Love Don't Cost A Thing

Twenty-Three: Let it Go

   Treasure Pierce

"I can't believe this," I yelled, hugging him as he did the same. "I missed you princess."

"I missed you, daddy," I spoke tears in my eyes. After ten plus years my father was out of jail. It had been since I was ten years old that I seen my father and honestly I missed him. I remember that I was close to my father more than I was close to my mother and ever since I had become fifteen, I had started calling and talking to my father. He was my dad.

We got in my car, and I put on my seat belt and looked at him. He put his on, laughing. "You look just like your Mama."

"I know. You oughta see Jacoby and Teighlor they look just like you," I spoke. I was not joking. My sister and brother were both light skinned and looked more like my father than my mother. I was light too but my skin was more brown like my mothers and I had her nose and smile. Along with her figure. "I bet. Speaking of, did you tell them I was gettin' out or...."

I shook my head. "No I didn't. I didn't know to. I'm sorry."

"It's Okay baby. I understand that it's hard too. I put them through a lot along with your mother," I agreed. Him and my mother had went through a lot in their marriage. From him being involved in the streets, to him cheating on my mother with another woman, and constantly treating my mother like shit as she would complain but one thing I could never say is that my father was a bad dad because even when him and my mom were into it. He was always there for me and my brother and sister. They just didn't see it that way. "But I want to sit down and talk to them. It's long overdue."

"Yeah. It is. I know you just got out so if you need a place to stay. I got my boyfriend to get you a place in the apartments him and his mother just started owning."

     "I appreciate it but—"

I rolled my eyes. "But nothing. I'm going to help you. I know you have money saved up but until you get off your feet, I'm going to help you and Rocky already agreed."

      "Okay, bossy ass. Worse than I remember."

I smiled. "I take that as a compliment," I spoke pulling into the parking lot of this burger joint I loved called Pops and Co. they had the best burgers with these buns that were light bread and fluffy with homemade French fries. "I bet you do. So you like this nigga? Whatcha' call him, Rocky?" He spoke taking off his seat belt and getting out of the car and so did I.

I smiled thinking about Rocky. He was honestly the love of my life. I loved him more than anything. He was really one of the only things going good in my life with everything that was going on with my family and my career. "Yes, his names Rocky. Well that's what everybody called him. You know we been dating since I was in high school. A couple years actually."

We walked in and he shook his head just as we went up to the register. "Hey how are yll? Welcome to Pops and Co. what can I get you?" I looked at her name tag. Stacy. And we ordered our food before we went and sat in a booth.

"So back to this boy. I like that your happy. How about your sister and your brother?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Well Teighlor Just had her baby. She's single and I'm helping her with that. And Jacoby is still in school, he's suppose to be going to this camp for basketball this summer, but there fine and staying with my grandmother since the accident."

He started laughing and I raised my eyebrows. "Anne keeping them?"

"Yeah."

"I know your mom is having trouble with that."