Spotlight Girl //a Jeremy Jordan Fanfic//

Three: The Truth

Alice made me a cup of tea and sat me down on the sofa. It was clear she was stalling but I was in too much shock to point it out. It's time you knew about your Dad she said...well what about him??

When I was around 7, I asked my mum about it. Most of the kids at school had Dad's and they would ask me sometimes why my Dad never picked me up from school and I'd always tell them I didn't have one. They'd then argue that everyone has a Dad, even if you haven't ever met them, but I jut shrugged and repeated the same thing.

I don't have a Dad.

One day, when I got fed up of being asked about it, I asked my Mum. "Why don't I have a Dad."

She was shocked at first and just stared at me. "Of course you do, why do you ask?"

I shrugged, staring at my feet. "All the other kids have them, but I've never met mine...where is he?"

She went quiet for a minute, mulling over what to say next. "In America. That's where he's from."

That was all she said and we wen back to being quiet. After a few more minutes I asked. "Why doesn't he live with us?"

Mum sighed, probably lost for words at all my sudden questions about the identity of my father. "It's...it's complicated darling...I'll explain everything when you're older, okay?"

But that never happened.

So here I was - a 16 year old girl, who jut recently lost her mother and only now just learning about her biological father who she had questioned the identity of frequently but never thought to ask my mother about again ever since that day when I was 7. Aunt Alice sat across from me, nestled in her arm chair,me on the small sofa in her office, waiting for the big revolution that would no doubt would change my life as I knew it forever.

Taking a deep breath, Alice sat forward, wrapping her fingers firmly around her own mug and began her tale. "I'm aware that you know your father lives in America," She began, her eyes drifting over to me for clarification, I nodded, gesturing for her to continue. "Well, he and your mother met over email, when the internet was barely a thing and they really got to know each other in that time before they actually met face to face."

"They would send letters and postcards, birthday and Christmas presents, it was a fully blossomed relationship by the time he made his way over here to spend his summer break before starting college in the fall. In fact, he spent several summers here, he and Julia were that close! One of those breaks, they went down to the beach with a group of friends for a bonfire and had a couple of drinks and then..." she looked up at me, seeing my fidgeting feet and my uncomfortable aura plain as day.

"Well, I'll let you fill in the blanks yourself on that one! But they were young an stupid and obviously forgot to use protection, hence why, 9 months later..." She trailed off again,gesturing to me, which made every piece of the puzzle set into place for me.

I leant back into the sofa, my heart in my mouth and my head spinning."is he...?" I begin quietly, looking up at Alice who nodded her he'd once. "Yes, he's still very much alive living somewhere n the US, God only knows where."

"Does he know about me?" I ask, feeling as thou I already knew the answer.

Aunt Alice huffed out a long sigh. "I'm not too sure on that one," she replied,adjusting herself on the armchair. "Julia wanted to tell him and was going to, but our mother destroyed any evidence of is existence and bard your other from getting in contact with him ever again."

I tilt my head and squint my eyes. "Why?"

"Well, she was 16, made a split stupid decision that your grandmother thought was a huge mistake..." Alice explained, taking a big gulp of her tea., letting what she just said sink in.

I didn't know what to say. What could I possibly say with the amount of questions ping-ponging around in my head, I feared they'd all tumble out in a. Nonsensical jibber is he mess of who's what's where's and why's!

"Did you ever meet him? Do you know his name?" I asked, antsy to ask more but held myself back.

Aunt Alice nodded, putting her mug down and lacing her fingers together. "Yes I did meet him...became pretty close with him too, but never as close as he and your mother were...naturally."

Nodding my head, I take a few breaths, literally on the edge of my eat, hanging on her every word as I gestured for hr to continue. The look on her face turned a little more serious.

"Listen, Jamie." Alice began, leaning forward in her seat a little more. "This situation is really complicated and, in some ways, a little messy. I know how much you miss your mother and how much you want answers to the questions surrounding your father but..." She trailed off, going quiet for a second.

"I just need to now you're ready," she continued, standing and walking over to my side of the room. "Both physically and emotionally." She now sat next to me on the sofa.

"Alice, I've spent 16 years wondering about my dad...I really do think I'm ready now." I say, reassuring her by holding both her hands in mine. She sighed, squeezing my hands lovingly.

"I know darling, but...I can see in your eyes that, as soon as I give you a name, you'll start trying to find him and what if he's moved on, has a family of his own,or worst case scenario he's-" she begins but cuts herself off when she see 's the worried look on my face. "What I'm saying is...I don't want you to be set up for unnecessary heartbreak and disappointment."

I sigh, biting my lip and nodding. Closing my eyes, I try to calm my racing heart and thoughts. I needed answers and I wasn't gonna stop until at least a handful of the, were answered, first of them being his name.

"I promise you Aunt Alice," I begin, squeezing her hand back. "I won't go rushing into things and I'd much prefer it if you were by my side every step of the way...if you'd want to that is."

Alice smiled and nodded her head in agreement. "Okay, I can't possibly argue with that."

I smile back, wrapping my arms around her in a tight, warm hug. A few minutes pass between us in comfortable silence as we hugged and once we pulled away she said. "His name is Jeremy. Jeremy Michael Jordan, born in Corpus Christi Texas in 1984 and studied at Ithaca College in New York and other than that...I have no clue."

It wasn't a lot,  it it was enough to make my heart flutter and a huge grin to spread across my face. I hug her again and whisper a grateful. "Thank you." And she hugged me back, chuckling to herself and stroking my hair.

I felt tears well up in my eyes, knowing that I was one step closer to my dad and the questions that have plagued my mind since I was 7 years old...

It was both extremely exciting and unbelievably terrifying.