London is Pink

Chapter Fourteen

JORDYN

"You okay?" Auba asked me.

I nodded, glancing briefly at my best friend. The three of us - Dele was with us as well - were headed to a cafe at the edge of Hyde Park where I was going to meet my dad. Perhaps doing this in public wasn't the best idea, but to be honest, people were likely to be so surprised that Dele was with us that they'd miss the fact that Thierry looked startlingly like me. I didn't feel comfortable seeing my dad in my home just yet, a place which was close to my heart.

We entered the coffee shop, and I immediately saw my dad sitting in a corner with a cup of coffee in his hand.

"It's just hit me that there's no going back now," I muttered, and Del squeezed my hand reassuringly,

"No regrets, yeah? Whatever happens, at least you have closure."

I nodded, and shot him a grateful smile, before we joined Thierry at the table. He didn't look even remotely surprised to see Dele and Auba.

"You two are together then?" He smiled at mine and Dele's joined hands.

"Yeah," I said quietly, smiling a little.

"Yeah somehow I'm the one third wheeling in this group," said Auba, and somehow this broke the ice a little, as it made us all laugh.

"Jord," my dad said, turning to look at me again. "I'm not gonna tell you I'm sorry, because I've already told you, and I know you don't want to hear it again. But if there's stuff that you want to tell me, I'm here, you can."

I nodded seriously.

"I just... I don't know, I've been doing a lot of thinking, and maybe we're both a bit to blame, but I never understood how you could just leave and never come back."

"I thought it would make it easier on you, if we didn't have to keep saying goodbye again and again. I did want to come back as often as I could, initially. But the first time I had to, you were literally inconsolable. I didn't want to put you through that again."

I nodded, sighing.

"Some of my happiest memories are from when you still played for Arsenal, and I miss when we were close like that."

"You want a fresh start?" He asked. "Because that's what I want. More than anything."

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't ready for that," I said, smiling a little. "You're my dad, and I'll always love you."

"I love you too," Thierry smiled, looking relieved. "You know we're probably still gonna have our differences, but I want to try to be a good father."

It was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, after that. Auba and Dele were both smiling happily, and Auba was unable to stop himself from hugging me tightly.

"I told you," Dele muttered, with a smirk, and I laughed.

"You did."

"You still don't know why I'm here in the first place," my dad said, watching us in amusement.

"Yeah, why are you in England?" I asked him.

"I'm becoming a pundit on SkySports."

"You are?" I asked, in surprise. "Okay. That's... new. You'll be good at that, I guess."

"Thanks," he grinned. "I think so. If you're too old to play football for a job, getting paid to talk about it is the next best thing. Plus I can be as opinionated as I like, so... Tottenham might cop it a bit. Sorry Dele."