Pieces of the Past - [Danona] Book One ✓

02. reconnection

They must've stayed tucked away in the corner of the booth together for hours. Once she had begun to speak, he was enamored by the sound of her voice. The intelligence and sincerity in her words, it mesmerized him. A million emotions flying through his brain and all he could focus on was the way she made his heart pound. Everybody had met everybody, conversing around the room, getting to know each other. All he wanted to do was sit as close as possible right next to her. 

Deep down, something told him he should be mad instead. Mad that the woman who had made him a father had left their daughter behind in her old life. How she had been so willing to hand her off without even telling him. Granted, they barely knew each other. Just a single night that was meant to be forgotten. No exchange of phone numbers, barely even an exchange of names. How was he supposed to know that nine months later, his daughter would be in his arms? 

But he couldn't be angry. The emotions were there, but they just weren't making their way out. Instead, all he could do was smile and laugh along with her. 

He had always wondered who she was beneath the shell. Who was she without a camera in her face? Or an interviewer asking her questions? He wanted to know the details about her. The stupid, inconsequential details about what made Winona, well... Winona. He wanted to look at her and not just see her face, but see who she was made of. How much of her had his daughter truly inherited? So many questions, an entire night couldn't even begin to cover it. 

Her laughter was already pulverizing the nervousness and past anger. Something about her just felt so incredibly warm. He wasn't sure if it was the fact that she reminded him so much of his daughter or that it was just in her nature. He didn't care. Sitting next to her felt like sitting at home. An instant connection— again. 

 "So what about you?" she asked, pulling him out of his reverie. He hadn't realized that the entire time she was talking, all he could do was stare at her. "Do you have a family or kids?"

A million deep breaths couldn't prepare him to answer that. If it were any other person, he'd respond with 'yes' and talk about his daughter for hours. She wasn't any other person. How often is someone asked that question by the actual mother of their child? She didn't have a clue as to who he actually was. 

"Yeah," he smiled proudly, staring at the drink in his hand. "I have a daughter. She's... incredible. The best thing that could've ever happened to me." If only he could explain it. To look her in the eyes and tell her what she missed out on for all of those years. How his daughter was insanely smart, funny, loving, and charismatic. More importantly, all of the lessons she had taught him; like how to let go of resentment. God, if she hadn't taught him that then he didn't know how he would've handled this conversation. "It's always been just me and her." 

He watched as her smile reached her eyes. Winona Ryder was sitting next to him, smiling as he talked about their daughter whom she didn't know was her daughter. Maybe he had entered the Twilight Zone at some point because all of this felt unreal. "What about you?" he asked carefully. "Do you have kids?"