Recapturing Fate

Chapter 4

Aurora was shocked. Did her dad have another family?

“Who are you?” the girl questioned through her awestruck expression.

“Uh, I’m here to see John Mathews. Does he live here?” Aurora said shakily.

The girls’ eyes lit up and quickly pulled Aurora into the house. She heard laughter and glasses clinking in a room. As they entered the room she saw her dad and a very familiar woman drinking in front of the TV. They turned their heads to her direction and her dad dropped his drink onto the carpet. He stood up and walked to her slowly.

“Aurora? Is that you?” he whispered as the woman on the couch stared shell-shocked. “Uh hi, Dad?” Aurora said uncertainly.

“It is you!!” her dad said while hugging her. He backed up and looked at her again. “Wow, you look just like your mother.” He said with a smile. How could they have divorced if they seemed to love each other so much? They fought so much before but now as she was before her dad, he seemed to have that faraway look after he took sight of her.

Thinking of her mom…humm… “Thanks. Who’s this?” Aurora said pointing to the little girl. “Oh, this is Dawn. She’s your cousin.” He said while hoisting the little girl into his arms.

Her heart seemed to stop as she viewed this sight. Her dad never carried her like this. She pulled all the negative thoughts away and smiled.

“Hi, Dawn. I’m Aurora.” She smiled sweetly.

Dawn’s eyes widened and she started wriggling in John’s arms. He let her down and went to the woman on the couch.

“Mommy! Is that Uncle John’s daughter? She’s so pretty.” Dawn asked in a whisper.

“Yes, it is. Doesn’t she look like Aunty Maria?” Dawn’s mom said in a whisper.

Dawn stared at Aurora with her big hazel eyes and nodded furiously. Her mom laughed at Dawn’s display. Aurora turned to her dad and raised an eyebrow at the woman. The woman stood up and walked in front of Aurora.

“I’m guessing you don’t remember me.” The woman said while staring at her.

“I’m sorry. Who are you?” she said with an uncomfortable laugh.

“I’m your dad’s sister. You’re Aunt Victoria? I thought you would’ve remembered your favorite aunt.” She said with a smile.

Truthfully she did, just like she had forgotten Joyce, but after a minute recognition washed over her. Her Aunt Victoria had always given her the big and glamorous gifts for her birthdays and Christmas. Aurora loved her for that.

“Of course, I remember you!” Aurora giggled while giving her aunt a small hug.

She didn’t know how to approach her dad. Unlike her mom, her dad was a very unemotional man. He never cried or showed sympathy around her. It was mostly a faint smile or cold stare he gave out to others.

“So Aur why are you here? I’m glad to see you but why show up now? It’s been ten years.” Her dad said coolly.

“I wanted to talk to you and Mom,” Aurora said.

Her dad looked at her questioningly. “About what?” he asked.

She hesitated a second before saying, “About how you and mom treated me when I was younger.” Her dad was silent.

John didn’t know how he treated his daughter. He regretted the fact that he never saw her that much. He had been so happy when Aurora was born. It was one of the happiest days of his life. She changed his life in a good way. Maybe this was a part of her not seeing him that much, he thought painfully.

“How?” he asked curiously.

“Look Dad here’s the thing. I came back because I wanted to see you and mom. My life is different because of how you treated me. Maybe if the two of you weren’t so dysfunctional I would have been less mad at the world. God, I wished you would have stopped screaming at each other long enough to see the effect you had on me. You guys had never even laughed together or anything! My friends had normal lives and parents who loved each other. You and mom only fought and acted like freaking children! You never did anything with me like normal dads. You guys hadn’t even gone to my graduation! What kind of parent does that? Why not… I don’t know try to act like a dad!?” She shouted angrily.

He was acting like her mom had only an hour before. They both thought they were innocent. Her dad stared at her wide-eyed and with his mouth gaped open. John didn’t know that this was how his angel felt. This was why she had left so quickly. Had she even said goodbye? Now he couldn’t remember but his guilt would have lasted forever. He didn’t cry but he felt as if she punctured a nerve. He didn’t want to yell back at her saying a lie that he was indeed a good father. He didn’t entirely believe he was such a bad father but he felt that he didn’t do the best at his job.

Aurora had always been a strong girl. It showed through her personality and her piercing eyes. When she was little she would stare at him and his wife as they fought. It pained them both that she had to watch such episodes but they couldn’t do anything about it. Maria always wanted her way and he wanted his way. That’s what went wrong. What made it more painful in the end was that John still loved her. Both of them were too stubborn. He knew he should have just listened to her but he was stubborn. He knew Aurora had some stubbornness in her that came from them both.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that. I am.” John said in a whisper.

Aurora’s eyes flickered with aggravation. “Is that the best you got? Whatever.” She snorted.

John frowned and raised his voice slightly. “What? Are you telling me I was a bad father?” he wailed.

Aurora walked toward Dawn and her aunt. “It was nice seeing you guys. I hope I’ll see you around sometime.” Aurora said with a genuine smile.

She started walking toward the door but stopped and glowered at her father. “No Dad, I’m not saying you’re a bad father. I’m just saying you should have tried and fixed our family.” Aurora said sarcastically.

She walked out of the door and shut it behind her gently. At least her mother’s replies had been longer than two sentences. She even cried and that told her she was truly sorry. He should have thought about it and realized she was telling the truth. How could he deny the truth? Before another breath was wasted, she backed out of the driveway and drove to her mother’s house.