year they denied it. So basically, there was nothing keeping me from seeing you. I finally got your mom to agree that I need to be part of your life, and here we are now," he answered while pacing.

Wait, my mother kept me from seeing him? All these years she has told me that he didn't want anything to do with me? All these years of her saying he left us? SHE'S BEEN LYING TO ME? 

"Elle, don't be mad. Your mom did the right thing. I needed to get better," he said when he could tell I was mad.

I didn't answer him. Instead I stormed back to the house with rage in my eyes. I opened the door and found my mother sharing pictures with Vanya. Pictures of my dad and me when I was a baby.

"Awe how sweet, was that taken before you filed a restraining order against him?!" I yelled. I ran up the stairs with Gage, Dad, Mom, and John chasing me. I ran into my room and only let my dad and Gage in. I slammed the door shut in my mom's face. I slowly crumbled into Gage's arms.

"Baby shhh.... everything is gonna be okay," Gage whispered while placing a kiss on my forehead. My dad was kneeling down next to me on the opposite of Gage.

"By the way, I'm her boyfriend, Gage," he said to my dad while extending a hand. My dad shook it, not so much paying attention. His main focus was on me.

"Elle, it's going to be okay. No more restraining orders, I can see you whenever I want now," he gently said while rubbing my arm. This thought made me a little hopeful.

I finally found the courage to get up and open the door. I found everyone else standing there, staring at me eagerly.

"Mom, I want to move in with Dad for now."

 (A/N OOF WE GETTIN' SPICY -E.R.)