Hunter is less than impressed.
“Me too. I have so many questions. I don’t even know where to start.” My mind is racing as I think of how much time we missed together.
“Well, you can ask me anything you want.” The waitress stops by to drop off menus and take our drink orders and it’s not lost on me when Hunter orders a whiskey, and then tells her to make it a double.
“What happened when I was younger? Why did you leave?” My entire body tenses up as I wait for the answers. I want the answer but it terrifies me at the same time.
Shock is evident on his face at my question. “Well, you just go right for the jugular. I regret leaving you every day, Sam. I left because your mother and I couldn’t make it work. She was so volatile most of the time that I just couldn’t be in that house anymore. I had no way of leaving her without leaving you.”
“What about all of the years after?” I want to believe what he says. That he never wanted to leave me.
“I wrote you letters. I lost count how many of them, but I have a feeling your mother never gave them to you. She was hell bent on keeping you away from me. You mother was one to hold grudges and I had wronged her, so she completely cut me out. That’s why I knew now was the right time. She isn’t here to keep us apart anymore. I want to make up for lost time with you, Samantha. I want to prove to you I can be the father that you deserve.” He smiles at me and I am so happy. This is what I had always hoped for, that he would come to me and tell me how important I had always been to him.
We place our orders with the waitress and Hunter orders another drink; he hasn’t said a word this whole time. All he is doing is sitting there stoically. I try to catch up with my dad, talking about all the years we have missed and the few memories I have. This has given me hope. He came back for me. He cared.
“Bullshit.” We both look over at Hunter. “That’s a sorry ass excuse. The fucking story is ridiculous. If you wanted to see your daughter, you damn well could have.” He downs another drink, I’ve lost count of the number, as he stares daggers at my dad.
My eyes go wide in shock. “Hunter, you don’t know—“
“No, Sam. You don’t know him. The guy abandoned you. He has been gone for years and never gave a shit. He wrote you letters? What fucking century are we in? He could have showed up the way he did today at any point in these past years but he didn’t. Using your mother being here as an excuse is convenient, but it’s a damn excuse nonetheless. You really can’t be buying this damn story.” His fist slams down on the table, making us all jump. Right now he is scaring me; I have never seen this side of him.
He looks at me and I don’t know what to say to him. “I have the one thing I have wanted for years and you can’t understand it. Why can’t you just be happy for me?”
“That’s funny, I thought the one thing you wanted for years was a family that loved you. I fucking gave that to you. I fucking loved you.” He gets up and walks out of the restaurant. He said loved, past tense. Does he not feel like that anymore? I know I have been extremely difficult this past week but I have just been going through so much, he has to understand that. His words cut me, each one like a knife digging into my heart.
I look back over to my dad, swallowing back the lump in my throat. “I’m sorry about all of that. We have been going through a rough patch and I think you just got the backlash of it. I am so glad that you came and that we had this chance to talk. Are you going to be in town for a while?”
“I will be here as long as you’ll have me, Sam.” He smiles and his eyes crinkle. I can’t help but smile back at him.
I settle the check with my waitress and then walk out to the lobby with my dad. I give him a