Cara sat in her car gripping the steering wheel. She had been in that same position for nearly a half an hour, trying to muster up enough courage to face the man that she once called Daddy, the first man to break her heart. She had watched him pull back into the driveway after dropping his daughter off at the hobby store. He picked up the newspaper that had been thrown onto the lawn and headed into the charming house that reminded her of a home, a home she never knew.
It was amazing what you could find out with a little digging on the internet. It actually made her wonder why she never made the effort to look her father up before. She was able to find his address, his phone number and even how much he paid for his house. He was married to a woman named Nancy, and they only had one daughter, Claire. She wondered if Nancy and Claire had any idea that she even existed. She wondered if her father had hidden his past from his family. If she allowed herself to ring that doorbell, would she be disrupting a family? She didn’t want to cause Claire or Nancy any pain, knowing firsthand what her father was capable of. Still, she needed answers, she was entitled to them wasn’t she? How could she ever completely heal and get to the root of the problems that added in her becoming an addict? She needed to face her past head on, in order to see a clear path to her future.
She clutched the locket around her neck and silently pleaded with her two angels to bestow on her the courage she needed to make it up the two porch steps to the front door. She glanced down at her phone and brought up the text she saw this morning when she woke up. She hadn’t answered, wanting the next words she said, to be face to face. The longer she prolonged her visit with her father, the longer it would take for her to get back to Luke. She opened her car door and without a second thought, she stepped into the cold air. She walked across the pathway that led her to the front door. Her palms were sweating despite the cold of winter. She drew a deep breath, lifting her fist she knocked on the door loudly, to hell with her nerves.
She was about to turn around and walk back towards her car when the door opened. Cara was sure her heart stopped or at the very least she stopped breathing. Her eyes found the soft ones of the woman, her father married. She smiled sweetly even as her brows drew a confusing line across her forehead.
“Can I help you?” She asked politely.
“I um…” Cara swallowed. “I’m, never mind, is your husband home?” She took her lower lip between her teeth and chewed nervously.
Nancy looked at Cara with suspicion. She didn’t break eye contact as she called out for her husband.
“Jimmy? Someone is here to see you.” She called into the house, her smile never wavering from her pretty face. “Your eyes…” She said suddenly as if she noticed them for the first time.
Cara looked away, not ready for the woman before her to make the connection she was seemingly on her way to making.
“What do you mean someone is here to see me? I’m not expecting anyone.”
Cara gasped at the sound of his voice. He didn’t sound as angry as she remembered, instead, he sounded calm and curious. He stepped behind his wife to see his visitor. Nancy pried her eyes off of Cara and looked over her shoulder. She took a step to the side, allowing Jimmy a better look at Cara. Cara lifted her head slowly to meet her father’s stare.
“Well, I’ll be damned. Cara.” Her name came out of his mouth like a whisper. He stepped onto the front porch and looked her over before settling on her face. “My God, it’s really you. Cara…” He lifted his hand to reach for her, but hesitated for a beat before dropping his hand back to his side.
“Hi…” She whispered, finally able to find her ability to speak.
“Jimmy?” Nancy said from the doorway. “Why don’t you bring your company inside? I’ll put on a pot of coffee.” She offered.
Jimmy turned around and looked at his wife. “Nancy, this is my daughter.”
“I know, Jim. I know.” She looked back at Cara. “Why don’t you come inside honey?”
Relief washed over Cara, which she thought was bizarre, she shouldn’t care what they thought, but the idea that her father spoke of her, that he didn’t forget she existed was comforting to her.
“Thank you.” Cara said as she stepped inside the house. It was nothing like the home, she remembered growing up. It was neat and tidy and smelled inviting due to the Yankee Candles burning throughout the house.
“Can I take your jacket?” Nancy asked, holding out her hand for Cara’s coat. She watched as Cara looked back and forth between the married couple, before shrugging out of the coat. She handed it over to Nancy. She took the coat and hung it up on the coat rack before making her way towards the kitchen, leaving father and daughter alone.
“It’s amazing how much you look like your mother.” Jim whispered in awe before shaking his head as if to break the trance he was in as he looked at his daughter. “Come, let’s sit.” He said and showed her into the living room.
“I know, me being here is sudden and must come as a complete shock to you.” She said as she took a seat on the sofa. “I don’t want to intrude on your life, but I couldn’t stay away after I saw you.”