Disconnected

One

"Any luck with your father?" Mrs. Gilbert asked. Nodding her head silently, Cadence had consumed her lunch which consisted of salmon and kale. Immediately after, the tears flowed causing her to sob. It truly bothered Cadence, because she just wanted to ask one question: Why did my mother not sign the birth certificate?

"Don't worry, Cadence. In a few weeks, I know you'll find him. Keep your head up." The supervisor walked back into her office, leaving the break room. Feeling down with everything, she disposed her food into the garbage bin, heading back into her personal office. Her space had a home feel to it, as she decorated it to her liking. A small photo frame was placed on her glass desk, with her adoptive mother. Her goal was make sure she had made her proud.

Cadence dealt with the consequences from being a people pleaser. Just like her mother. She would always over exert herself for other's needs, and would get hurt right after. She had no friends, so she remained alone 24/7. Dealing with so much at a young age, it caused Cadence to grow up quickly. Writing up forms for her work, something told her to look for her father once more. Listening to Come Back to Me, by Janet Jackson, it was the song that represented her exact emotions. Every lyric connected with the struggles she's been facing with this parental investigation.

Searching on Facebook for Val Elliott, a man who resided in Miami, Florida was the top result. Clicking on his profile, Cadence saw the option to message him. Before doing that, she saw photos of him and apparently his mother; the lady who looked like an older version of Cadence, had her scared to the core. Rummaging through more albums online, she decided to message him. Not knowing what to say or how to say it, she constant typed and deleted, not wanting to sound too weird.

If this man was her biological father, everything would change. Sleepless nights used to take place for the young-aged individual, creating scenarios in her mind about her family; constant fantasies of her mother and father overwhelming Cadence with so much love and gratitude. Indulged into disappointed thoughts, she gained the courage and confidence to write her potential father a small, detailed message. She poured her entire heart into this exchange, hoping for the best. After clicking send, a heavy burden was lifted off of the young woman's shoulders.

Closing her laptop and putting into its bag, cadence decided it was time to go home. Her watch read twenty minutes to five o'clock, making Cadence grab her belongings. Ending her shift for the day, it was taking a toll on the young girl's body, as she drove half an hour everyday for work. Cadence was an ambitious person, and she had that trait from childhood. Each year she would write goals and affirmations, hanging them on her bedroom door.

She was thankful that also inherited an independency trait; she never asked for money and loved to work to save. Her determination had definitely paid off. It troubled her that her mother couldn't see her success. The grieving period in Cadence's life would be eternal, so the two things that she did was pray and attend therapy. Not having many friends was a definite bummer, and it caused her to internalize everything. Seeing her therapist Dr. Jonas three days a week, Cadence started to open up more and more.

A wall of defensiveness and denial overcame the innocent girl, but it surely did linger at times. The relationship with her adoptive mother wasn't pretty at first, as she blatantly disrespected her often. Realizing that this woman was trying to her best to love on her, Cadence gave her a chance. The growth and maturity surprised Maggie, hell, even Cadence.

Therapy was a lifesaver. Society had instilled in the young girl's mind that therapy wasn't for black people. If you're depressed? Pray. If you're broke? Pray. If you're ugly? Pray. Black families always had a way of doing things. "Whatever happens in this house, stays in this house." Issues were swept under the rug, and dilemmas were thrown on the back burner. Dr. Jonas, an African-American too, knew the struggles that her patient had expressed. Everything was kept a secret and it was the end of discussion.

Love. Cadence partially knew what the feeling was like. Maggie had loved her as if she carried the girl for nine months. Their bond spoke volumes and she genuinely loved her daughter. Although the process of adopting Cadence wasn't an easy journey, bearing the judge grant Maggie the rights, every tear and stressful moment was worth it.

Sitting in the car with the air conditioner blasting, Cadence started to drive home. She was thinking of questions to ask if her father had responded to her message. Her iPhone has mounted on a clip, located on the A/C vents.

Noticing her phone light up, she received a notification from Facebook messenger.
Not wanting to read it, Cadence had felt the need to wait until she arrived to her home. The thirty minute ride would feel like an eternity from her anxiety.

And just like that, the man had answered her question, but what she didn't know was that this could possibly change her life.