angela

seventeen

"angela." he exhaled, dumbfounded to see me there.

"it's me." i simply said, feeling my eyes fill with tears.

"i... oh my god." he quickly stepped closer and hugged me. i didn't return the hug, so he let go of me. "it's so good to see you."

i nodded, watching his blue eyes filled with tears too. "it's good to see you too." i bit my bottom lip, trying not to cry. "can we... can we talk for a bit?" i asked.

"sure, come here." i followed him on his big backyard porch, and he sat down on one bench, motioning for me to sit on the other. i sat down and crossed my legs.

"why did you leave?" i asked after a few moments later that we sat on silence. "i mean, why did you leave without saying anything to me?" i let the anger that i felt show.

he sighed and rubbed his eyes. "she never told you, did she?"

i frowned. "she just yelled at me and blamed me when you left."

"of course she did" he mumbled.

"she never told me why you suddenly left, or why you left without leaving me a note like you did with everyone." i let out a sarcastic laugh. "god, i adored you, you were my fucking father, you were everything that she couldn't be, you were my everything." i felt the tears running down my cheeks. "i felt numb for so long, i literally can't leave my house on valentine's day, because i just remember you packing your bags and leaving while i screamed for your name." i cried out, keeping my voice low so i wouldn't scare his wife or daughter. "you didn't even try to call me when they were gone."

"if you only knew why i did what i did." he whispered, keeping his gaze at the floor to avoid my eyes.

"tell me then!" i exclaimed. "please! the least you can do it's fucking tell me why you did that!"

he took a deep breath and leaned back against the wood bench. my father stared at the ceiling for what if felt like hours before he spoke: "bianca was beautiful during high school, i was head over heels for her, and i swore to my parents the day we got married that she was my other half," he let out a soft laugh. "but then she started to change during the years, i knew it wasn't because of me. it was her work, and then brandon, everything was a little messy in her life, i could see that." he finally looked at me as i wiped away a few tears. "but giving birth to carina literally broke her. she was angry all the time, she yelled at me every night and i had to drive brandon to my parents house when she crossed her limits, and spend the night with carina sleeping in my arms at her bedroom." i didn't know about any of this. the only thing i knew it was that my mom was a horrible person and a very angry mom. "when you were born, i felt like it was a whole new chapter, that everything was going to change and we were going to finally be happy." my dad shook his head. "i was wrong, very wrong." i frowned, bringing my legs closer to my chest. "i tried my hardest to be the best father you guys could ever get."

"you were." i mumbled and he gave me a small smile.

"but then, it was valentine's day, 2009. i prepared the perfect night for me and your mother, thinking about taking her to the place where i proposed so we could enjoy a little time alone." he sighed again. "earlier that day, we got into a fight when i went to pick her up at the place she worked and she told me everything." he started crying. "she told me that she couldn't handle everything since carina, that she needed a distraction, something to get her mind off of everything and everyone." i feared where this conversation was leading to, so i felt my hands shaking again. "she told me how she cheated on me for three years and how she made me believe for thirteen years that you were my daughter."

my heart sunk, and i felt out of breath. my whole body was shivering now. how could she do this to me? how could she hide this from me for so long? the man that i called my father for so long wasn't my real father, because she cheated on him. that's why he didn't want to talk to me for all these years. i bet he felt repugnance to even look at my face, that's why he never called, never texted and never visited me. "i couldn't think straight, so i just left." he continued in a whisper. "i cried everyday for a year and... i had to see a therapist, i mean, i still do, because... i was so depressed with the idea of not being your father." he cried. "i thought she was going to tell you, to make you meet your real father, but she never did. so when i decided to talk to you, it was too late." i stood up and sat by his side. "it was two years later, i thought you hated me so i didn't say anything and started to send money to your mother every month so she could give it to you." i widened my eyes a little bit. "i still do." i was shocked with the information. my mom always sent me a great amount of money every month but i always thought it was hers.

i sighed and looked at him. it wasn't his fault, i mean, it was obvious that he was telling the truth, i could see it. so i swallowed thickly and hugged him tightly. "i forgive you." i mumbled against his shirt. "even though you didn't help her to make me, you're still my father... you raised me, you took care of me and loved me through half of my life, how could you think that i was going to be happier with an other dad?" i chuckled and pushed myself away from him, making him smile. "i love you dad." i gripped his hand, giving it a light squeeze. "you are my real ábba." he knew i hated to call him dad in greek, but at that moment, it felt right, so he let out a soft laugh.

he hugged me again. "i'm sorry for being away for so long, i should've told you the truth a long time ago."

"it's okay, really." i smiled.

after we both stopped crying, he started to tell me about his life now. he met monica at a gas station because she accidentally hit his car, so they had to keep in touch. they eventually started dating until three years later he proposed to her. he also told me how happy he got when she told him that she was pregnant with astrid. my dad even called for monica so i could meet them both properly. monica was a sweetheart, so we spent a long time getting to know each other as my dad played with astrid.

even though the thing about me not being his daughter was very messy and sad, i was happy. happy to now know the truth and to get to know the new phase of my dad's life. "do you want to stay for dinner?" monica asked.

"yeah, that would be cool, if you guys don't mind." i smiled playing with astrid's blonde hair.

"of course we don't mind, it would be a pleasure!" my dad said smiling at the two of us. "i can call carina and brandon so we could all get dinner... as a family." my heart flutter with his last words.

"that's sounds perfect." he kissed the top of my head and we decided to get in because it was getting dark outside. monica asked their maid to prepare the dinner before she called my siblings as we went to the living room. i noticed the grand piano near the stairs and smiled. "do you still play?" i asked him as he sat down on the couch to put something on the tv for astrid.

"yeah, do you?" he smiled as i sat down on the piano bench.

"i still do, i actually teach a few kids how to play." my dad widened his eyes.

"that's really amazing, i'm very proud." i thanked him and thought about playing, but he decided to ask me a few things. "do you and matt still talk?"

"yeah, after all these years." i chuckled. "i only moved to los angeles because of him and another friend i made there, zac."

"that's cool, did you make another friends beside the two of them?" he came to sit beside me, and i moved to the side so he could do so.

immediately, david popped inside my head and i grinned. "just a few." i simply replied.

"i have to ask, is there any boyfriend? because when i asked about other friends, you gave me the goofiest smile ever." he laughed. "i may have been away for a long time, but i know that face, ela."

i blushed. "maybe."

"come on, tell me more." he elbowed me slightly.

"we are just friends and i like him, but we decided to go slow, i mean, we know each other since january so we didn't want to rush things." my dad nodded.

i told him more about david until brandon and carina arrived. "if it isn't my baby sis!" carina said hugging me from behind. "of course, sitting at the piano." she rolled her eyes making us laugh.

she kissed my cheek before stepping away. brandon quickly took her place. "are you happy now?" he whispered into my ear.

i smiled looking at him. "very happy."