Under the Radar

Fathers and Pancakes

Recap: I walked into my house, pouting at how the night ended. Little did I know, the night was far from over.

"Mia?" My mom called from the kitchen.

I hung up my coat and made my way to her. "Yeah, mama. It's me. Listen, I've had a long day, I think I'm-" I froze, staring at the face sitting at the island with my mom. "What are you doing here?"

He sat there, with a frown, petting Lilli's head. He stayed silent under my glare, but my mom wasn't happy about my attitude. "Mia Evangeline Summers! You will treat him with respect, no matter how mad you are!"

I huffed, annoyed. "Fine. Hello, father."

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"Mia, look I know you're upset. But you'll have to hear me out someday. Please, give me a chance! Your mother did!" He yelled and I stiffened. "Look, Mia, I never stopped loving you or your mother. What I did that night was a mistake! An accident! It would never happen again, I've gotten help!"

You see, my father was an alcoholic. It started because of the stress from work. Back then, he wasn't making a lot of money. His company was starting to fail. But when he got this new assistant, things started going uphill. For the company anyways. My dad would come home less, drink more, but he did start making more money. One night, his company threw a surprise party for him for the deal they had made with another company. My mother and I had dropped by to say congratulations, when we found him drunk off his ass and making out with his assistant. She knew he was married, she knew he had a kid, but she slept with him anyways. Once they finished making out, the hag turned to us and smirked, shouting that my father never loved us. That he loved her. That she was pregnant with his child.

My mother divorced him. We had found out that she wasn't really pregnant, she made that up. My dad stopped drinking. His company is now in the top ten of the world. He's one of the wealthiest men alive. He continues to pay child support, sends me checks for my birthday and holidays. But he's been nonexistent to me for years. When people asked who my father was, I said I didn't know. I never talked to him, I refused. I never visited him, I just wouldn't. Even when James... my own father didn't care about me. He didn't care how I was.

"Mia, I swear I didn't know what I was doing. I was an idiot! A drunk idiot! I'll go through hell and back trying to protect you and your mother!"

I barked out a stiff laugh. A tear escaped my eye. By now I was pushed beyond the edge. You could always tell how mad I was by my words. I never swear. Ever. Only, when I'm beyond mad. "That's bullshit!" My mother gasped and my father's eyes widened. "Where were you when I was in the hospital! Huh? How about during court, or all those days I spent in my room, unresponsive from the fear! Huh, DAD?!"

Tears were streaming down both mine and my mothers face. "I was there the whole time! I was the one making sure that little prick went to prison! I was the one, making sure you went to the best hospital, with the best surgeon! I was the one, paying the hospital bills and trying to keep the bastard in jail for as long as I could! I was there the whole time, Mia! You just didn't know." A tear slipped down his cheek and he wiped it away.

"Mia, Axel," my mother pleaded to the both of us, "please. I just want my family back. I want to be happy and safe. "

My dad stood up and hugged my mother as she sobbed into his shoulder. They simultaneously looked at me and held out their arms, welcoming me into the hug. Reluctantly, I went to them. I didn't forgive him, I don't forgive so easily. But it was nice, ya know? Being with people that loved you, who wouldn't intentionally hurt you.

My dad had slept on the couch last night. He said he would help me with my car and take me for lunch. When I woke up, my mom was in the kitchen with my dad. She was making pancakes, he was making coffee. She was smiling, I haven't seen her that happy in a long time. My dad joked around, pretending to sing into a wooden spoon.

I came out and sat on a stool. Lilli trotted up and sat besides my father. "She's a great dog, Mia. You trained her well."

I smiled. "I didn't train her though." He laughed and cooed at Lilli.

"Meredith, this coffee is amazing." My mom giggled a thank you. She giggled. She actually giggled. Holy. Shit. (And I'm not mad either.)