ALISON ✔️

88

I stared out the open window as I sat at my bedside, the light breeze sweeping through my face, like soft breaths against my skin

Watching my neighbors had become a habit of mine for the past 17 years, They had a daughter who looked so much like my Alison, her name was Penelope, and they were a lovely family, a mirror of what my happiness could have looked like.

A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts and turned to it to see Bate walk in,

"He's here."

I nodded and watched him leave.

I took a deep breath of the crisp air and made my way downstairs for I was to meet with David Hertz, the man I solemnly believe had ruined my daughter's life.

For many years, I had imagined this moment, where I yelled and swore at him. But Standing in front of him, I suddenly couldn't utter a word.

I couldn't breathe properly and just wanted to burst into tears, he was like a blast from the past, so many years had gone by, and still couldn't grasp what had become of my life without George.

David was just staring at me like he couldn't believe his eyes either.

I had to pull myself together, I had so much to say to him, so much built-up resentment,

"Have a seat?"

He nodded and settled down, I did the same.

We both don't say anything for a moment, then I just let out a truffled laugh,

"You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I'm not sure what I'm seeing, to be honest." He replied.

I let out another scoff,

"What's on your mind?"

"I'm yet to wrap my head around all the lies."

"I didn't lie." I cut in sharply.

"There's no tenable reason for faking your own death."

"You make it sound like I was given a choice, Jenna had placed a bounty on my son and me. You think I chose to hide and live like a coward. You think this is the life I wanted."

"You ever think of your daughter and how you might have ruined her life."

"Yes, every day, but I also didn't want Ali to be subjected to such a life of uncertainty."

"That's not enough reason to abandon her. Do you have any idea what she's been through?"

I scoffed with a laugh, my sense of indignation flaring up as I rose. How dare he preach to me?

"You want to preach about right and wrong. I've suffered for my decisions, it's killed me every day for the past eighteen years, but you, what about you? You took advantage of my little girl, my sweet Angel. She's just a child, David. How could you have done that to her? I didn't take you for such a man." I shout.

His stance changed subtly, becoming more commanding as he got up, "You have no idea what you are talking about."

"No, I can never understand how the man who was supposed to protect my daughter ended up sleeping with her."

He took a few steps toward me, scowling at me, his eyes never leaving mine as I watched—

My fear escalated, but I didn't stop.

"She's my little girl."

"You abandoned her." He said.

"I trusted you. But had I predicted that the man I trusted with my entire heart to look after my little girl would take advantage of her like this? I'd have taken her far away, damn the consequences." I tried to comprehend what was going through his mind because I knew David wasn't a bad man, he was a far better man than George ever was, but the situation was all too perverse to understand.

"Not that matters right now, but I love her, you can't imagine how much," he says, his eyes softening,

"Yeah, I'm sure you do." I smiled up at him as my tears fell, "But sometimes people confuse other things for love, like not wanting to be afraid, lonely, or alone. You've been the only person in her life, putting clothes on her back, feeding her, and making all the decisions in her life, to her your her only family, it's the only love she's ever known, She's bound to confuse it for love because she's a child, but you're the adult, you should have known better."

"You seem to be mistaken-"

His voice trailed off as he took more steps toward me until he was in front of me,

"I didn't come here to seek your approval. I came here so we could figure out a way to bring your resurrection to Alison without giving her a heart attack, That's the only person I care about in this situation."

I stepped back a little,

"I'm not trying to be the bad guy here, David. I do appreciate everything you've sacrificed for her, I really do, but your relationship with my daughter would never sit right with me and I would not be coerced into accepting it, not this time. That being said, I'd like to take back my daughter."

"She's not yours take—"

"She's my daughter."

Bate walked in interrupting whatever David was about to throw at me, he was probably listening this whole time,

"David, let's talk outside."

David shook his head in annoyance and left, Bate nodded at me and went after him. Once I was alone I let out a weave of breath and just burst into tears.