Fateful Hindrance

4. The Juliet Effect

“Of course,” John nodded, following her toward the doorway of the living room. 

“Em, come here,” I heard Dad call from his office down the hallway. 

Reluctantly, I followed, closing the doors behind me once I was inside.

“How could you?” I cried, whirling around to face him.  He was just standing there in the middle of the room, arms crossed, looking at me sternly.  Tears I’d tried to hold in were freely falling down my cheeks.  “How could you call him?  You know my reasons for doing this, for being here.”

He nodded, crossing his arms over his chest.  He tried to look intimidating, but the sadness in his eyes countered that.  “Yes, and while I do get your reasons, even though I have no clue what you’re protecting everyone from, why can’t you be happy at the same time?  I called him because I want my little girl back and he’s the only one who could give her to me.”

I swallowed hard, shaking my head as I leaned back against the wall by the door.  My legs didn’t want to hold me up.  That heavy feeling in my chest was weighing me down, dragging me toward the floor until I was sitting there, my knees curled up into my chest.

I heard Dad sigh before he kneeled down in front of me, that sadness overcoming all.  He reached out, placing a hand on my knee.  “Jason and Drake left about ten minutes ago.  I didn’t tell them that John was coming, just that you were going to need a little more time, so you’d call them later to meet up.”  He leaned forward, tucking my hair behind my ear before he kissed my forehead.  I closed my eyes and more tears spilled over.  “Take this time to talk to John.  Please.  Tell him.  Everything.” 

“I…I can’t,” I whispered, looking at him.

His thumb brush across my cheek, streaking my tears across my skin.  “I just want you to be happy.  That why I called him.  Because he can and he does,” he whispered.  “We’re going to go now, give you two some time to talk, so we’ll see you later, okay?”

I nodded, smiling slightly.  “Okay.  I…I love you, Dad.”

He smiled back before he leaned forward to give me another kiss on the forehead.  “I love you, too, Emmy.”

I don’t know how long I sat there.  It was after Dad left his office, after he called for Mom to leave, after I heard the front door close.  I half expected John to come look for me, wondering where I’d gone to. 

When I finally made myself stand, I didn’t go to him like Dad had wanted me to.  I couldn’t, not yet at least.  I needed to gather my thoughts, and knowing he was in the next room wasn’t making it easy. 

I figured a little distance would do me some good, so I quietly snuck out into the hallway, up the stairs, and back to my room.  But who was I kidding?  An ocean’s distance across didn’t help me before, so why did I figure a few floors up would? 

Sitting on the edge of my bed, my eyes were locked on the closed door, just waiting for it to open.  I didn’t hear any movement downstairs, anyone coming up the stairs or down the hallway.  Had John left without talking to me? 

Time seemed to be standing still for me, but flying by at the same time, the sun already set for over an hour.  My breath hitched in my throat with every intake, getting closer and closer to hyperventilation at the thought of him already being gone.  I was so close to having him again…

The door handle turned then and it opened slowly, revealing a worried-looking John.  His eyes immediately met mine before his eyebrows pulled together in confusion. 

“Emmy, what…?”

“I lied to you.”

The four word sentence tumbled from my lips before I could even think.  But I didn’t need to think.  I needed him to know the truth.