TOUCH

Thirteen.

"I think that when a man and a woman love each other, they tend to think that the world loves them too." Jordan started.

Liya was still next to her, ears open to allow her words in, and mind focused on every syllable. This would be the first time she hears Jordan's story. After today, she'd know Jordan more than she had yesterday. What better way to know someone, than by learning of their past?

"I think that Daniel and Terry were like that." Although, she was never told, she already knew that Terry must've been Jordan's birth mother's name.

"I like to believe that they felt that the world would be ever so delightful to them, that everything would work their way. They were right, to some extent. Daniel, your dad, or our dad, was in high school when he met Terry. Apparently, from what I heard, she was the good girl. The smartest in all her classes, the most beautiful, blah blah blah. And dad....was the mediocre, privileged rich boy. Somehow they fell inlove. So inlove, that they spoke about marriage, and kids, and a nice big happy home. "

Jordan felt like her mother, retelling the story. She told it like her. With the same emotion, same bitterness. She felt the ache of regret, a feeling she knew her mother felt when revisiting those memories.

"He ended up proposing. On a yacht on valentines day after a romantic dinner, if I'm not mistaken. After 2 months of being engaged, she fell pregnant with Maya. I'm not sure why, but he insisted they call off the wedding until the baby was born. So they did. Until she was born. And then he told her they shouldn't get married just yet, not until the baby was old enough. 2 years later, Jordan was born. This time, Daniel said he wasn't ready to get married. And then he fled. "

Liya frowned."What do you mean, fled? Where did he go?"

"I don't know. But Terry didn't like it. She got upset. Started doing drugs, and drinking."

"What about you and Maya?"

"We spent alot of time with the neighbors. They weren't the most generous people. But they were nice enough to care for us for a few years. Until Maya was old enough to take care of the both of us. After that we took care of ourselves."

"That's horrible." Liya commented. "But he came back, though. He took you and Maya. And now you're here, with all of us."

"Yeah, but he came back married to another woman, and with another child."

Liya's chest started to feel constricted. The story was heartbreaking, but what made it worst is that she now felt as though Jordan didn't like her and Lisa as well.

"The only reason I'm still mad is because I feel like I could've avoided alot of the things I went through if he'd atleast taken us with him. Instead of showing up on a random day, claiming to be our father."

"He probably didn't know Terry was gonna end up the way she did. Maybe she was nice before. Maybe she changed-"

"People don't change. They can't. What they do, is evolve in response to their internal and external environment. She was reacting to what he put her through."

Liya silenced. There was no defending him. He should've been smarter. He should've prioritized his children. Instead, he ran.

But why? If he loved her as much as Jordan says, then why would he just leave? Was there more to the story? It was from Terry's point of view, anyway. Maybe she left out some parts.

"I'm sorry." Liya said the only thing she could in a helpless situation.

"Don't ever apologize for things you had nothing to do with. It changes the value of an apology. If one can apologize for something they didn't do, what's the point of apologizing for things you did?" Jordan looked at her sister. "But thank you."