Meeting dad

Finally! The moment of truth had arrived! Now I could talk with him face to face. I had so many questions for him, but I wasn't sure if I should burden him with asking them all. I decided on a few important ones. Ron put his arm around me, and walked me to the back of the bar area, and through the back door. He closed the door behind us, and we walked down a long hall that was filled with doors to either side. You could hear screams of pain behind some, and moans of passionate lust behind others. I shuddered to think what might be going on behind the doors with the screams. "Don't let the noise behind the doors bother you. The girls here are very good at what they do, and they're not afraid to express themselves" Ron snickers.

We finally reach the end of the long hall, which splits into a tee. We take the right corridor, and pass three doors to our left before reaching the door at the hall's very end. Ron opened the door, and motioned for me to go inside. I Stepped through the threshold, and Ron closed and locked the door behind me. It was at that point my heart began to race. But was it excitement, or fear that caused it? I stepped forward on trembling legs, feeling much like the cowardly lion felt in The Wizard of Oz. Why is it the word synchronicity suddenly chose this moment to enter into my mind? I struggled with the madness of the moment as my footsteps felt heavier with each one I took. There, sitting behind a large mahogany desk was the man my mother despised. He had his back turned to me, and all I could see was the high back of his deep purple velveteen swivel chair.

"Sit!" he commanded in a low, rich baritone voice. "Tell me why you are here."

I sat quietly in one of the matching velveteen arm chairs. I was choked with fear at first, so I cleared my throat. "I'm here because I wanted to meet you, sir" I answered, trying not to sound shrill. The man in the chair noiselessly began to turn around to face me.

How can I describe him? His hair was the same as mine, a nice rich brown color, neatly styled and feathered, tapering down over his ears. His own eyes were hazel, and seemed to reflect deep pools of radiant light. His rugged but handsome features were enshrouded by a neatly trimmed beard, and his arched eyebrows were at the peak of curiosity. He smiled politely at me, and I found myself tingling down below. "Relax, child" he said. "There's nothing to be afraid of. I know who you are, and who your mother is. It's been many years, but yes, you are my daughter. You are also the sole heiress of my empire." He paused for a moment as if in thought. "I'm not sure you understand the implications of that. It might have been better had you stayed away from here."

"Dad, I'm glad I'm here" I began. "I've needed you all my life. I need you now. I need to know the real you, and not the terrible picture mom painted of you. Please, dad, put yourself in my shoes, and try to understand how I feel."

"We were both young and foolish, Lisa" he said to me. "Perhaps I deserved her wrath, perhaps I didn't. I do know it takes two to make a baby, but it takes a strong commitment to raise it right. Your mother, even though she was fourteen chose to make that commitment. She actually kept me from going to jail by saying she was **** by a stranger. So if you're looking for me to be angry with her, I can't be. I can only be grateful. Maybe you should stop being so hard on your mother."

I knew exactly what he meant, and now I could see why he stayed away. It was because he had ****. He and my mom had to live a lie to protect each other, and, in some strange way, protect me. I felt a new courage flow through my veins. I was no longer the scared, mousy little girl I had been. My dad had just given me that gift. I began to cry, not out of sadness, but out of joy because I finally knew and understood. "Thanks, dad. You've just given me a big part of myself I've been missing."

He smiled at me as tears began to fall from his eyes as well. "I didn't give you anything you couldn't find in yourself."