Daddy's Queen-Pins

Chapter Fourteen - The beginning to an end

Marco arrived in New York, just in time for Camila's graduation. After confirming the address of her school with Tommy, Marco instructed him to meet him there. Although Marco wasn't worried about anyone blowing smoke his way, he didn't want to be a sore thumb at a high-school graduation. He and Tommy occupied two seats in the back row after sliding the door attendant three crisp hundreds. The ceremony was close to two hours long and Marco was anxious to see his daughter walk across the stage; he also felt guilty for not being in her life for so long. When the administrator called Camila's name, Marco watched her walk up the steps and across the stage to receive her diploma. He found himself getting teary eyed when Camila stood and posed for her final picture.

"Damn, she looks just like her mother!" He said to himself.

As bad as Marco wanted to stand and applaud, he decided against it. He didn't want to risk being seen by Ben or Lilli which would most likely result in ruining Camila's special day. Once Camila was off the stage, Marco and Tommy made their quiet exit. When they were outside of the school, Marco gave Tommy a hug and went to his car to retrieve a black duffle bag.

"Thank you, for everything!" Marco said tossing him the bag.

"It's nothing fam! Call me if you need anything else, I'm around!" Tommy responded. "Where you headed?"

"Back to my room, you got that address for me?" Marco asked.

"Oh shit! Almost forgot." Tommy said reaching into his pocket. He handed him a piece of paper with Ben and Lilli's address on it.

"Good lookin' out!" Marco exclaimed.

"Ared, I'ma get up outta' here!" Marco told him as he reached out for a five.

Marco returned the palm and added a nod. "I'll be in touch." He told him smiling.

Tommy got into his car and sped off. "It's something off about that nigga!" he said to himself.

Marco headed back to his hotel and thought about how to approach his dilemma. He knew Camila had every right to be upset with him about not being in her life, but he also wanted to explain to her that it was out of his control. Marco was pretty sure that Ben and Lilli had poured fabricated stories into Camila's head about him. As he walked over to the bar, he thought about Carmen. For years, he decided to push her out of his mind because he knew that everything that happened was his fault. Marco grabbed a bottle of Whiskey and poured himself a drink. Moments later, his thoughts were racing, and he made the decision to stop by the store the next day. His heart yearned for a connection with his daughter and he couldn't wait to see her. Marco ended his night watching 'daddy-daughter' porn until he passed out from exhaustion.

The following day, Marco showered, got dressed and ordered a driver for that day. He didn't want to drive his car when he pulled up Camila, he knew his car would stick out too much in her neighborhood. When the driver pulled up on Hasley Street, the block was lined with people sitting on porches and cars, shooting dice, playing cards and children playing around the fire hydrant; it was close to one-hundred degrees and there wasn't a speck of shade in sight. Marco sat and watched patrons enter and exit the store and wondered if Camila was inside. Tommy told him the hours she worked and that the store had the most activity on the nights she worked. Marco hoped that his daughter wasn't on the path that decided to take. He always thought that if he stayed away from Camila, it would do her some good. Marco remained in the back seat lost in his thoughts when he was interrupted by the driver yelling at someone attempting to wipe the windows.

"Are we waiting for someone, sir?" The driver asked.

"No, no. Give me a second, I'll be right back." Marco told the driver as he got out of the car.