READ 9:35PM

12 | Indie Morgan

Week Two: Wednesday

This week so far has been uneventful. I spent a lot of time in the office trying to prepare for the opening of building two. I've been in and out of meetings for multiple clients. I've also been getting more business since we are expanding. People from Sacramento and surrounding areas have already been reaching out about signing contracts.

Honestly, I have been worn out and the week is only halfway done. I couldn't be more grateful for Ares. He's just a breath of fresh air. Mainly because while we do talk about the stresses of work, we don't dwell on it. We talk about other things too. He's becoming by best friend, besides Abagail, of course. But since Abagail works for me, I don't like talking about work or the stress of it because more than likely, she already knows and understands.

"Hey Indie? Can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"I know you don't talk about your dad a lot and that's cool. But I was wondering something." I'll admit, my curiosity is peeked. Since Saturday night, or should I say early Sunday morning, we haven't had a hard or in depth conversation. It's been really lighthearted and fun.

"How would you feel if your father showed up out of nowhere?"

My initial reaction is to laugh at that question. I wouldn't think that would happen ever. Especially not after 20 years of being gone. "I have never thought about that, especially once I understood what it meant for him to leave."

"However, if I were to actually think about it, I don't know how I would react. You'd think I'd be upset or something but I really think I would be more confused on why now. You know what I mean? Why wait until I don't need him anymore?"

"I get it. I think from my perspective, I've never had that kind of pain where a parent left by choice. I see the negative and positive outcomes of it, like you, I think you really made the best of your situation. However, I couldn't say the same for my best friend, he ended up being horrible."

I can hear the humor in his voice, "My best friend and I, we grew up together. We met when we were 6 and since, he's always been in my life. His dad left when we were 10."

I stop in my tracks, placing the pan I had in my hand down on the counter. "I think you all are significantly different because you were a lot younger when your dad left, Omar was old enough to remember, and to understand."

"So, his dad just left?"

"Well, he cheated on his mom first, multiple times, before he eventually decided to marry one of his bimbos." I gasped, not expecting that. It actually made me think of the fact that I don't know why my dad left. I never really wondered. He did what he did, and I wasn't going to dwell on it.

However, I'm now wondering if he cheated and left for his second family. If he did, did he leave them for another women? Did the cycle just repeat? Do I have a bunch of siblings loose in the country?

"Did Omar know that he cheated?"

"Yeah, he was devastated. Unfortunately, I wasn't as there for him as I probably could've been. That happened just after my parents died. So, I was stuck in my own sadness. That was probably one of the roughest times in our friendship."

I don't even know what to say. It seems neither does Ares, so for the next 10 minutes we both remain quiet as we think about what was just said.

"I guess, I said all that to say, his dad just contacted him."

"What!!"

"I know...he's having a hard time and doesn't know what to do. It just made me think of what you would do in that situation."