WHITNEY’S POV
I was so nervous as I saw my mother talking to my father. This would the first time I had seen him and would the first time that I would talk to him; if we talked.
I walked up to them and my father’s eyes immediately fell on me. His eyes widened and I didn’t know if it was because of my hair or just because he was seeing me for the first time in ten years.
I wondered what was going through his mind. Was he happy to see me? Would he apologize? Would he at least admit he was wrong for putting me in an impossible position?
“Hi Whitney.” he said after he cleared his throat.
My mother looks down at Maddie. “Sweetie, why don’t you wait in the car for me and Whitney?”
She nods and walks over to my mother’s car. I watch her and turn back to my father once Maddie is inside the car.
“It’s been a long time. You haven’t changed a bit, I mean physically. Well, you have changed, the last time I saw you, you were eight months pregnant.” he chuckles.
I know he is trying to make conversation but it stings to have that memory brought back to light.
“Umm, so I heard you came back in town a few days ago.”
“Dad, can you just say what’s on your mind please? I have plans with my mother and my daughter.” I spit out.
He jerks his head back in shock. “Well, I uh, well Whitney I wanted to tell you that the years have given me time to dwell on my actions. My actions caused me to lose my daughter, my granddaughter and my wife.” He pauses to look at my mother and then looks back to me. “I want you to know that even though I can’t change the past, I can make moves now to affect the future. If you can find it in your heart to forgive me I will spend the rest of my life making up for the awful decision I forced you to make.”
I blow out a breath when he is done. His apology seemed sincere but I didn’t know if I could accept it. I had played this scene out in my heads dozens of times and each time I would forgive my father and we would be one big happy family. But for some reason I didn’t feel like that would be the case.
I look into my father’s eyes as I begin to speak. “Thank you for apologizing. That means so much to me. I want you to know that no one has ever hurt me as much as you have and I want you to know that you no longer have any more power over my life. I do forgive you but I don’t want anything to do with you. I am just fine with my mother and my daughter being in my life.”
I turn from him and head to my mother’s car. I hear my parents begin an argument but I don’t eavesdrop. I get into the front seat and look back at Maddie and give her a smile.
“Everyone loved my hair today! You should be a hairstylist!”
She giggles. “Nope, I want to build houses like my daddy. I want to build my own house too one day.”
