A week later, I take a day off from the café to give Dad a hand. He quit his job in the city yesterday because he didn’t want to keep driving back. I’m so glad he’s here. Seth has offered him work at the garage; surprisingly enough, Dad took it. He’s taken over my job doing the paperwork. He’s a lot happier.
Things between us have improved. We had a massive talk the day after Mum’s funeral. He apologised for how he’d acted and said that he should have cared about how I was feeling as well. We cried and shared happy memories of Mum for the rest of the day. It was wonderful to feel love from him again. I don’t know what Seth said to him—I didn’t ask. But I’m grateful for whatever it was.
“Mildred?” Dad’s unimpressed face tells me he’s not keen on his possible future grandkids having the middle name Mildred. Well, at least not the boys.
“Yeah, tell me about it.”
“So, are you sure you want to stay with him?”
What a silly question. “Umm . . . yes. It’s only a name, and plus, there won’t be any kids for a long time yet.” At least, I hope there aren’t any kids in the near future.
“Alright then.” Dad seems unsure. He comes to the table with another box. Today, we’re going through Mum’s stuff. It’s been fun looking through photos of her and Dad when they were younger, about Seth’s and my age.
I open the box he’s placed on the table. It is full of paperwork. I shuffle through, until I came across an unopened envelope addressed to Mum. It’s from the hospital I stayed at after the motorbike accident.
“Dad, what’s this?” I ask, waving the envelope at him.
“I’m not sure. Just open it.” He keeps shuffling things around and throwing things out. I hesitantly tear open the letter. Why would Mum not have opened this? It’s dated a few weeks ago.
As I open it and begin reading the words, my breath escapes me. Everything around me pauses.
“Dad, you need to read this.” My eyes don’t leave the letter. Inside, I’m so bloody excited, I want to scream about it from the rooftop, but I want to surprise him.
He stops what he’s doing and takes the letter. I watch his reaction as he reads the same words I just did.
“Wha—you really are my daughter!”
I scream with excitement and leap into my father’s arms. “You are my dad even without this piece of paper. Did you know she had this done?”
Shaking his head, he answered, “No, she must have organised it with the doctor. I had given my blood the day you had your accident, just in case something happened with you. We do have the same blood type. She must have spoken to the doctor when I wasn’t around. This document says you are my blood and it doesn’t change a thing. I love you, Chloe.”
I squeeze him tighter. “I love you too, Dad.”
After I find the letter, I go straight to Seth, who’s at the garage. “Seth!”
I hear a bang and a curse from Seth. “What?” he snaps, rolling out from the front of the car he’s currently working on.
“Oh, sorry.”
He rubs his head. Once his eyes connect with mine. He gets up from the ground. “What’s got you all excited, pretty lady? I’m a little sad; it’s not me that’s put that smile on your face.” He winks, placing his lips to mine briefly.
The flutters in my tummy go crazy. “I just found a letter amongst Mum’s stuff that tells us that Dad really is my dad. No question about it!”
His embrace tightens around me. “That’s so good, beautiful.”
I know I love Dad, no matter what, but to find this letter is the confirmation we needed.
I think Dad and I needed to know to put our minds at rest. This proves I am his daughter, and I’m so bloody stoked about it.
That night, we decide to have a get-together at the café for dinner and drinks. We could have gone to Catfish’s, but I’m not in the mood. I just want to be around family.
“I have a toast to make,” Dad calls out.
“Come on, old man. You’re holding up the food,” Chance calls out. I hear Janie hit him and tell him to shut it. Dad laughs it off.
Ava is here as well; she’s made some delicious food for tonight, and, of course, we have Sherri and her amazing desserts. I think I might need to take up running or something to stop myself putting on more weight.
“Alright, alright. So, here’s to family and new beginnings!”
“Family and new beginnings!” we all chant.
Seth turns to me. “And to you, my beautiful lady. I met you screaming at your flat tyre, and since then you’ve done nothing but fill my heart and soul with love. I can’t wait for our future and to see what it holds for us.” He pulls me in ever so slowly. Pure love pulses in my veins.
“I love you. Thank you for not giving up on me.” I look into those amazing steel blue eyes that captivate me completely.
“You have no idea how much I love you. You’re my daily drug, I need a dose of every day,” he says.
With my stomach in a million knots, I kiss him as though my life depends on it.
He is my life. The air I breathe. He’s my now, not my someday.
My new beginning.