Love's Second Chance

Chapter 36

"Sydney, I got a call from the hospital 2 days after Kendra was born telling me to pick her up because check out was ready and you were nowhere to be found. When I got to Leeds, I found Kendra and next to her a letter from you saying you were leaving with another man, that you couldn't take Kendra because she would be an obstacle in your new life and wanted nothing to do with her. That you were young and deserved to be happy with someone who would be there for you the way I was not and that's why you were leaving us."

"Thats bullshit Carter, we were young and naive yes, but you knew how much I loved my daughter from the moment I found out I was pregnant. You knew how much i loved you, why would I ever leave you guys? I can't believe you believed that crap."

"Well I don't know Sydney but I did. I was blinded with anger towards you for leaving her, for leaving us, just like that. I tried to look for you but your aunt told me you were gone and never wanted to tell me where you went. So I gave up, I figure that's what you wanted and I was going to leave you alone to be happy."

"Of course I left Leeds, after loosing my daughter and the man I loved, I had nothing else to do in England so I came back home to Canada. You never thought of looking for me here?"

"Yes, but deep down I didn't want to find you. I didn't want to hear from you how you wanted to be away from us, I didn't want to hear from your mouth how you didn't love neither your daughter or me, so I let it go. Kendra was register with me as her only parent and that's how it was going to be."

"But she has a mother. A mother who had been suffering for years, crying over the ashes of god knows whose baby. For years my life had no meaning. I was broken, i was lost. I can't believe I was robbed from her all this years. And this is all your Mother's doing."

"You don't know that."

"Like hell I do. Why was she there at the hospital? Why did she lie to me saying you had left England? Because it was a lie right?" She points at Carter who nods. "Exactly. She hated me, and i told you multiple times and you never believed me and now look at the consequences, I can't believe this." She shakes her head.

"But I don't care about that anymore. I care about my daughter. I want to be close to her, I want to hug her, I want to tell her that I am her mother and make up for all those years we were apart. I'm calling her to the office." Sydney says as she picks up her phone.

"Whoa Sydney you can't do that." Carter says taking the phone away from her.

"Why not? I am her mother I have every right of being with my daughter, a right that was taken away from me years ago."

"And what's your plan calling her here and just be like 'hey guess what I'm your mum?' No Sydney you can't do it just like that. She thinks her mother abandon her, so she doesn't have the best picture of you. This is going to be big for her."

"You told her that?"

"What was I supposed to tell her? She grew up and started asking questions. I told her the truth. Or at least what I thought was the truth." He adds and Sydney sighs.

"Look, I'm here to spend the weekend with her. Let me spend some time with her, easy the topic in and then I'll tell her."

"Ok," Sydney gives in. "But I want to be present when you do."

"Fine, but please let me have this weekend with her. I don't know how she's going to react to the news, and I haven't seen her in months. I've missed her."

"And I haven't seen her in 18 years Carter, you don't think I've missed her? But fine we can do it as you've said." Sydney says and clears her tears. She sits back down and calls the secretary to go get Kendra.

"Sydney," Carter says almost whispering but catches her attention. "You never left with another man? There was never someone else?" You- you didn't stop loving me?"

"No I didn't leave with another man nor changed you for someone else. But I got more important things to worry about now than some teenage love." She says with a cold and distance tone.

Carter sits there in silent not wanting to ask another question. This was the second time this woman had broken his heart in the past 18 years, and why is that? Because he never stopped loving her.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, there was a knock on the door as it opened and Kendra was revealed. Sydney and Carter both stand up, Sydney's eyes full of tears again. Her daughter in in front of her.

"Hi." Kendra shyly says.

"Hi honey you ready to go?" Carter asks.

"Yes dad, is everything ok? Your eyes are red." She asks examinares his face.

"Yeah, I'm just tired." He adds quickly. "Let's go. Thank you miss Collins, she'll be back Sunday evening."

"Of course," Sydney smiles. "We'll see you then."

"Bye Miss Sydney." Kendra says and turns around to walk away hugging her dad.

"Kendra wait," Sydney says without thinking twice. What is she going to say now? She can't tell her she's her mother, at least not yet. Oh how much she would like to hug her, to kiss her, to hold her in her arms the way she couldn't when she was a baby. "Have a safe weekend." She smiles. Kendra smiles widely and Carter sighs in relief.

One they are gone, Sydney lets out a cry, a cry full of anger and disappointment, but it turns into a cry of happiness and relief. She is still in disbelief that her daughter is actually alive and she has had her close to her all this time. Sydney picks up the phone and dials Cynthia to come to her office to give her the good news, the good news that have Sydney  feeling like she's living again.