Living Next Door To Alice

30/ Papa Don't Preach

"Pay up, you're in my street." Polly smiled triumphantly, and gestured with her hand to receive the fake Monopoly money.

"Damn, I am going bankrupt." FP sighed and collected the bills he owed her, barely having anything left excepts for a few streets with houses. He was definitely losing.

"She doesn't take mercy, I'd pay if I were you." Sweet Pea warned him, a smirk tugging on his lips.

"And you've got to deal with all that? Tough." FP let out a huff, making Sweet Pea laugh.

"Don act so sly, you're dating her mother. You know what's in the genes." He shot back, grinning at him.

"We Smith women aren't as difficult as we seem." Polly defended her and her mother, as she organized her money with a smug smile on her face. There was no denying that she was winning this game.

"You are, but we're okay with that." FP laughed, and got playfully hit by Polly with one of her cards.

While Sweet Pea rolled the dice when it was his turn, a knock echoed through the room. Someone was at the door.

"I got it, but don't steal my money and don't switch houses for hotels!" FP jumped from his chair and made his way to the door, opening it with one swift move.

He immediately recognized the man across of him, making his blood slowly boil already when they hadn't even exchanged words.

"Excuse me, isn't this the apartment of Alice Cooper and her daughters?" A man asked politely.

It was Hal.

FP breathed in and prepared to send him away.

"No, this is the apartment of Alice Smith and her daughters. You've got the wrong door." He made an attempt to close the door, but Hal held his hand to block him from doing so.

"I came to see my daughter, Polly? Is she there?" He asked, a little bit more firm this time. Apparently this man didn't like him, and the feeling was growing to be mutual, whoever he may be.

FP sighed. In the end, this wasn't his choice to make. He turned his head to the girl to leave it up to her.

"Polly, your Dad is here for you. Can I let him in or should I send him back to where he came from?" He called, a bitter tone in his voice.

Hal was growing impatient and the way this stranger was talking to him wasn't helping.

"Who do you think you are exactly?" He spat out, an angry frown forming on his forehead.

Polly hadn't even had the chance to answer, when FP's head shot back immediately.

"You wanna know who I think I am? I think I am one of the few people who has actually been there for you daughter, which is something you can't say."

He was so ready to shove his ass out and kick him back towards New Jersey himself, but Polly spoke up before her father got the chance to say something in return.

"FP, it's alright. Let him in." The girl said softly, rubbing her growing baby bump.

FP reluctantly took a step aside, making room for Hal to enter the apartment.

"How have you been, Dad?" She asked him softly, giving him a warm smile.

Even when she had a thousand reasons to hate her father, she was the kind of girl to give people a second chance, even if they didn't deserve it. Hal was silent for a bit, until his eyes fell on the Monopoly game on the table.

"Is this what you do on your free time now? Playing boardgames?" He asked, clear judgement in his voice.

Polly shared a nervous look with Sweet Pea, who instinctively had walked over closer to his girlfriend.