GUILTY | CONRAD FISHER

because i'm falling for you...

Sara and her father were standing on the porch, last waving at Theo and Judith. It was Francis' turn to babysit daughter, so the Haden boy and Ms. Edwards could visit their hometown to settle a couple of things. As soon as the car disappeared, the man put his hand around girlish shoulders, and, together, they could go inside.

The girl sat down at the dining table, watching her father making some smoothies for both of them. It felt like they hadn't spent time together for centuries, only the two of them. Most of the time, they were too busy to have their 'father and daughter day'.

"What are your plans for today?" asked Francis as he sat opposite Sara. "You gonna to be with Steven or..."

"Only you and me, dad," she responded smiling. "Today's Belly's birthday. Guys will be with her."

"Who is Belly?"

"Youngest Conklin, c'mon, dad, you remember her!"

"Oi, that kid! Course, I remember her!" Francis clapped his hands. "And how old is Belly? Twelve or something?" she burst with laughter spilling the smoothie on herself. "It's a karma, kid. Don't laugh at your father."

"Belly's turning sixteen, dad! She's only one year younger than Theo and me!" his eyes widened, he wasn't expected that. He didn't want to be that old, the Conklin girl couldn't be that grown up.

"I remember her as a ten-years-old girl, love, I'm shocked," the man took their glasses and washed them up, then he returned to the table. "So, you are going to a party today?"

Even though Theo wanted to tell Mr. and Ms. Edwards about Belly's words, he was sure that they deserved to know how mean that girl was to their daughter, Sara didn't let him. She hated snitching and she hated the possibility of her parents being mad with Belly. She was a sweet girl, who simply didn't want to be friends with Edwards herself. It was okay, not everybody could be her friends.

So, she had to make up a reason, why Belly didn't invite her, actually, Sara had no idea if she was celebrating. Sara cleared her throat. "There is no party, dad. They have a family dinner, that's all."

"I'm the happiest parent in the whole world, my daughter has no friends except me! Are we gonna to have a sleepover?" Francis took off his shoes, showing the toes. "I want to have a pedicures!"

"Gross, dad, no pedicures tonight. Not with me," the man sighted disappointedly. "How about sailing? We haven't done it for months!"

"Go change, girl, Duke Leto doesn't enjoy waiting."

Sara rolled her eyes. "You're obsessed with Dune," he nodded.

"I am."

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The piers weren't far enough from their place, so they decided to go there by foot. Francis took Sara's hand and started telling her stories she heard thousands of times, but the girl didn't show it.

She wanted that moment to be endless, she wanted to listen to her father to the end of her life. She felt safe with him, she felt like she was five again, that everything was still fine, her parents didn't think about divorce and Theo with his dad were hanging out with them.

"Sara!" her daydreaming was terribly interrupted by the Conrad's voice. He was sitting in the boat with Cleveland Castillo, the writer Sara heard about before. Teens smiled at each other. "Hi, Mr. Edwards!"

"Good morning, boy. Sara said you all would be with birthday girl," Francis didn't notice the change of the boyish facial expression as he was getting on the boat they rented. But Cleveland and Sara clearly saw everything, so they exchanged the look of confusion and shrugged to each other.