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“That would be nice, but I can’t expect you to do that,” I say through a yawn. “You’re busy too.”
My dad has tried his hardest to get away from the business, but it’s a lot harder than said. He’s bought some legitimate businesses and has moved his base to Kentucky. He lives lessthan a two-hour drive away from me. Something I’m ever so grateful for. Both Anthony and I can visit him anytime we like without having to plan a vacation.
“Never,” he says vehemently. “Never too busy for you or Anthony.”
That’s another thing that has changed. He’s right, no matter when I call, he’s never too busy to take it. Whenever we drop by, he’ll stop what he’s doing to spend time with us. He’s been my biggest supporter over the past four years. He’s been with me every step of the way.
When I was giving birth to Anthony, I wanted Raylee to be my birthing partner. She was more than happy to be there with me. But so was my dad. He held my hand throughout the entire process, never once letting go.
I think in that moment, I let go of all the anger and resentment I felt over the years and was just so happy to have him with me. Since then, our relationship has become more. He’s my father, and I’m proud to call him that, just as I’m proud to call him Anthony’s grandfather.
“Dad, we’re only here for a few nights,” I tell him. It’s his birthday tomorrow and I’m taking him out for dinner. “I have to be back in Indianapolis for Adelina’s baby shower.”
Ade has become one of my best friends. She’s sweet, caring, and amazing. Her husband, Hayden Gallagher—who happens to be related to Raylee’s husband, Malcolm—owns the club next to my art gallery. Ade took over running it, and the moment we met, we hit it off. It was so nice to have a woman around my age that I could talk to.
That was almost a year ago. Since then, Ade has been through Hell and back. Her husband’s enemies planted a bomb in her house, which left Ade with a scar on her cheek and led to the death of her thirteen-year-old sister, Vivianna. It took a while before Ade was able to come to terms with the scar on her face.Her entire life, she was made to believe that she was only wanted for her looks, so having a scar that’s so prominent brought about a lot of insecurities. Thankfully, her husband is amazing and has showed his wife that she's more than her looks. But even with the scar, Ade is one of the most beautiful women I have ever come across.
“Ah, how is the lovely Adelina?” my father asks.
I roll my eyes. “Hayden would kill you for calling her lovely,” I tell him with a smile. As amazing as her husband is, he’s also very protective and possessive.
He smirks. “I know.” Silence descends on us, and I wait, knowing by the hesitant look on my father’s face that he has something to ask or say. “Dinner tomorrow, would you be okay with Hazel coming?”
I inwardly smile. I knew it. I knew she was the woman he was dating.
“Dad…” I begin. “Is she your woman now?”
Four months ago, my father told me he was getting a divorce from Christina, something she wasn’t too happy about. I knew he must have found a woman. It coincided with my father finding an assistant. A young, sexy, funny assistant who treated both Anthony and I like we were family. The second I met Hazel, I liked her. However, she’s my age, and the fact that my dad is dating her is a little weird, but I’m not going to make a big deal about it as he seems happy. Probably the happiest I have ever seen.
He sighs as he glares at me. “Yes.”
I press my lips together so as not to smile at him. “So does that make her my new mommy?”
“Gabriella,” he says sternly.
“You’re too easy to wind up, Dad.”
He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Look, Gab, I’ve made mistakes, some I wish I could go back and change and othersthat are mistakes but also the proudest moments of my life. Like meeting your mom and having you. That wasn’t meant to happen, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
I let his words sink in. “Dad, is Hazel pregnant?”
“You always were the smart one,” he grumbles. “Yes, and if Christina finds out, she’ll hit the roof.”
That’s something that is going to happen anyway. Christina is a bitch. I understand her husband cheated on her multiple times and his mistress gave birth to his child, but the way she treats Anthony is something I’ll never forgive. She screams and shouts at him whenever he’s near her. She even pushed him away from her when he was learning to walk. Thankfully, my dad took her out of the room because I was about to rip the hair out of her head.
“Of course she’s coming. She’s family now.”
It’s that simple to me. Hazel makes my dad happy and that’s all that I want.
He gives me a bright smile, and I know I’ve made the right choice.
“Have you heard from Anthony’s father?” he asks me a little while later.
This is a conversation we have every six weeks. I think it’s my father’s not so subtle way of telling me I should tell Alessio that he has a son. Even though Anthony looks like his father, my dad hasn’t made a comment about it. He either doesn’t see the resemblance or he’s just not letting on that he knows. Either way, I’m grateful.
“Dad,” I say with a deep sigh. I’m sick of having this conversation. “While I appreciate that you’re looking out for me, you have to realize that I’m doing what I think is best for my son. I don’t want Anthony to go through what I did, always being second best.” It’s taken over twenty years for me to be at peace with the way I used to feel and to forgive my father for how hetreated me. It’s not something I would wish on anyone, let alone my son. So I’m doing what I believe is the best thing for him.
“How do you know he’ll do what I did?” That’s another thing I respect my father for; he’s admitted his faults, he’s understood how it made me feel, and he takes responsibility for that. He allowed not only his work, but his wife to stand in the way of our relationship, and to me, that was unacceptable.
