𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲

𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐘

Hope Ashford

Adrian kisses me before I start walking inside my house. Well, what was my house. I've been trying to play things off and act like I'm not terrified of the answers I'll get. Answers that could hurt me more than I already am. I'm trying to be strong but it's hard. Really hard. I'm still struggling to process everything.

I inhale nervously before walking up to the gate and ringing the doorbell. Jeremy quickly opens the gate and sympathetically smiles at me. I smile back at him but it's a weak smile. I walk up to the door and knock. The door opens revealing the last person I want to see right now, Ella.

"What do you want?" Ella asks.

"I came to see my dad, not you Ella." I walk past her, making sure to hit her shoulder with mine as I do. That's not disrespectful, she's not my mom after all. I have so much hate towards her. She's the one who caused this entire mess. I make my way to my dad's office. I knock twice.

"Come in," his voice sounds fragile. How can a sound seem like it's about to break? I open the door and his eyes light up when he sees me. "Hope." I close the door behind me. I can tell he's trying his hardest not to come up to me and hug me. I am too, but I need answers first. "Sit so we can talk. I'll answer all of your questions." I do as he says. "Hope, I don't know about Ella but I've always loved you as if you were my actual daughter, and if it makes you feel any better, even though I'm not your biological father, we are blood-related."

"How?" I ask.

"Your real mother is my sister." The first answer. I let the words sink in before asking my next question.

"Where is she now?" I ask.

He sighs. I don't like that sigh. It's telling me I won't like that answer either. "She died after giving birth to you, Hope." That one isn't sinking in as easily as the other did. It's not sinking in at all. I close my eyes and try to breathe. I take a few seconds before preparing myself for my next question.

"What about my biological dad?" I ask.

He sighs the same way he did before telling me about my mom's death. "He couldn't take your mother's death," he says softly. Oh my God. I don't like where this is going. "He overdosed. He was found dead in his apartment along with a suicide letter."

I feel angry even though I shouldn't be, but that is so selfish. Was he not thinking about me? His daughter. I understand that my mom's death must've hit hard but I was there. I existed. I'm trying my hardest to stay calm so I can ask my next question. "Did my mom ask for you to take care of me before she died?"

"She died right after you were born Hope." A tear rolls down my cheek. "I didn't get a chance to talk to her but I know she would've wanted me to take care of you. In a way, I also did it for Ella." What the hell does she have to do with this? "Before you were born, Ella was pregnant too. Unfortunately, she had a miscarriage. I thought that she would accept you but I saw the way she neglected you. We got into several arguments because of it and she always used our dead baby as an excuse."

"It all makes sense," I say softly. "She didn't want me as a daughter." I take a deep breath in before asking my next question, "Why didn't you tell me the truth the second I turned eighteen?"

"Because I knew it would hurt you," he answers. "I was planning on telling you Hope, I was. But I just didn't know how to tell you. I hate that you found out the way you did but it's relieving at the same time. Listen, Hope, I loved you when I first held you in my arms, and I'll continue to love you unconditionally no matter what. Blood doesn't matter, you're my daughter."

Now, I'm crying. I know he's sincere. I won't look at him any different. He was more of a father than anyone else could've been. He loves me like a father loves a daughter. He has always been selfless. I know he reacted the way he did about me and Adrian because Ella filled his head with bullshit, but I know that my dad just wants me to be happy. I know he'll accept Adrian once I explain everything.

I get up and hug him tightly. I hug my dad. We're both crying at this point. We hug and cry for a few minutes before fixing ourselves. He pulls out an album from his drawers. He flips through the picture until he finally finds one with a pregnant woman. One that looks just like me. I smile as I pick up the album. She was gorgeous.

My dad told me everything about her. Her name was Jane Ashford. She died at the age of twenty-six. She was an English teacher. She loved to read, like me. She was a picky eater. I wish I would've been able to meet her. After my dad told me everything I needed to know, it was time to talk about Adrian.

"Ella told me horrible things, that's why I reacted the way I did," he explains. "She assured me that he was after your money and screwing around with you." I shake my head no.

"Adrian loves me," I assure. "He treats me good, I promise."

"He better," my dad says. "One wrong move, and I'll kill him." I chuckle and shake my head. "All that matters to me is your safety and your happiness."

"I know dad."