Chapter Seven

Dad and I walk into the restaurant and immediately I feel self conscious. I'm scavenging my brain trying to remember which fork to use as we're lead to our table. "Riley, you look beautiful tonight. So much like your mother." I look up, a bit in shock.

"Dad, you've never talked about her as much as you have been lately. What's going on? The move, the big house, this fancy restaurant. What is it?" For a split second I think I see guilt flash across his face. Then his face contorts to anger so quickly I think I must have imagined it.

"Riley, is there really something so horrible about a man wanting the best for his child? Maybe I've spoiled you or pampered you too much. You should really learn to be more appreciative." I'm so stunned I don't even know what to say. Or if I should even say anything at all. Me? Spoiled? Unappreciative? His words are like a knife to my heart. We've always been so close. More like best friends than father and daughter.

"And also, I don't know what your aversion is to me talking about your mother, Riley. You should want to learn more about her." Wow.

"More about the woman who ditched me in the hospital with my teenage dad? Oh sure, I'm just yearning to hear all about her. I mean she obviously cares so much about me." Normally, I would feel guilty about the amount of venom and sarcasm I put into my words, but not this time. I keep steady eye contact with my dad as he adjusts his tie. I didn't even know he owned a tie.

"Don't forget your mother was only a teenager herself. She was scared. Frightened. She didn't know what else to do but run. Oh, I can only image how lost she must have felt." I can't help the look of horror and disgust that washes across my face. What? He has got to be kidding me!

"Dad! What about now? What about the entire seventeen years she's had to grow up? We stayed in the same damn place my entire life and she never even as so much sent me a birthday card."

I can feel my body begin to shake. I'm so angry. I'm so angry at him for making me feel these emotions all over again. The rejection. The emptiness. The feeling of not being good enough. But bigger than all of that I feel anger. It is ugly and simmering and ready to come bursting out. It has been too long coming.

"Hello, my name is Pierre and I will be your server tonight. What will you be drinking on this fine evening?" I'm still in shock so Dad orders a water for me. Once the waiter is gone my dad reaches across the table and holds my hand for a moment.

"I'm sorry, Riley. I really am. There is just so much you don't know and honestly I'm not sure you ever should. Let's just put all of this behind us for now and try to enjoy the rest of our evening shall we?" I see the sincerity in his eyes and give in. I don't know what exactly he's going through or what he's feeling right now, I just know I'm going to be here for him like he has always been here for me.

"Sure, Dad." I have no clue what to order and really don't want to embarrass Dad, so I insist he orders for me. He laughs and orders us both the house special which just tells me we're in the same boat.

On our way out I hear a voice across the room, "Hey, Peaches! Hold up!" I quickly turn around and once again am nose to chest with those delicious pecs from earlier this evening. "So this is your date, huh? Told you I was better looking." I nearly laugh out loud at that smug look on his face. My dad's face is a bit bewildered, a bit confused.

"Trevor, meet my dad. Who is much more handsome than you on any given day." The look of pure shock on his face was priceless. "Your dad? But he looks so young though! And you said you had a date! You lied! You straight up lied to me! How could you lie to this face, girl?" He holds his hand to his chest as if in pain. I snort.

"Riley who does this face belong to exactly?" Oh, yeah. Heh. "Dad, this is Trevor. We met earlier when I went shopping." He nods. "I see," he says as he holds his hand out to Trevor for a shake.

Trevor doesn't miss a beat as he smoothly takes my dad's offered hand. "Pleasure to meet you sir. You seem like a nice, young, man. Your daughter, however, well let's just say she can be a real-" He's interrupted from finishing that sentence as a young woman walks up to him. Placing her hand on his arm she says, "Oh, Trevor we must go now. The car is waiting. Let's not hold these nice people up." I can't tell if she is his older girlfriend or his young mother as she is coming off a bit territorial. "Mom, this is Peaches. Peaches, Mom." She turns to me with a cool smile, which falters for only a second, and says "Peaches. Interesting name. For a stripper. Let's go, now. Your father is waiting."

"Excuse-" I feel myself being pulled backwards. "Let's go, Riley." My dad's voice sounds gruff and hoarse. He doesn't let go of me before we get to the car. Something about his demeanor is strangely off.

"Dad, is everything okay? I could've handled her." He laughs, but there was no humor in his voice. "I'm sure you could have, baby. Just buckle up and let's go home, shall we?" I do what he says and just fiddle with the radio. My dad can be super protective but he would never disrespect a woman. He's probably just trying to calm himself down.

The short ride home is awkward and feels as though it will never end. My dad doesn't even try to talk to me and his face tells me he's completely lost in thought. I'm so confused.

We eventually pull up in our driveway and he still doesn't make a sound. "Dad, I feel like we should talk about what happened back there. Are you that upset because some snooty woman insinuated that I was a stripper? Because I mean, if I were, we'd obviously be loaded." Lame joke, I know but his silence is killing me.

"Mhm, goodnight sweetheart." That's al he says as we walk into the house. I'm completely stunned. I just wander aimlessly to my new bedroom. What do I do?

I slip out of my dress and lay down on the four poster bed. I stair at my ceiling trying to figure out what triggered Dad like that. Obviously Trevor's mom wasn't the sweetest thing, but why did that cause my dad to just clam up? I go over the scene detail by detail in my head until I my breath catches in my throat.

Her teddy bear nose. My teddy bear nose. Her brown nearly black eyes. My nearly black eyes. No, it couldn't be. It had to be a coincidence, right? I mean even if it was- do what? Seeing her would explain why my dad was so upset. But he wouldn't move here because of her would he? He wouldn't blindside me like that.

I shake my head. Obviously sleep deprivation is getting to me. I'm just being silly. It'll be better in the morning. That's what I told myself as I have in to the darkness tugging at my eyelids anyway.