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She didn’t even look his way. “Come on, Tinsel.”
“Will you at least listen? Give me ten minutes. That’s all I ask.”
She paused at the door berating herself for wanting to hear his side of things. She wanted to know why he left. Was she not good enough? Did she annoy him with her dance classes and recitals?
What was it about her he hated that he had to leave? Not to mention how he scarred her mother. Then again, he convinced her to remarry him. Heather wouldn’t be that gullible.
Her eyes bore into him. “You have five.”
He nodded and followed her inside her home. She unhooked Tinsel’s leash. To her dismay, the dog sniffed and wagged his tail at her father.
Heather took off her coat and sat on her couch. Her father sat opposite in a chair. His eyes lowered to her knee brace.
“How’s your knee?” he asked.
She rolled her eyes. “Fine.”
He sighed. “I know this isn’t easy Heather, but I am sorry about what happened.”
“That’s good to know.”
“You don’t think I care?”
She folded her arms across her chest. “I haven’t seen you in years, so how would I know?”
“I wrote to you and your sister. You never answered my letters.”
“You didn’t think to call?”
His shoulders dropped. “I thought they were the first step. I wanted you to understand why.”
“Tell me. I'd love to know.” She cocked her head to the side, hearing the sarcasm in her own voice. She didn’t care. This conversation was long overdue.
“Your mother and I did our best to take care of you girls. I was traveling all over with sales, and the pressure of being a provider got to me. Instead of confiding in your mother, I took my frustrations out on her. I couldn’t handle it so—”
“So you left.” Heather shrugged. Her eyes watered. When would the tears stop? “I begged you not to go. I begged you!”
His face turned downward. “It’s the worst mistake of my life.”
“And now you expect me to forgive you and forget like nothing happened? I’m not falling for it. You’re not fooling me for a minute. I don’t care what Mom thinks, and I don’t care if you’ve convinced Sonia. I don’t want you in my life, and I’m not coming to the wedding.”
“That’ll break your mother’s heart,” he said.
“Since when does that matter to you?”
His eyes glared back at her. “I’m still your father. I know I made mistakes, but I’m here now.” He stood and walked over to her. “I love your mother. I love your sister, and I love you, Heather Bernice Shaw. You’re my beautiful little girl whether or not you want to be.”
Heather squeezed her eyes shut, but the tears fell from her eyes, anyway. She sniffled refusing to look up at him. He didn’t say another word, but she heard his footsteps fade as he walked out the door.
Once he closed the door, her body trembled. She covered her mouth as she rocked back and forth. Maybe she needed one more cry. Perhaps this was her first step to freedom.
Chapter 25
Heather hung the last snowflake on the Christmas tree in the cafeteria. She didn’t want to be around people, but her house held too many memories of her time with Allen. She drove herself instead of riding with her mother or sister.
She hadn’t spoken to either of them, not sure what to think anymore. Her father would only mess things up. Could he have meant what he said to her? It didn’t change the fact that he left. Could they repair what he had broken?
She never went to the father-daughter dances. Her dates never met her father and got the third degree. She didn’t have her father to call when a boy broke her heart for the first time. How would she live with a father in her life? She didn’t know how.
