The Missing Piece

15. Past

I was just about to fall into the dark abyss, when I woke up with someone trying to put a blanket over me.

I opened my eyes and saw dad. I smiled at him.

He kissed my forehead and mumbled. "I'm glad to have you, baby."

"I glad to be here too, Dad." I said.

"You know I was a bit afraid of you in the beginning." He joked.

"Yeah, Yeah." I rolled my eyes.

He chuckled.

"I regret missing out so much on you." He said.

"If you don't mind me asking, when I told you about mom dying, you still said no, but when I told you about the daughter you said yes instantly." I said, "shouldn't you love for mom be greater than your desperation?" I asked.

He looked at me for a moment.

"I do love Everly. There hasn't been one day when I didn't miss her. I fell into depression when she left. I locked myself in my room and refused to eat or drink anything. She was my first love and my children are my last . The boys lived with their uncles for a year." He said.

"I hated how she affect our lives. It broke me into pieces seeing my little sons crying for their Mom. I started hating her, but I didn't see any woman after her. Although I hated her, there was still love for her in my heart. I let her do whatever she wanted, I respected her decision. She went into hiding, she didn't come back to sort it out. If I had known she had my daughter, I would have done anything to have you back. That with both parents." He said.

I was taking in everything.

"You were not the only one who was affected. My Mom was also struggling after she left you. She was too ashamed of snatching away your daughter from you, that she didn't even take your money to start a new life. She ended up in a run down apartment and settled there. She has beared so much for me. She was abused emotionally by the society. She took loans to settle down and get a job. I remember, she was not able to return the loan. It was when I was 6, she finally broke down and fell into depression. She started neglecting me. That was the hardest phase. I tried interacting with her more. I was a shy, rude and arrogant child back then. I tried changing myself. I was fed up living in a sad environment. I started acting funny, just to make her laugh. There were times we survived on a loaf of bread per day. There was just one thing that did not change in me. Anger. Now I see it runs in the blood." I said smirking at my father who just chuckled.

"But how do you know about her condition after she left? You can't remember that, you were just some days old." He asked.

I sighed and got up. I picked up the box and went back to the balcony.

Dad's eyes widened when he opened the box.

"It was hidden in Moms room. Thanks to my luck, I found it."

"I know you've been avoiding the question and I'm bothering you by asking again and again but what is-" I was cut off by dad.

"No, I'm not going to tell you. Do not ask me again." He said sternly.

'Ok, if he doesn't wanna tell me about his business, I will not force him. He will find out that I know after reading the diary.'

"Fine. I read them already, you can have them." I said, gesturing to the diaries.

Dad nodded.

"I get that you took care of my wife pretty well." Dad said suddenly.

"You two lovebirds are going to kill me." I said.