C3 A FATHER'S AND DAUGHTERS’ LOVE

Donna

“My humiliation video went viral. Hashtag drowning plus-size duckling.” I said with air quotes. “For days, random people stared at me on the streets. I'd rather lose myself in a good novel than face that humiliation again.”

“I'm so sorry, Donna,” Dahlia said, giving me a remorseful look. “I won't stop apologizing for leaving you all alone to be with Trevor when I should have been by your side, protecting you from those awful people.”

“You've apologized like a million times already. Dahlia, what happened was not your fault. You can't always be there to protect me. They hate me, and they're not going to stop hating and picking on me.”

“You're one of the smartest people I know, Donna,” she said as she took my hand in hers, squeezing it gently. You can't keep letting those losers make you feel less of yourself.”

“It's so easy for you to say,” I said, looking down at my tattered book cover. “You're beautiful, everyone likes you, and you have a boyfriend who's crazy about you,” I chuckled sadly, “but I'm just plain old Donna, the duckling. A nobody who's never going to have a guy love her.”

It was hard being me—the imperfect girl in a world full of perfection. I was a walking target with every gaze on me dripping with disdain. I couldn't go a day without the judgemental stares and the horrendous wave of ridicule.

There were days I wondered what life would have been like if I had been born different—the perfect kind of beauty.

“Don't say that, Donna,” Dahlia scolded as she gently nudged my chin with the tip of her finger, turning my face towards her. “You’re beautiful inside and out, and someday you're going to meet a kickass guy who'll love and cherish you just the way you are.”

“She's absolutely right,” A masculine voice spoke from behind my bedroom wall, and Dahlia and I screamed.

Dad poked his head from behind the wall, appearing at the doorway. “Relax, it's just me,” he laughed. “You should see your faces.”

“Oh my goodness, Dad!” I puffed out, my hand clutching my chest. I dropped my hands, feeling my racing pulse slowly normalize.

“You nearly gave us a heart attack!” Dahlia playfully scolded. “You weren't supposed to return from your business trip until tomorrow.”

“Yeah, we wrapped up the meeting before schedule, so I thought I'd catch an early flight back.”

“So you decided to eavesdrop on us, didn't you?” I teased with a raised brow.

“Well, technically, it's not eavesdropping if you were talking so loudly,” he playfully defended, offering us a half-apologetic smile.

I rolled my eyes, letting out a small smile. How typical of him.

“I'd love to stay with my two favorite people in the world,” Dahlia said, standing up from my bed. “But I’ve got

to go before Trevor starts blowing up my phone,” she did a little twirl. “How do I look, dad?”

He smiled, giving her a thumbs up. “Perfect”

“You have fun for the two of us, okay?” I remarked.

“You can count on that." Dahlia smiled, blowing dad and me a kiss. “Love you guys.”

“Love you, pumpkin,” he replied as Dahlia scurried past him. “Be home by 10 pm.”

“I will,” Dahlia promised, disappearing from sight.

Dad stood at the door for a moment before walking over to my bed. “Are you okay, sweet pea?” he asked, his forehead furrowing with concern as he sat beside me.

“I'm fine, dad,” I lied, a half-hearted smile tugging at the corners of my lips.

“You know you don't have to pretend to be strong in front of me, sweetie. If you're having too much of a hard time, you know you can always switch schools.”

“Running off to another school is not going to make things better." I said, blinking back the tears that were threatening to break free. “It's going to be the same either way.”

He glanced at me with a look of helplessness. He has tried to force me to change schools so many times, but I didn't agree. I didn't want to run away. And even if I did, I was sure I was going to meet the same fate at another school too.

“At times like this, I miss your mom even more,” he looked away towards the framed photograph on the wall where my mom's radiant smiling face hung, “She always knew how to make everything better.”he said, his bright eyes dimming with sadness.

I nodded, my heart aching at the mention of her. I wished she were here with us. Her vibrancy— just one hug and kiss from her could have wiped away the heartache I was feeling right now. “Yeah, she did,” I muttered, a sad smile playing on my lips.

My mom, Anna, was his everything. The love they shared was beyond this world. I learned through them what true love was supposed to look like. My dad never stopped talking about her; he said it made him feel like she was still with him. He would stare at mom's photo and rant about his day in the office, like he always did when she was still alive. It was almost like he never fully accepted that she was gone—maybe because he didn't get the opportunity to properly mourn over her loss, because he had to be strong for Dahlia and me. It broke my heart every time I saw him talk to my mom's photos. He looked happy when he did, but I couldn't tell for sure if he was or not.

The year she and my aunt Rachael passed was the worst for me, Dahlia, and my dad. The absence of their infectious laughter which used to bounce off the walls of this house cemented a hole in our hearts. They were both a ray of light and a bundle of joy to this family, and when that light and joy was gone… we forgot what it felt to live. I would cry myself to sleep every night, cursing those cruel robbers for snatching them so untimely from us.

Dad's unconditional love and unwavering sacrifices reignited the lost flames in our lives again.

I reached for his hand and gave it a light squeeze, hoping to comfort him as he had always comforted me. “Mom and Rachael would be so proud of you.” I flashed him a reassuring smile. “I'll be fine, dad. I am my mother's daughter after all.”

He laughed and nodded. "Yes, you are," Then got up from the bed. “How about we go watch a movie together in the living room?”

“I get to pick?” I asked, arching my brows playfully.

He chuckled. “Yeah, you get to pick.”

He extended a hand to me to help me get up, and I took his hand, standing to my feet. We locked arms, heading down to the living room.