rumour has it | ✓ [ old version ]

xlvi. just a little girl graduating high school

CHAPTER FORTY SIX

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Closing the door behind me, I take off my shoes and neatly put them beside the door. I take a deep breath, honestly ready to fall face first on to my bed and take a nice nap. Before taking a step, my phone dings indicating that I have a message, so with curiosity filling me, I remove my phone from my pocket before turning on the screen.

There, on the bright screen is a message from Mitchell; Be ready by eight and dress nice. This sounds like a date to me or maybe I'm just overthinking things. Shaking my head, I walk into the living room and there, sits my dad, staring at a box that's on the coffee table in front of him.

"Dad?." I ask him as I put my bag on the ground. At hearing my voice, he looks up from the ground and gives me a small smile, worry fills me when seeing the dried tears on his cheeks, telling me that he's been crying "what's wrong?." I question, immediately walking toward him and kneeling down in front of him.

He nods his head towards the package and I follow his gaze "it's your graduation gown and cap." He tells me "when I saw the package, it just made me realise how fast you're growing up." He explains, his voice cracked at the end. I grab his hands from his face and put them in mine. I didn't expect this to happen so soon, I expected it to happen on the day of graduation.

"You know I'll always be your little girl, I'll just be your little girl who's graduating from high school in a few weeks." I say and we both release a small smile. Dad takes one of his hands back and wipes away his tears, I smile at the man who's been taking care of me for my entire life and now, I may be leaving him into the real world. I kinda wish I was little again, so that way I didn't have to leave him.

"Go try on your gown, so we can make sure it fits." He orders me and I nod my head, I know that he truly wants a few moments alone to wipe away his tears and to control his emotions. But instead of calling him out on It, I stand up and open the box on the table before grabbing my gown and cap that's wrapped in plastic. I walk up the stairs and to my room where I begin to unwrap the gown and cap from its plastic before putting it on.

After zipping up the gown, I look at myself in the mirror. It felt like only yesterday that I was five and wanting to be a princess when I grow up, but now I'm eighteen, graduating high school and ready to go into the real world. Shaking my head, I exit my room before walking down the stairs and to the living room where my dad still is.

When hearing my entrance, he turns around and immediately his eyes fill with tears once again. He covers his mouth and I give him a small smile, but I too can feel tears filling my ears.

"Here come the waterworks again." Dad says and I giggle at his words "you look beautiful Faye." He tells me.

"Well if you think that now wait until I'm wearing the dress I choose underneath the gown." I reply and he shakes his head at me with a roll of his eyes. I look the gown up and down before meeting my dad's eyes once again "do you really think I look okay?." I ask and immediately, he nods his head with a big smile on his face.

"I'm so proud of you, sweetheart." He says.

Immediately, I walk to him and wrap my arms around him, giving him a hug. Straight away, he returns the hug and we just stand there, swaying in one another's arms. I may not have known my biological mother, but I know my adoptive dad and he's so much better. I wouldn't trade him for the world despite all the secrets and all the ignoring done by me.

"I love you dad." I tell him, cuddling into his neck.

He sighs, a happy sigh "I love you too Faye."