"Hi sweetie. You're so grown up." He said as he came closer to me with open arms. When her got close to me I backed up and put my hands up.
"What are you doing here."
He looked confused and said
"Listen. I know me showing up out of the blue is crazy but I needed to meet you."
A part of me wanted to hug him but a bigger part of me wanted to slap him. I just stood there.
"I have school. I need to get ready and leave." His smile faded.
"I can drive you to school. That will give us a chance to talk."
Why wasn't my mom saying anything? I looked over at her and she was giving Dustin his breakfast.
"No thank you. My friend Adi gives me a ride everyday. I don't need one."
"Please. We need to talk." He looked at me pleadingly and as much as I didn't want to I accepted his offer.
"I'll text Adi and tell her I have another ride for today." His eyes lit up.
"Thank you sweetie. I'll be waiting in my car. It's parked outside if front of the office. It's the black Cadillac."
I nodded and walked back into my room. I shut the door and started crying. Why was he here? Why now? After 16 years why now? I got up again and got dressed. I walked into the bathroom and brushed my hair and teeth. When I was done I walked to the kitchen and got some cereal. The silence was deafening. I broke it by saying "Why is here?" My mom looked up at me with puffy red eyes.
"I don't know mija. He just came here and said he wanted you in his life. He said he'd talk to me more when you got to school."
I ate my cereal and kissed my mom and brother goodbye. Dustin was happy as usual. I envied the fact that he was oblivious to what was happening. He was only 2 so he just played with his toys. Dustin is my half brother but I don't think of him as only half my brother. When I walked outside I noticed it was colder than I expected. I saw the black Cadillac and thought ' So he has enough money for a Cadillac but not for a daughter'. I got in the car and buckled my seatbelt. He pulled out of the driveway and started talking. He explained to me that the only reason he left was to scam some lady and get her money. He said he never loved her and really did love me. He said he was sorry for leaving me and not being in my life. He told me he wanted to be in it now.
"Are you married Leo?" He was surprised I called him by his name as opposed to 'Dad'.
"I have a wife and two other kids. You have a brother named Luis and a sister named Jessica."
I looked at him and said ,with as much venom as possible, "half brother and sister."
He frowned and kept talking about how he wanted to be in my life. When we pulled up to my school he dropped an even bigger bomb on me.
"Listen honey, I don't live in California I live in Texas. Dallas to be exact. And I wanted to take you there for the rest of your senior year. I talked to your mom and she said I still have half custody of you so I could if I really wanted to. I'm going to talk to your school after I talk more with your mom. You'll love Texas it's beautiful."
And with that I got out and ran to my locker tears already running down my face. Thankfully Adi and Katie were already at my locker. Katie came up to me and asked what was wrong.
"It's a long story. But long story short my dad is back and I'm going to finish my senior year with him in Dallas." Adi and Katie both looked horrified.