It's just Business 2

Dad?

Clare stood in her kitchen, flipping some pancakes. It was her first time cooking, and she was surprised she hadn't burned the apartment down. She couldn't take a smile off her face, due to last night, but I won't go into detail.

Harry walked into the room, shirtless with some plaid pajama pants. "You look good in my t-shirt," he smirked, pushing his messy brown locks out of his eyes.

"It's definitely a new look for me..."

"Are you cooking breakfast?" Harry asked.

"I know...shocking!"

"So...are you going to talk to your dad today?"

Clare looked at him. "I would if I knew how. I don't know his number or where he lives!"

"We can look him up..." Harry said, typing in something on the laptop. "Ok, what's his name?"

"Fred Sumners...I think..."

Harry typed in Fred Sumners and a thousand results popped up. "Where does he live?"

"Before I left, we were living in California."

"Ok, so a Fred Sumners in California..." Harry said, scrolling through the pages. "Here's one...1680 Brooks Rd.?"

"I think that's it!" Clare gasped, running over to see.

"Want to call him?" Harry asked. He handed her the phone, and Clare bit her lip as she dialed the number. She hesitantly put it up to her ear, looking at Harry with a worried expression. It had been so long since she talked to her dad, she was worried he wouldn't want to talk. She secretly hoped he had moved, but he was still living in that same old house.

After a couple rings, a raspy, old voice answered. "Sumners residence." It was definitely Clare's dad. He always picked up saying that.

Clare pushed the phone into Harry's chest. "I can't do this!" she whispered.

"Yes you can!" Harry said, looking into her eyes.

"Hello?" Mr. Sumners said again.

Clare's voice was shaky. "Dad?"

There was a hush on the other line, and Clare knew he was fixing to hang up. She batted tears away with her eyelashes.

"Clarity?"

"Yes...um...hey dad," she said awkwardly. She looked at Harry, and he gave her a thumbs up, along with a warm smile.

"Clarity! Oh, I can't believe its you!" Mr. Sumners cheered.

Clare looked at Harry in disbelief. He was excited to see her. He didn't hang the phone up!

Tears rolled down Clare's cheeks, but they were happy tears. Tears that had been building up for years, leading to this moment.

"So...how's it been?" she asked, wiping her tears away with her sleeve.

"Um...ok...good now that I'm talking to my only child!"

"Dad, I'm so sorry...about everything!" Clare cried, hoping for forgiveness.

"Oh, baby! It's ok!" her dad said, his voice scratchy.

Clare looked at Harry as he pointed to his engagement ring. She made her mouth in the shape of an O. "Um...dad, I need to tell you something..."

"Go on..." her dad said.

"I'm getting married!" Clare squealed, jumping up and down.

"Congratulations!" he simply said.

Clare furrowed her brows. She had said she wouldn't invite him to her wedding, but talking to him again made her miss him so much more. Since her mom had died when Clare was so young, her dad had raised her. She cherished the memories of going to baseball games...and when her dad taught her how to ride a bike. Those little things that made them so close. But yet Clare couldn't remember what pulled them apart.

"And dad? Would you walk me down the aisle?" Clare blurted out.

Her dad remained quiet, processing the information. "Of course! I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

Clare talked to him for another hour, lying on her bed, and giving him the time and date of the wedding. Talking about how their lives had been, except Clare avoided her past job, and just told him she was going to be a doctor. Everything felt good. Clare had a whole new perspective on everything. She felt like a whole new person, being able to get close to people again, especially her father.

When they were both ready to let each other go, Clare slowly spoke the next words. "I can't wait to see you, dad!"