Not Friends

Help.

"Dad..." The word felt so unnatural coming from my mouth. I hadn't exactly called anyone my dad since high school. After he left I'd just stopped saying the word so naturally.

And could you blame me?

"Harley. You've grown so much." His once firm and authoritative voice, weaker. He was older now.

Wrinkles around his eyes, a small grey beard that covered most of his jaw and skin paler than last time I remember. His eyes still seemed to shine but I avoided his the moment they met mine.

"Yeah that's probably because you last saw me in my sophomore year. How many years is that exactly?" I question.

"Twelve. Twelve years ago." He shamefully answers as he lowers his head

I sigh in aggravation. "What are you doing here, dad? Why are you here, in New York?" I cock an eyebrow.

"I wanted to see my daughter because I knew that Thanksgiving was always you and your mother's favourite holiday." He says and I wince visibly at his words.

"Your daughter? I haven't seen or heard from you in twelve years. I think you lost the right to consider me as your daughter a long time ago." I let out a humourless chuckle.

"Harley, I know that I've been a shitty person. I know that I wasn't the best dad..." He starts with that clichè speech we all hear in the movies and books.

"Save the clichè speech for someone who gives a fly fudge." I hold my hand up to silence him. "Then what do you want from me?" He now grows irritated.

I let out a Maleficent laugh. Tino and my dad both look at me warily until I stop laughing with a stoic expression.

"I don't want anything from you. Not anymore because as you can see, I have money, I have a stabble job, I have a man, and I'm going to have a babies. So nothing. I want nothing from you." I tell him and pull the door to shut it but he blocks it.

"Wait." He says and I raise an eyebrow as I open the door. "I need...I need your help." He says and I raise both eyebrows.

"Help? Then why come to me? What about Micah or Daniel. If you haven't noticed I'm too pregnant to do any type physical labour and Tino doesn't like it when I travel a lot. I'm sorry but I can't help you." I say as I try to closer the door again.

"I'm sorry man, but if you don't leave now, you'll upset her and the babies. So please leave." Tino dangerously tells my father.

"I'm sorry. I just...I don't want to upset you..." He says but I cut him short. "Then why are you here?" I yell. "Why when I seriously don't need you anymore, you come back?"

"Because I need money." He says and my eyebrows shoot up to my hairline. "Pardon me, did you just say you need money?" I'm shocked but at the same time what did I expect?

"Yes." He answers. "And the first person you thought about when you needed was, me? 'Oh let me go and hit up my daughter who by the way, I haven't seen in over a decade. I see she's on the news these days, she probably has the dough.'" I imitate the way he'd think.

"It's not like that." He says but I shake my head. "Then what is it like? Didn't you come here because you needed money?" I raise an eyebrow.

He opens his mouth then closes it. "Why do you even need the money?" I question.

He's silent for a moment. "My daughter, Eva, she's gravely ill and the hospital isn't willing to treat her unless we pay a crazy amount of money which we don't have." He explains.

He has a wife. He has another daughter. He has another life. He's been living happy galore while my brothers and I fought to have food on the table every night?

I'm going to be sick. "I'm going to be sick." I turn around and head straight to the bathroom. I barely make it when the vomit oozes out of me.

I feel physically sickened by how he just up and left us. Got a new life like he's previous one was never there.

After a few more gags I flush the toilet and brush my teeth. I head back to the living room to find Tino and my dad seated at the table.

"So by 'we', you mean you and your new wife?" I sit down next to Tino.

"I honestly didn't plan on finding love again but I did." He defends but I just nod. "And Eva?" I question.

"She's only ten years old. She has a twin sister, Eve." He tells me. "What does she have?"

"A weak heart. Since they were born, she's always had a weak heart and as she gets older, she gets sicker and sicker." Our eyes meet and I can see the pain he feels for his daughter.

"So you're just going to come here and put Eva's life on my hands just like that?" I don't want to help him.

Him just coming here because needs to and not wants to, hurts. If I help him, I'll feel like he used me. Like he came and got what he wanted and doesn't need me anymore. He'll probably leave me again once I give him the money. Not that I want him here at all but he probably won't even try to mend the relationship because I'd make it hard, and why try when you've got two other daughters?

"You don't have to help him if you don't want to, Harley." Tino takes my hand in his. I nod and look up at my dad.

"I don't want to help you."