AGLOW [L.T]

29

I closed the door behind me and walked down the hall. I had woken up with yet another text from my dad asking to meet me in his room when we arrived in Washington. The entire bus ride I was worrying about what he would want to talk about this time. 

A part of me kind of worried about him knowing I was in the middle of a robbery, but then I realized he would not be so calm about it if that was the case. If I was in the middle of a robbery scene I think he would have burst the door open as soon as he found out about it. 

Another thing I was scared of was him somehow knowing about me meeting Louis on the roof. I don't think anyone saw us though. The roof was empty and we would've noticed if anyone came up. I left without him and I went straight back to my room. 

I saw the number my dad said was his room. My nerves were going insane as I knocked on the door while taking a deep breath. I heard steps approaching the door and then the door flew open.

I expected him to look at me with the same disappointed expression as last time, but he was on the phone with someone and just waved me inside. I walked into his room and took a seat in the grey armchair in the corner of the room while I waited for him to hang up the phone. 

He nodded and hummed in agreement a few times before they ended the phone call. He put the phone in his pocket and sat down at the edge of the bed. 

"So" he starts, looking at me "I spoke to your aunt"

"which one?"

"your mothers sister." he says. I furrowed my brows in confusion. I used to love aunt Lilian, but when mum died she decided to move to Croatia and has been staying there ever since. We talk on the phone sometimes, but she always ends up crying when she talks to me for too long. 

"Oh" I say "Why?" 

They never really talked. She stayed around helping me and mum a lot when dad was away but never really came around when my dad was home. When mum died they couldn't agree on anything for the funeral and after that they just haven't talked at all. Until now apparently. 

"I needed help" he admits "You need to understand that being a parent is hard... I was never good at it and I missed out on a lot when I was away and I can't blame anyone but myself for that. But when I got thrown into this big responsibility when you were fifteen and we were both grieving I just guess I got stuck thinking you always need protection from me, therefor I react so strongly when I have to let go of my little kid"

He looks at me with bittersweet eyes while he's talking slowly, taking a few pauses like he's trying to figure out what to say. 

"wait" I interrupt "what does this have to do with aunt Lilian?" 

"I called her to get advice from a mother's perspective. She sure as hell put me in my place there" he says with a chuckle. 

I chuckle at that too, remembering all the times Lilian would notice me not eating my veggies and make me go tell mum myself. I was always so ashamed when Lilian said that I had something to tell her then make me admit it right in front of her. 

"I can't tell you what you can and can not do anymore. You can hang out with who you want, you can legally drink in Europe" he says while looking down at the floor in front of him. 

He looks up to me and slowly nod, trying to see where he's going with this. He sighs loudly and his face goes a bit more stern. 

"But drinking here is still illegal. You are still living under my roof and you're here to study. I can't control who you spend time with and if you want  to spend time with people having a bad influence on you, that is up to you. But when it comes to drinking and drugs... if I see you drinking her where it's illegal or doing any sort of drugs I will send you to stay with your aunt. You will have more freedom but I want you to behave" he says.