Daddy's Girl

The Life I Had

Hi, my name is Abigail, but I prefer to be called Apple. I know it's weird because my nickname is a fruit, but it's the nickname that my dad gave me since I was born.

I lived in a beautiful mansion with my parents, Eleanor and Brendan Dawson. My dad is from Ireland and my mom is from America, so I'm half Irish and half American.

But, I was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, my dad's home. My parents meet when my mom was holiday in Ireland and they kept in touch after that.

My dad would come to the US to see her, or she comes to Ireland to see him. They later fell in love and got married and settled in Ireland.

A year later, I was born and my mom named me, Abigail Eileen Dawson. But my dad decided to give me a nickname. "We should give her a nickname, Ellie.", Dad replied.

"Really? What should her nickname be?", Mom asked. Dad looked at me for a while and finally got me a nickname. "Apple, her nickname will be Apple.", Dad replied. Mom laughed at him.

"Really, Apple?", Mom asked. "Why not? She's sweet and cute.", Dad replied. "Ok, Apple it is.", Mom sighed. As the years passed, I grew and I enjoyed my life with my parents, but mostly became close to my dad, as he called me his little girl, as in Daddy's Little Girl.

Everything has been going great, until one late night, when I was 6 years old, I overheard my parents arguing about something and I didn't know what it was.

I went downstairs and saw them screaming and then Dad hitting Mum in the face. I was so scared, to see my own dad beating my mom up. The next day, I left with my mom and we moved to her home, in New York City in the US.

I didn't understand why we had to leave, and why Dad isn't with us. I kept asking Mom, where is Dad or is he going to come to America and see me soon. But as the days, weeks, months passed, I was now 10 years old and my mom thinks it's time for me to know what's been happening.

"Apple, sweetheart. We need to talk.", Mom replied. "Yes, of course.", I replied, as I sat down and I wasn't ready for what was coming. "Apple, darling. When you were 6, you kept asking me why we're here and not coming home to Dad?", Mum asked.

"Yeah.", I replied. "Well, things hasn't been great between your dad and I and your dad and I got divorced after we moved here.", Mom replied. "I saw what he did to you.", I replied. "What?", Mom asked.

"I saw him hitting you and I was so scared that he'll hit me too.", I cried. "Oh, no. Apple, sweetheart. Your father loves you so much and he'll never, ever hurt you.", Mom replied.

"We're never coming back home or see him again, aren't we?", I asked. "No, sweetheart. We're not.", Mom sighed. I started crying and Mum consoles me with a hug. "It's going to be ok, honey.", Mom sighed.

I hugged Mum tight as I'm scared of what's going to next, as I'll be never be coming back home to Dublin or see my dad again.

7 YEARS LATER...