CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Immediately the air in the room changes, as the woman invites us insides and heads off in the kitchen. Toni remains confused but follows us to the couch where she plays with her toy horse, occasionally glancing at us. She returns a few minutes later with a plate of what seems to be bread and puts it on the table.

"Please take one, you must be tired from your long trip from- where are you from again?" Alba asks as she runs back into the kitchen to get us some hot chocolate. Noah grabs one piece of the round bread like food and tastes it. He moans in satisfaction before answering Alba.

"San Francisco, Mrs Sterling. These are delicious, what are these called?"

"Buñuelos, my dear. We always eat them in my home country for breakfast. I recommend you put them in your hot chocolate." Just as she says that, she returns with four cups of hot chocolate. Toni comes up to the table and grabs two, eating one and giving the other to me.

"Try it."

I take it hesitantly and try it. It's actually really good and I could imagine eating these for breakfast everyday. Alba sits next to me on the couch and even though I try not to notice, I can tell she keeps looking at me, probably trying to figure out the similarities between my father and I.

Noticing the unspoken tension in the room, she speaks up. "Lucas should be getting here soon, he's out grocery shopping. You should all stay for dinner, I'm making morcilla today.

"What is that?" Didi curiously asks as she takes a bite out of her second buñuelo.

"Blood sausage, mija." Aphrodite's face falls but before she can say anything, the front door opens and my dad steps in. He doesn't seem to notice us at first as he takes off his coat and puts it on the coat racket. Toni runs up to him and hugs his leg before she is lifted up into a hug. Even though I try to ignore it, I can't help but feel jealous at how much I missed out on and how my life could have been. I swallow the bitter thoughts and instead try to hide my pent up nervousness.  Looking up, his head moves slightly to the right s he looks at all of us. 

"Are we expecting company?" He asks Alba, completly ignoring us and I feel hurt. I shuffle closer to Aphrodite where she gives me a side hug.

"You should sit down for this. I'm going to go into the kitchen and get the cheese." She stands up and leaves the room, probably using this as a way to escape the situation. My dad looks more confused now, staring as his wife walks away before turning his gaze back to us.

We all sit in silence for a minute, my friends waiting for me to say something. My dad briefly looks at all of us before focusing on me. He scrunches his eyes, apparently finding something familiar about me. When nothing comes out of my mouth, Noah takes the lead.

"Hi, Mr Sterling. It's really nice to meet you." Noah extends his hand, and my dad takes it graciously, still trying to figure out the situation. The room still remains silent so he continues, "My name is Noah. I'm from California, more specifically, San Francisco. Your daughter is a wonderful person."

I instantly panic and forget the script that I imagined in my head. My dad looks at Toni on the couch and then back at Noah. "Toni?"

Noah doesn't respond but Aphrodite adds on, "Your daughter is so kind and generous and even though she's been through so much, she still always perseveres. I couldn't be more proud to have known her."

It's then that I realize what they're going and I start to prep myself to say those three words.

Do it. Do it. Just do it.

"Are you guys Cleo's parents? She's been so nice to Toni and they're great friends. I'm glad to finally meet you."

Do it. Do it. Do it.

"I'm your daughter." I say so softly that no one hears, not even Didi and she's three inches away.

"No, we aren't Cleo's parents, Mr Sterling." Didi replies, and if it isn't my imagination, it seems like she's offended that anyone thought she's old enough to have a kid.

"We're your daughter's friends, actually." Noah quickly says before Didi has the chance to say something else.

Do it. Do it. Do it.

The words are on the tip on my tongue, there's just one thing holding me back.

"How are you Toni's friends if she's five?""

"I'm your daughter!" I shout, causing everyone to look in my direction. It seems like the only way I could say it is if I screamed it. Didi and Noah look relieved while my dad looks at me with a soft recognition, masked by obvious confusion. Alba starts to come back from the kitchen with the cheese plate but when she hears my confession, she slowly backs away, out of sight.

"My name is Kate Sterling. I'm sixteen years old and I was born on October 11th. My mother's name is Marla and she had me believe that my father was dead for fourteen years." The words come rushing out of my mouth since I'm afraid that if I don't say it fast, I can't say it at all.

"Kate?" My dad looks like he's about to cry based on the way his face turns red, just like mine does when I cry. I don't notice it but Aphrodite and Noah leave the room slowly, grabbing their mugs and plate of buñuelos with them.

"It's really me." Before the words finish leaving my lips, my dad stands up from his recliner and hugs me. It feels foreign, especially since I'm not used to getting hugs from my mother, but it's nice nonetheless. The warmthness is apparent and although the hug feels like an eternity, it's only a few seconds before he pulls away, tears still in his face. Toni pets my father in the leg and tells him to stop crying but to no avail. Both of us are drowning in tears, not necessarily in sadness.

"You really grew up." He says when we calm down. Toni gives him a tissue and he mutters a thanks before he wipes his tears.

"Yeah, I did grow up a lot in fourteen years."

"How's your mother?" Even though he tries to hide it, I can tell the underlying bitterness in his tone, as hell as how his eye seem to darken.

"I don't know actually. The cops are still looking for her. The last time I saw her was about a month ago."

My dad looks noticeably angrier when I say that but he calms down, "Have you been living alone?"

"No, I've been staying with Aphrodite and her parents. They really are wonderful."

The conversation is a little awkward if I'm being honest but it's so much better than the worse case scenarios I imagined. All these years I'd thought I was going to be alone forever, but that isn't true. I have my dad, Noah, and Aphrodite. The truth is I have everyone I can ever need.

He touches my black hair and observes it. It's the complete opposite to my previous blonde, but I like it that way. It shows that I moving to a new chapter in my life, and even though I can't forget about the past, I don't have to dwell on it either.

"The look suits you, Kate." The little self-confidence booster makes me feel better and I can safely say that this is the happiest I've ever felt in my life.

Even though I can't say it's okay to be okay, I know it's going to get better, at least for now.