Remember My Mistakes

27. Daddy's home

"Dad showed up the moment he saw me walk into the hospital." Chase explained. "He heard that it was you that everyone was coming to see, and he just about lost it. He had to see you." I looked over at the older man, and he had tears glistening in his chocolate eyes. God, you don't realize how much you miss someone.... Until they're gone. Now, my father, is standing before me, and I don't know what to do. Yikes.

"Cara, honey..." His voice was soft. Then he looked at everyone in the room. "May a have a moment with my daughter?" His voice was deeper, letting everyone know he meant business. While everyone exited the room, I felt really faint, and my eyes were shadowed by a deep darkness.

**Flashback**

"Leave me alone!" I yelled at the older boys on the street. One was grabbing my purse, while the other caressed my hips. I tried to shrug the man in my hips away, but he would come back stronger.

"Let me go! Please! I'm begging you!"
I sobbed, but that only made them laugh. "No sweetheart we only want this." His voice was gruff, and really deep. I struggled to grab my purse, but the bigger man yanked it out of my grasp and the it to the ground. "Now that I have your attention, where should I start?" He spoke, the chuckled.

"What do you want?!?!?!" I screamed, trying to shield my body away from their groping hands. "You, babe. So stop being so resistant." He gripped my wrist and through me to the floor. One of boys then jumped on top of me. "No! Please! Stop! Stop!" I yelled, trying to push him off, but he had my hands pinned to my sides.

"Come on babe, I won't hurt ya to bad...." He laughed, then winked at the man next to him. I was sixteen then.

He tried to kiss me, but I began to move my head so much the he pulled back. "Quit moving!" He yelled. "You! Hold her head." He pointed to the man next to him.

Almost instantly my head was now positioned. I couldn't move. "Now, I've got you right where I want you." He spoke. As soon as his lips brushed mine, I heard a loud thump. "Get off her!" Yelled the voice. I closed my eyes and tried to drown out the sounds of constant hits and moans and groans.
After a good ten minutes, I felt a big hand in my arm. "You okay honey?" The man brought me to my feet, and I immediately new who it was.

"Dad! Oh my god.... They.. They..." I pointed to the men, they were seemingly knocked out on the ground. "Did you?" I asked his in horror. He just shook his head yes and then pulled me into a hug. I cried into his jacket and held him close. I didn't ever want to let go, of the one man that had protected me.

When our hug ended, he threw off his coat and handed it to me. I took it willingly, and threw it over my shoulders. "It's raining, you'll get wet." I told him, he just shrugged it off. "Your my little bee, you can't get wet." I laughed at his words. "You always through facts into your sentences don't you?" I asked him and he just shook his head without hesitation.

We walked down the road, until we made it to the house. He brought me upstairs and tucked me in as if I was 6 instead of 16.

"You don't have to tuck me in, dad." I told him. "Yes I do, nobody touches my daughter. Nobody. Right Cara honey..."

*****

Dad sat next to me in the blue cushioned chair. "I'm sorry I haven't visited earlier. It's just that..." He paused. "It's all my fault Cara, I should of visited earlier. I shouldn't of stopped in the first place..."

"Dad, you were busy with work, you didn't have time for me..." I began to say but he caught me off. "No! That's no excuse. A father can always make time for his daughter... Always!" He yelled, and I felt bad. He felt bad. We both felt bad.

"Dad, it okay. We're okay." I tried to comfort him, but he didn't listen. "No, it's not okay. You don't know how bad u feel right now." He spoke, resting his elbows on his knees, and then his head in his hands.

"Dad, lets just put it behind us okay? We're good. We're all good." I spoke and he looked up. "You were always sweet like that you know? Always so forgiving. So likeable...."

He got up all of a sudden and hugged me. Then, I could move! I wrapped my arms around his neck, and held him close. Just like my flashback. I wasn't planning on letting go. I didn't want to let him go. Then he looked into my eyes, and pain flickered in his eyes.

"Chase!" He sung out very loudly, and Chase bursts through the door. "What?" He sounded panicked. I know now is the worst time for me to bring bad news." He spoke. My heart sank. "Bad news?" I asked.

Chase sat down. He looked distraught. "Okay, so I've been away for a while..." Dad spoke. "And our family has been falling apart for quite sometime. But this time, it's really broken..."

I shook my head. "We can put it back together! We can be healed." I pleaded. "Honey, me and your mother are getting divorced." He blurted out. I felt a year trickle down my cheek.

Then mom came in. "Mr. Smith! How dare you tell your children then while one is in the hospital!" She yelled.

Our family was falling apart, and I didn't have enough glue to put it back together.

I know that now.