13-Hold Me, Daddy

Helanie:

I kept staring at his face, imagining my life without a home. My heartbeat had slowed considerably. It felt as though I had only a few seconds to respond. I could either fall at his feet, beg for forgiveness, and ask to stay or just not care and let my fate decide my future.

But first, I needed to understand what I had done so wrong for them to make such a big scene out of it. I made a mistake, and I would have apologized for it—if only they hadn't assumed I barged into the room on my own. Apologizing would mean admitting I entered his room willingly, rather than under Aunt Emma's manipulation.

"Is there anything you want to say?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and narrowing his eyes at me, snapping me back to reality.

He stood casually, like a boss, with his hands in his pants pockets, his suit perfectly pressed. What could I possibly say to him?