The Gift- Complete

8

Lydia pov

The next day, we woke up early and got the train down to Wales. I was so nervous and yet excited at the same time. I wanted to kill him. But I also missed him to the very core

"This is fucking stupid" Mason muttered as we took our seats on the train

"Language. And anyway, you didn't have to come. But I'm glad you did. Think how wonderful it will feel when we finally see daddy after all these years" I said also trying to convince myself.

"Lyd, why are you so happy to see him? He left us" Mason raised his voice suddenly making me jump. Arthur patted his back

"Alright let's calm down. If Lydia wants to forgive him then we have to respect her decision" he said making me nod my head in agreement. The rest of the ride was and awkward silence. Normally i would break it however it didn't feel right. I could tell Mason was angry and wanted to be left alone so that's what I did

When the train stopped, we grabbed the 1 bag we had brought with us incase we ended staying over night, and got of at the station. Arthur walked over to look at a map and find out where cherry Grove Lane was. Luckily it wasn't far from the train station. Only a 10 minute drive.

We got a taxi to the address and soon enough, I saw myself sitting in a car, outside a house, frozen to my seat. What stood before me was something I had never expected. There he was. My father. But he wasn't alone. A woman was clung to his arm smiling as they sat on a porch bench with their large house that overlooked the sea. They were laughing at 3 young children who ran around together happily. My heart was having a roller coaster of emotions. One second I felt happy he wasn't alone, and another time I just wanted to run

"Uncle Alfie lied. He said daddy wasn't the same, on drugs and drinking. But he is the same. Except we aren't the ones making him smile" I said to no one in particular as i stared out of the window

"You getting out?" The driver asked. Mason and Arthur got out and Arthur grabbed our bag. It took a few minutes longer but I eventually took a big breathe and stepped from the taxi. I watched as the woman clung to my dad's arm nudged him and pointed to us. His face fell with shock as she made her way over to us

"Hello. Can I help you?" She asked sweetly. Oh how I wanted to hate her. But it seemed almost impossible with her kind tone of voice and gorgeous facial features. She had long blonde hair than reached her waist and large brown eyes. She wore bright red lips and rosy cheeks

"We are looking for someone. A Francis cassidy" Arthur said since Mason was too angry to speak and I too shocked

"Francis darling. There are people here to see you" she called as she beckoned her husband over. Her kids had stopped playing and stood watching us putting me on edge although I tried my best to keep my smile.

When dad got closer to us, I felt all the anger i once felt melt away causing me to fling my arms around him and embrace him in a big hug. But to my surprise, he pulled away in disgust

"Do I know you?" He asked as his wife watched a little confused herself

"It's me. Lydia-Rose" I said chuckling at his bad memory

"I don't know that name" he muttered

"But-"

"Leave it lyd. He's just pretending. Bet his wife doesn't know the kind of man  he is" Mason said grabbing my hand and pulling me back

"Francis, what are they talking about?" The woman asked.

"Nothing dear. Why don't you go inside?" He suggested

"No. I want to know what's going on. Will someone please explain" she begged looking at the 3 of us. I wanted to yell and tell her what he did. To let her know the man she married. But then i looked at the children's faces. The way they thought of their father as a hero. How happy they all looked. Our father didn't deserve that. But they didn't deserve to go through their parents divorce which would surely happen if she were made aware of who he truly was

"I'm sorry for troubling you. Francis was a friend of my father's. I havnt seen him for many years and was hoping we could catch up" I lied straight to her face. The woman smiled

"Oh that would be lovely Francis. Why don't you all go down to the beach. Have a walk" she suggested going back to look after her children. Our father looked reluctant but lead us down some steps and onto the sandy beaches

Arthur pov

I have never been more proud than watching Lydia lie to that woman. She is too kind for her own good. Her father deserved nothing but she understood that to tell them everything would also hurt the kids and the innocent woman who he had married. Lydia was too sweet to do something like that.

I was seeping with anger as we walked down to the beach. It took everything in me not to punch him to a pulp but I stopped myself for Lydia and Mason. We began walking along the beach in silence

"So you found me" he finally started

"Uncle Alfie told us. Unlike you he still cares for us" Mason said through gritted teeth

"You've grown handsome son. And you Lydia, well you look more like your mother every day. Stunning" Francis said stopping to look at the two. Then Lydia did something I least expected. She raised her hand and slapped in hard across her fathers face leaving a nasty red mark

"Don't you dare bring mama into this. You have no right to speak of her. She was a good woman and didn't deserve this" she yelled to him trying to control her tears

"You speak of her in the past. Why?" He asked. There were no words exchanged for 45 seconds before Mason answered

"She died. A year after you left. We went to an orphanage after that. Because you left us" I watched as their fathers face remained straight. He didn't bat an eyelid at his old lovers death

"All part of God's plan I suppose" he said smiling

"So you're a man of God? Yet you still go against gods plan of you being their father by leaving" I said to him shocked. He had no words. We all went and sat on a bench overlooking the beach

"Why did you leave us?" Lydia asked

"I fell in love" he replied

"You could have divorced. You didn't need to up and go without so much as a goodbye or an explanation" Mason yelled at him reaching to wack him. I held him back knowing if he did, he would regret it

"I know. And I'm sorry. But I thought a fresh start was best. Thank you by the way. For not telling my wife" he thanked them

"That wasn't for you. I did that for your children" Lydia replied

"Well either way I appreciate it. Look you should just go home. I'm sorry for everything I've done. But it's time you move past it and let it go" he said standing up to leave. Screw him. I jumped up and punched him square in the face. Leaving him bleeding in the sand, I grabbed Mason and Lydia's arms and pulled them away as we walked without looking back.

We stood ontop of sandy hill after Lydia suddenly stopped

"Come on lyds. Let's go back" Mason said. But Lydia shook her head and tears formed in her eyes

"Just let me go back. A...and I can talk to him and then he can take us home" she said sobbing towards the end of her sentence. I walked closer and engulfed her into a tight hug as she sobbed into my chest

"Come on. I'm bringing you home now. We dont need him" I told her kissing her head. She didn't reply and just kept crying something I thought impossible for her until recently. Poor duck

The ride home was silence, Lydia's tears still pouring but slowly and silently. She just sat and looked out of the window and when we arrived in Birmingham, she walked straight from the station not looking back and into the garrison. We quickly ran after the poor girl and found her in the empty pub. It was closed. She was sat behind the bar, crying with her head in her hands and her knees to her chest

"Love" I said sitting down next to her. She rested her head on my shoulder but didn't say anything

"I really thought he would take us home" she whispered. I wrapped an arm around her and we stayed like that until she ended up falling asleep due to the travel and the tears