It can't be him, but it is.

Him.

The man I've come to hate so much. The reason I can't look in the mirror because I took all his features and I'm the female replica of him. I have his eyes, his hair color, his build. Everything.

And he's here happy as if he didn't ruin the lives of four people with his actions.

My father.

He was at the counter. It's surprising because he wasn't in town last I heard.

He looked so happy, fulfilled even. He has a wife, two kids.

Tears. Hot tears spilled as I watched their little happy moment.

As if on their own accord, my feet carried me toward him.

As I reached him, he still hadn't noticed me.

My fists flew, hitting him anywhere they could. It wasn't until he turned, he saw me and his eyes went wide. Filled with something, regret.

It didn't work on me. I just continued my assault on him till he grabbed my hands and looked me dead in the eye.

"How can you even look at me? Don't you have any regrets?" I spit at him,  tears still flowing.

His wife and small kids looked at me like I was some crazy person but I didn't care.

I need answers.

"Talia." There was a time I wanted him to come back and day my name like he always used to be now, hearing it on his lips, is like venom to my ears.

"Why?" I cried. I just need to know why he did it. I at least deserve that much.

"Who are you?" The petite woman asked, quite irritated. When I looked at her, I should have been enraged. I should have been furious but... I'm not.

I don't feel anything toward her.

"I'm his eighteen year old daughter." I growled.

Her eyes went wide and her expression mellowed.

"Why? Tell me why?" I cried. Dylan and Caleb had already come over to join me with questioning looks in their faces.

Then they saw him and remained still. You can never forget the face of the one who ruined your life.

"I asked you a question." I spat.

"We can't talk about this here. We have to go somewhere private." he pleaded.

I would have said Dylan and Caleb to say behind but this concerns them as much as it does me. But there's one last person that needs to be here. If we're gonna do this, we're gonna do this right.

"Our house. Tonight." I said and took my brothers back to our table to finish off out food.

He grabbed my hand and said,

"I'm sorry, Lia."

"I'm sorry too, Aaron." I spat as we walked back.

•••

"Your exhusband's back in town." It was almost comical the way her face visibly paled. Almost.

"He's married. Two kids." I dead panned. It's better to rip the band-aid right off. At least, that's what I think.

"He's coming here tonight." I finished.

She regained her composure as she straightened up.

"When?" she asked just as there was a knock on the door which I opened.

"Now."

She just stood there frozen as if she'd seen a ghost in the form of her ex husband. It would have been almost comical to watch if I wasn't doing the same thing.

When I saw him in the breakfast place that morning, it was different but now, he's in our house, our territory and it's such a contrast to what we used to live in when he was with us.

We used to be a very high end, classy, luxurious family but now, we live in a run down apartment and can barely pay our fucking rent. That's how bad it is.

Sadly, that wasn't what made my blood boil. What made my blood boil is that he just stood there, taking it all in. Taking in the ruins of what used to be his family.

"Take a picture. It'll last longer." I sneered.

He seemed to zone out for a minute but tuned back in when he heard my voice and his icy blue eyes zeroed in on mine before going to my mother.

When they landed on her, my mother stood in place, frozen, unable to move. When they landed on her, they fell. They looked almost regretful.

I'm not buying any of it and I'm not having it either but the least I could do was give them a while to sort things out.

"Talia, wait. This concerns you as much as it does me. Stay. Please." My mom called me back as I was making my way out and I turned to look at her.

Her eyes were sad and pleading for me to not leave her alone with this man. This man whom I once called father...

I sighed and sat back down, really eager for this freak show to be over. There are a lot of things to be said. A lot of things to trash out, I know. But sometimes, things are better left unsaid.

"Adrienne, how have you been?" He sighed and sat down on the tattered armchair in the far end of the living room.

"I'm fine. You look like you're doing good." My mom smiled.

So that's how they're going to play it? Cool? Sure, meet the man that left you alone for another woman with three children to raise alone after eight long years and play it cool.

"I'm sorry. For everything." He sighed, looking down at our old, dusty, torn rug.

My mom looks devastated to say the least. She looks like she doesn't even know what to say to him. She looks defeated, but that  defeat was suffered a long time ago.

This is a new one. She's finally seeing him again after so many years. The old wounds have been opened and his presence is just like pouring salt in her cuts.

But that's just what we need. Maybe we just need to get closure we never got all those years ago. A proper goodbye.

"Sorry can't change anything. All we need to know is why? Why did you leave us? Why are you back now?" I hissed.

I've had enough. The only form of closure I need is to know the reason behind his actions.

"There's no reason, Lia. Things weren't just working out anymore. We fell out of lo-"

"Enough! If you say we fell out love, that's the worst insult I will ever receive from you because I never stopped loving you, Aaron." My mom—to my surprise — spoke, more like screamed like she was in pain.

"You have no idea what you've caused for us, do you? I work as a Nanny and a fucking waitress."

His expression remained stoic, impassive but I knew he was taking it in.

"Your only daughter used to look up to you. After you left, she cried all night asking me when you were going to come back. She woke up every morning looking for you. Why? Because you left without a word."

She wasn't lying. When I was younger, there were so many times that I cried waiting for him to come home but he never did. Till I grew up and accepted the facts. He was never going to.

"Did you ever even once stop to think about your children? What they would go through?"  She's still screaming and he's just standing there, reeling in the effects of his actions.

"I'm sorry. It's all my fault. What can I do to make it up to you?"

Is he serious?

"Are you serious?" I interrupt.

"Make it up to you? You have no idea what you've done, do you? This woman loves you so much. You broke her." He just sold there taking everything as I vented, gesturing to my mom.

"Talia, remember I am still your father." He warned.

That was the straw that broke the Camel's back.

"You're not my father. My father was the man who used to hold me till I fell asleep when I had a nightmare. My father was the man who loved his family more than life itself. My father was the man who would do anything just to put smiles on the faces of each and every member of his family. You're not my father." I hissed.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry won't change what you've done. Leave." My mom ordered.

"You've taken it all in. You've seen how we're surviving without you. You've seen how we live. You can leave. We're just fine without you, Aaron." I spat and with his head hung low, he got up.

"I'm sorry." were his last words to us before he walked out that door and hopefully, out of our lives. For good.

With that, out the door he went.

When one door shuts, another opens...

My mom's tears never stopped flowing. She collapsed to the floor and I was there to hold her while trying to stop my tears from flowing. I've learnt to be strong. I've learnt to stay that way because it's the only way to get things done.

We're here for each other. Always.

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