AllFreeNovel
Share Us
After Lincoln dropped me off, I swallowed the lump in my throat as I stood on the porch, staring at the door of my parents’ house. My dad was probably home by now, and I wasn’t sure if our reunion would be a happy one.
When I was a child, I’d been a daddy’s girl through and through. When I hit my adolescent years, our relationship changed. He was stricter, and I was more rebellious. I questioned him and wanted to experience things he didn’t approve of. Right before I’d gotten pregnant, our relationship was already on the brink of collapse, so my pregnancy sent it over the edge.
I took a deep breath, then opened the door and entered my childhood home. If things were the same as they were back when I was young, my dad would be in his study until dinner, and my mom would be getting everything ready for said dinner.
I heard the clattering of dishes coming from the kitchen, so I went to let my mom know I was back. Stopping in the doorway, I said, “Hey, Mom. I’m back.”
My mom glanced over her shoulder as she stirred something in a pan. “Hey, sweetheart. I was wondering if you’d be back for dinner.”
“I’m sorry I left like that. I went to the creek to clear my head, then ended up at Lincoln’s.”
She smiled and laugh lines crinkled around her eyes. “Funny how things work out like that, huh?”
My lips curved up slightly. I loved my mom and her idealistic look on life. She was the total opposite of my dad, and I often wondered how she put up with him.
She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear before turning her attention back to the stove. “Did you get everything sorted out?”
“For the most part.” I didn’t want to go into too much detail, especially if my dad was listening.
“That’s nice, dear. Your father’s in his study if you’d like to say hello to him. Dinner will be ready in about an hour.”
I didn’t really want to see my father, but I headed to his study anyway. I probably could’ve avoided him during the time I was going to be there and lied about being too busy with work, but my trip back to Beaufort was about new beginnings and fixing what I’d broken ten years before.
My stomach tightened with anxiety as I approached the door to my dad’s study. The last time we’d parted ways wasn’t on good terms, and we hadn’t spoken since. I didn’t know what to expect, but I hoped we could reconcile our differences for my mother’s sake.
Even though the door was open, I rapped on the doorframe to announce myself.
My dad glanced up from his Bible. His face remained stoic with no glimmer of any emotion as he looked me over. “The prodigal daughter returns.”
If his greeting was any indication of how our conversation was going to go, my hopes of making amends were slim to none. I forced a smile. “Hi, Dad.”
He closed his Bible and clasped his hands together on top of the worn leather. “Please sit.”
I sat down in the chair on the opposite side of his desk. We stared at each other for several seconds in silence even though I wanted to say so much.
Remember—new beginnings, righting wrongs, new beginnings, righting wrongs.
My father sat back in his chair. “Your mother tells me you’re here for work.”
I nodded. “I am. I’ll be doing some field research at the Coastal Reserve.”
My father had never been a big fan of my career choice. He felt that science was in direct opposition of religion, and that was just one of the many things we disagreed on, including the life of my child. “I have to say I’m surprised. I would’ve thought you would do everything you could to avoid coming back here.”
I clenched my fists, trying to keep my rising anger at bay. My dad had a way of burrowing beneath my skin like no one else. “Sometimes things change.”
He arched a brow. “Does that mean you’ll be attending my sermons on Sundays?”
I hadn’t been to church since getting pregnant. After experiencing my father’s hypocrisy in the name of his faith, I had no desire to attend his sermons. I crossed my arms over my chest, biting back a scoff. “Why? So you can rub all my sins in my face while preaching the Lord’s words? No, thank you.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “I hoped that after all these years you would’ve matured. Looks like I was wrong.”
Taken aback, my jaw dropped. “You think I’m the one who needs to mature?” I shook my head and stood, letting out a bitter laugh. “I guess I was wrong to come here and think we could make amends. But your faith has always come first right, Father? Before your daughter and before your granddaughter.”
His eyes widened, no doubt shocked that I’d bring up Piper. He never allowed us to speak of her after the adoption. I fought back the tears as I continued, “I just hope all this was worth it when you meet your beloved maker.”
I left the room without a backward glance. I was done with the conversation, and I wasn’t a young girl afraid to stand up to her father anymore. I didn’t have to put up with his shit.
My mom poked her head out of the kitchen as I flew by. “Livie, what’s wrong?”
