Page 114 of Poetry of Flowers

DAD

After thinking for a second, I swallowed hard and picked up. He thought I was on a school trip because I somehow managed to lie to him so that he actually believed me.

“Hi Dad.” There was this voice inside me, telling me to tell him what I just figured out, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t tell him anything that could throw him off his path to recovery.

“Happy Birthday, my little girl. I’m sorry that I’m only calling now and that I’m not here for you today. We’re going to celebrate it as a family when I’m back, I promise.” My father’s voice sounded so soft; he had actually remembered my birthday.

I sat down on the edge of the sidewalk in front of Kayden’s biological father’s house.

“It’s okay, Dad, I’m glad you’re doing this. I’m sorry for what I said. Everything was just too overwhelming for me.”

“It’s okay, sweetheart, I know. Are you having a good time with your friends?”

Tears were still rolling down my cheeks when I thought of this morning. Until about an hour ago, my seventeenth birthday had been my favorite.

“Yeah, I’m having the best time of my life. Dad?”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“I think Kayden and I are more than just friends, would that be okay?”

I can hear him laughing softly at the other end of the line.

“As long as it makes you happy, I’m more than alright with it, you know I love that boy. I was actually hoping it would be him someday. There is no one I would trust more with my daughter than Kayden.”

Police cars were driving up to the house, I stood up and threw my bag over my shoulder.

“I love you, Dad” I whispered into the phone as I walked to the side to make way for the police.

“I love you too, sweetheart. Be careful.”

“I will.” And with that, I ended the call, watching police officers banging on the door. I wasn’t confident if he was really going to get life because it could end up being Kayden’s words against his. But who knew, maybe with the right technology the police could still find some evidence.

A man who looked just like my best friend was dragged out in handcuffs. He didn’t resist the officers, but looked down as if he had accepted his fate.

I dropped my bag on the ground and tried to run towards him but got stopped by a female officer.

“Please stand back,” she told me, but I managed to get past her and closer to the scene.

“She was my mother!” I called out. That gained his attention. I have never been so glad that Kayden had his mother’s eyes. I didn’t know how I could have looked into Kayden’s eyes again, knowing the man who murdered my mother had looked at her with those exact same eyes when she went over the edge of the bridge.

It was messed up to think like that, but I couldn’t help it.

“You’re Joyelle’s daughter?” he asked, eyeing me from head to toe as though he couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Yes, why didn’t you help her?” One of the officers grabbed my arm, but they let me speak to him.

Why, I didn’t know, but I was thankful.

“I was scared I would lose my family.” That was all that he had to say before looking down again. It was not a grown man but a child who stood in front of me, and I was the bigger person.

“I lost my family because of you, none of this would have happened if you had looked for her or called for help.” My legs were shaking, and I had to pull myself together so as not to break down.

“Please, then you know how it will feel for my daughter to lose me now.” He looked up to a girl standing at the doorway, tears glowing on her cheeks as she watched her father surrounded by police.

My heart ached for her, but showing mercy towards a man who had broken my family was not an option for me right now.

His daughter was the mirror image of Kayden. They could have been twins, and most people would probably think that if they saw them together. They were even the same age. She walked down a few steps, but was stopped by the police, just like I had been.

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