CHAPTER FIVE
I weep for what seems like an eternity and Daddy only holds me and softly strokes my hair until my sobs soften to sniffles.
“What’s wrong, little girl?” he says softly.
God, I love when he calls me that! What am I going to do when I’m not his little girl anymore?
“I—I—I just don’t want things to change,” I say.
“Is this about the move?” he asks. “Honey, you’ll be fine. You’ve done so well these past five months. You’ve grown into a very responsible, intelligent young woman and I am absolutely confident that you will be perfectly fine on your own. I promise.”
“I don’t want to be on my own, Daddy,” I say. “I want to be with you. I love you!”
I burst into tears and sobbed into his shoulder again.
“Ahh,” he says. “So that’s what this is about.”
I force myself to calm down and say, “It’s okay. I understand. I know you and Mom are trying to fix your marriage. I won’t stand in the way. I just… I just want you to know that I will always be grateful for the time we had together. I’m so much stronger and more confident now than I was when you started helping me and I will always remember how you led me to this point.”
“Cora…” he begins.
“And don’t feel guilty,” I say, interrupting the apology I’m sure he’s about to make. “About the sex, I mean. I really enjoyed it and I don’t feel like you took advantage of me at all. I would have seduced you if you hadn’t seduced me.”
“Cora…”
“Come to think of it, I did seduce you. My point is, you don’t need to feel guilty, and you don’t need to worry about me ever telling Mom. I hope you guys are very happy together. I mean it. I hope you two have a wonderful life and rekindle everything and—”
“Cora!” he says, loudly enough to cut through my rambling this time. I jump and clam up and he says, “Cora, your mother and I aren’t getting back together.”
“You—you’re not?”
“No,” he says. “Your mother is leaving me. She told me this morning that she’s been sleeping with one of her coworkers from the news agency for the past two years and now they want to try a real relationship.”
“But…” I stammer, confused. “But you two were laughing and smiling and she even kissed you.”
“Yes,” he says. “I could have done without the kiss, but I think your mother needed it. We are happy though, but not because we’re rekindling our love. We’re happy because we don’t have to live a lie anymore. She can be with the man she loves, and I can be with the woman I love.”
“The woman you—” I begin. I don’t finish, somehow afraid that I might not hear what I expect to hear.
“Yes,” he says. “I love you, Cora. I’ve loved you for a while now. I’m sorry I never told you. I think I was concerned about the age difference at first. Then I was concerned because you’re my stepdaughter. Then I was concerned because up until yesterday, I was technically cheating on your mother with you. Then I finally realized that none of those things matter. I love you and you love me and that’s all that should matter.”
“Oh, Daddy!” I cry.
I throw my arms around him and begin to weep again but this time my tears are tears of joy and not grief. I weep and smile and squeeze him close until my arms are too tired to squeeze anymore.
I remember something and pull away with a frown. “If you love me, Daddy, why are you making me move out?”
“The move is temporary, sweetie,” he replies. “The house is in both of our names, so, as part of the divorce agreement, we’re going to sell it and split the money. She’s going to use her half to start her new life and I’m going to use mine to put down on a new house for you and me.”
“Me and… you want me to live with you?”
“Of course,” he says. “It’ll be a long time getting through this process, but I don’t want to be anywhere other than right next to my little girl. If she’ll have me.”
“Of course, I’ll live with you, Daddy!” I say.
I throw my arms around him again and there’s another wave of happy tears. When we disengage again, I say, “But where will you live in the meantime?”
He smiles and asks, “Need a roommate?”