The Player

Chapter 17

I woke up late the next morning and could hear dishes clanking from the kitchen downstairs. I got out of bed, stretched, and then walked over to the window to open my shades. The sunlight streamed into my bedroom leaving light streaks on the carpet. I went back over to my bed and grabbed my phone off the nightstand. I had no new messages or missed calls. I threw the phone on my bed and grabbed a sweatshirt that I threw over my head. My stomach growled so I made my way downstairs to get some breakfast.

My dad was in the kitchen, already showered and dressed for the day. He was cleaning up some dishes that were probably from last night. When he heard me enter the kitchen he turned to look at me.

"Good morning Ella. Do you want some breakfast?" he asked.

"Yeah, but I'll get it. It's fine." I grabbed a bowl from the cabinet and then grabbed the Lucky Charms box from the pantry. I poured some into my bowl and then got the milk from the fridge and poured that in the bowl too. I put the milk away, grabbed a spoon and sat down at the island to eat my breakfast.

"I bought the Lucky Charms for you because I know they're your favorite." my dad said as he dried the dishes he had just finished washing.

"And to soften the blow with mom being here and everything, right?" his head fell a little bit as he turned back around towards the sink. "Look dad, she told me everything. I know what happened, and there's no way to change it now. Am I mad?....Yes. But not as much as I was yesterday. This was between you and mom, and it ended up altering my whole life whether you wanted it to or not. I understand why she left, and why you made her, but that doesn't make it okay. You can't just tape this family back together like a ripped up picture. It's gonna take more than explanation and some Lucky Charms." the whole time I was talking, my dad was staring intently out the little window above the sink, dish towel in hand. My cereal had become soggy by now, but that was the least of my worries. I wanted my dad to respond. After seconds of silence, he suddenly broke out of his trance and spun around to face me.

"Do you think I'm glad that my wife, your mother, walked out on us?! Do you think I'm glad that I had to raise you all by myself?! Do you think I'm glad that I had to find out my wife was cheating on me because she didn't love me anymore when I still loved her?! It wasn't easy Ella! You make it sound like I'm the bad guy. Who was the one who made you breakfast every morning? Who was the one who sent you off to school on the bus every day? Who bought you clothes, and food, and took care of your every need? Who was the one who tucked you into bed every night? Me. Not your mother, but me. And you know what? It was hard raising you all by myself because I knew there were some things I just couldn't give you. But I loved every second of it. I never regretted having you all to myself to care for, because that's how much I love you. And I loved your mother too, but she clearly moved on, and I had to accept it because that's what you do for someone you love." my dad finished his speech and then let out a huge breath.

"Dad...I'm sorry. I never thought about it from your perspective."

"No, no I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just blown up at you like that. I should have told you about this sooner. I know it's a lot to take in for you."

"It's as hard for you as it is for me." my father nodded. "We're not alone in this dad. We've had each other this whole time, and look where it got us." I smiled.