Valentine's Diner

Chapter 29 - July 31st, 2001

'Hello?' Robert asks confused on the other side of the line. 'Hi, dad,' Sookie nervously says. 'Sookie? Is that really you?' 'Yes,' Sookie says. 'Is something wrong?' Robert asks. 'I... Is it possible for me to hop on a plane now and be in Athens tomorrow?' Sookie asks. 'Is you mother okay with that?' 'Yeah, yeah, she is,' Sookie lies. 'Okay. I'm glad you want to come here. I'll arrange your room. Do you have money for a plane ticket or do you want me to reserve one for you?' 'Thanks. And it would help if you buy the ticket. But, dad, I will work over there and pay you back.' 'How long are you planning to stay?' Robert asks surprised. 'I have to go,' Sookie says and hangs up the phone.

Sookie packs her backpack and suitecase. She takes a look at her room. She's going to miss it. She takes the letters and her luggage and goes downstairs. She places te letters on the kitchen table with an extra note for her mother. She quietly leaves the house, locking it behind her. Her mother is on an art convention. She looks up at the sky, the sun is shining, it's warm, a warm summer breeze. She smiles shortly. Then she hurries to the busstation.

An hour later, she's standing in the airport of New York with her ticket in her hand. She sometimes really hates her father. But if you ask the man something, he makes it happen. Sookie nervously looks around. 'Look who we have here. Where are you going?' Lucinda asks curiously. 'Lucinda!' Sookie says surprised. 'Yes, who else, dear?' Lucinda asks flipping her hair behind her shoulder.

'So you finally came back?' Sookie asks. 'No, we're leaving for Spain and then Switzerland,' Lucinda casually says. 'What? You left your daughter for months and you were here all the time?!' Sookie aks irritated. 'No, dear. It's a pittstop after Canada,' Lucinda says looking around. 'My hubby is here any minute,' Lucida says. 'Why didn't you come back for Ophelia?' Sookie asks. 'I told Tommy I would be gone for a few weeks,' Lucinda says rolling her eyes.

'You have been gone for months! You could've let them know,' Sookie hisses between her teeth. 'Oh, she's better off with a parent that loves her than a parent who does, but can't,' Lucinda whispers. For the first time she seems to care. 'Lucinda, are you coming or what?!' Her hubby shouts across the airport. 'Yes!' She yells back. 'Bye,' Lucinda says. 'Bye,' Sookie mutters.

Thirtheen hours later, she flops on her bed and sighs in relief. There's a knock on her door. 'Yes,' Sookie says. Her father enters the room. 'I hope you can make yourself comfortable,' Robert says smiling at his daughter. 'Yes. Thank you, papa,' Sookie says and smiles softly. 'We need to talk,' Robert says, taking a seat on the end of the bed. 'Sure,' Sookie says curious. 'Vanessa and I divorced,' Robert says. 'Oh, well, I'm not going to miss her,' Sookie says relieved. Robert smiles.

'I met someone new,' Robert says after a quiet moment. 'Not a surprise,' Sookie says fluffing her pillow. 'I met a man,' Robert quietly says. Sookie looks up at her father, surprised. 'Really?' she says intrigued. 'Yes, he's the owner of that little hotel at the beach.' 'Oh! I remember him! He's really nice,' Sookie says thinking at all the times she went there with Thomas, asking for a glass of water because they were exhausted from swimming.

'We are together, but no one can know,' Robert say. 'Okay. I'm happy for you,' Sookie says and gives him a crooked smile. 'You are the first person to say that,' Robert whispers. 'Well, you deserve to be. I always knew you weren't. You were always to busy trying to be happy, but you  weren't. That made you suck as a dad.' 'I'm sorry.' 'Me too,' Sookie says and makes her way to the other side of the bed so she can hug her father.

'So, I'm understanding that you are willing to work here?' 'Yes,' Sookie says and sits back. 'How long do you want to stay here?' Robert asks. 'I don't know. As long as I want to? I want to work so that I can save money for my next adventure,' Sookie chuckles. 'Alexei wants to offer you one, if you want to. You would be cleaning the rooms and later maybe something else.' 'Thank you!' Sookie says and hugs her father again. He hugs her back.

'Can I ask why you came here out of nowhere?' Robert softly asks. 'Don't get me wrong, you are welcome.' 'I... A lot of things happened this year. I wanted a break form all of it, because I was drowning. I was drowning in my own life, and that's not how I want to live my life. I just need a place to find myself again, to find my peace.' 'A place to heal,' Robert smiles softly. 'Yes!' Sookie says. 'You can stay as long as you want then. Save the money you earn. But don't call with every American, that's going to be expensive.' 'Thanks! And I won't call every American.'

'Okay, then. Try to sleep. We'll go to the hotel tomorrow. I hope you practised your Greek,' Robert says and kisses Sookie on the forehead. 'Goodnight!' Robert leaves the room. 'Night,' Sookie says.