Chapter 9

The months passed quickly and soon it was very close to my mother's return and I met my stepfather, a very strange thing that even my father didn't know who he was. One could say that it was really a great mystery or maybe my mother wanted to create suspense in the air and she was succeeding with all that. But I was still good at studying until I wanted once and for all to literally get Brian out of my life, but as they always say that the first love you never forget, this one was really impossible to forget and erase from my mind and memory. 

  

But I decided to keep going and fight to not think about him anymore until I met some guys who I even tried dating again, but that didn't happen unfortunately. So much was happening that it was impossible to think about anything in a few days that my mom was coming and things here at home with my dad were very difficult, even because he was moving since my mom was back and I hadn't decided whether to stay with him or with my mom. To make the most of the little time I still had with my dad, we decided to take a trip just for us, my dad's wife got involved and went with us and this time I didn't mind. 

  

"Dad, relax, it's okay for her to go, we're a family, it's okay!" 

  

"And that I wanted it to be just for parents and daughter, but I promise it will be unforgettable and by the time we get back, your mom will have arrived with her husband, right?" 

  

"Yes, but am I feeling jealous there or is it my father?" 

  

"And just impress my daughter!" 

  

"My dad doesn't fool me, I know he wants to know as much as I know who this guy is!" 

I went to pack for our trip, we were going to my grandparents' house for the summer in Los Angeles many years ago, and I don't remember going there before my grandparents on my father's side died. Maybe this trip could be the solution to all my problems. But before going, I decided to go to a party with Lais, of a friend of ours from college. 

  

- Dad, I'm going to a party, but I promise to come back early, okay? - Yes, daughter, just remember that tomorrow we travel! 

  

It was an incredible night since that person left, I never felt like having fun again. Besides putting up with Lais' drinking and her lamentations after a drunk, I laughed a lot until I enjoyed it and decided that from now on I would no longer suffer for those who despised me. 

  

I arrived at the house at 3am and managed to sleep for a few hours, since we were going to travel at 10am. When I woke up there were about 8 calls from my mother, but again I ignored them because I decided that I was going to enjoy this trip as if there was no tomorrow and besides, I was going to enjoy moments between father and daughter. So for my mother to call me in desperation was because she had something serious to tell me or supposed to ruin this whole sincere relationship of mine with my mother and the worst possible thing. 

  

"Daughter, aren't you going to take care of your mother?" 

  

"Of course not Dad, you know her as well as I do I know she always ruins our moments, so let her wait because now I'm going to live!" 

  

"Great, that and my daughter took after her father in something!" 

We then headed to the airport towards Los Angeles. I was so anxious I just wanted to know how to get there. Meanwhile my mother kept calling and I eventually hung up my phone so I wouldn't be interrupted with her business that I didn't want to know about. 

  

About it.... 

  

"Laura, were you able to talk to Ana? - Nothing Filipe, she doesn't answer me and I don't know what to do, I believe she really doesn't want to talk to me"!

  

" Honey, keep calm, we will be back soon and she will understand everything. "- Philip, don't you know that a lot of things my daughter has changed and all of this was literally my fault." 

  

"It wasn't that, I'm sure" - She's going to hate us when she finds out we're married, I'm sure." 

  

On the trip.... 

  

Everything was going fine until my dear stepmothers went crazy because I was going to be away from my dad and the biggest mess started inside the plane because of it. I didn't know whether to laugh or hide from so much shame because everyone was watching, it could only be them making me feel this shame. 

  

"Dad, sit here with her, this guy agrees to change and then for your tantrum, shame on you you look like two teenagers." 

  

"Thank you sir, my wife is very jealous!" 

After that joke, we were able to get up and fly, and thanks to the boy's kindness, all was well. I have my doubts that this vacation will be a horror, these two are still fighting like teenagers that even Brian and I didn't used to fight like that. Other than that, I thought the boy was very nice and he understood, he even passed out later and of course I thanked him. 

  

"Lord, thank you for your kindness, my father and stepmother and only Jesus in the cause!" 

"Wow, am I that old to call myself Sir? Pleasure, my name is Ronan!" 

  

"Sorry, Ronan, for the manner and polite way of saying it, but I didn't mean it, sorry?" 

  

"You're excused and what's your joke?" - And Ana and it was my pleasure!" 

  

So on this trip I met Ronan, a kind, polite, friendly guy as well as handsome and by the irony of fate he was also going to LA and I was surprised when he told me. We spent the whole trip talking until we exchanged phone numbers to arrange something, who knows. I arrived at my grandparents' old house and remembered many things and for the first time after Brian's disappearance I had fun and completely forgot about everything I just wanted to enjoy. 

  

"Dad, how nice it is to be here with you, it makes me feel so good, we could live here, what do you think?" - Daughter, so that's what we were thinking since your mom is coming back if you want to stay here with your crazy old dad, you're welcome!" 

  

"Wow what a sweet dad, I thought for a moment that our relationship was going to be horrible, but now I realize that those were the best years of my life with you and I am sorry for everything." 

  

"Daughter, you are everything to me, if you could go back, you would get back everything that was lost" - Dad, you are talking about Mom's surprise wedding, aren't you? 

  

"Yes, but how do you know?" - Dad, you can see in your eyes how different it is when we talk about mom, even more so now that she is married, right? 

  

" Ana, I never imagined seeing your mother married, it really hurt me, but anyway, I can't do anything when I had the chance. I was a coward and now I just have to accept it. 

  

"Dad, I love you!" - So does my daughter!" 

  

Taking advantage of the fact that we were alone, I believed in my father and I know he loved my mother no matter what happened to them, but he regretted it too late. And always like that, this love thing only destroys people who truly love.