Daisy
A Few Days Later
After boarding the plane, I settle into my seat, drag my tablet out of my carry-on bag, and send a message to Wren.
Me: I’m on my way.
Moments later, my tablet dings.
Wren: I’ll be waiting for you at the airport.
My body buzzes with adrenaline. It isn’t every day you hop on a plane to Houston to meet with your new boss. After dropping out of college. But today isn’t every day.
A young woman carrying a little boy about two years old comes toward me down the aisle. When she reaches my row, she smiles with a wrinkled nose. “It looks like we’re your seat partners.”
“Welcome.” I shift my knees sideways to give her room to navigate.
“I’m sorry.” She brushes into me as she shifts past and settles them into their seats.
“It’s fine.”
“I know people aren’t fans of children on flights.” A slight blush covers her cheeks as the little boy points at the window while bouncing on her lap. His curls sway with his movements.
“It’s fine. Really, it is.” I pat her forearm. “Just enjoy the flight, and don’t stress about how I’m going to react. I run a women’s shelter, so I’m used to kids who are in stressful situations and exciting new environments.”
As I say the words for the first time, pride fills my soul. This is what I’m meant to do. No matter how angry my father is about the situation. And to say he’s unpleased is an understatement.
“Hello, dear.” My father greeted me as I stepped into his home office. “I didn’t realize you were coming over today. Your mother didn’t say anything.”
“I didn’t tell her.” I moved to the seat across from him with shaking knees. The deed was already done, so it didn’t matter what he said. I couldn’t drag enough spit out of my mouth to swallow a pill if I had to.
“Go ahead and have a seat.” He nodded to the open seat. The black leather still held its strong fragrance even though it’s over a year old. Does he spray it down with fake fragrance? Or is it because no one ever joins him in here? I settled onto the cushions. Stop thinking about irrelevant facts.
“Thank you for letting me stop in and talk to you. I appreciate it.” I clasped my shaking hands tighter in my lap. My father’s medical licenses and framed success stories lined the walls. But that’s his dream–not mine.
You can do this. I straightened my shoulders and met his gaze dead in the eye. “You’re not going to like what I have to say but I need you to listen to me.”
“Okay.” His face blanched like he expected me to announce I was pregnant with a homeless man’s baby.
“I quit school.”
“What in the fuck are you talking about? I don’t care what trouble you’ve gotten yourself into. You’ll finish your degree. We’ve talked about this.” The pen in his hand snapped, leaving a trail of black ink on his hand and the desk calendar. “You’re not quitting school.”
I swallowed and waited for him to finish. “I’ve already quit college. I received my social work degree last semester. So, I already have a degree. I quit the classes I was taking and took a position as the director of the women’s shelter. This is my decision. This is what I want to do. I realize I never said I didn’t want to follow in your footsteps, which was my fault. It led you to believe I was good with it. But I’m not. I don’t want to be a doctor. That was your dream, not mine.”
“That’s bullshit.” He shoved his chair backward, causing it to crash into the wall and bounce sideways. “You don’t have a choice. You’ll do what you’re told. I’m calling the school.”
“No.” My jaw was tight as I stood to even the power dynamic in the room. Okay. He’s still taller than me, but by standing, I no longer feel like a two-year-old. “I’ll do what I choose to do with my life. I’m sorry my decision disappoints you, but I’m an adult and have my own money. I’m going to take the position at the shelter, and tomorrow, I’m getting on a plane to their headquarters for training.”
“I’ll disown you.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way.” My shoulders sagged as anger seeped out of me, leaving regret as my only companion. Because the one thing in the world I still want, I can’t have. Getting up the nerve to quit school, taking a position at the women’s shelter, and facing my father’s wrath took everything I had. I needed a hug from Alexander to let me know I made the right decision.
But I didn’t get that either. It was time to stand on my own two feet. Because how else could I ask the women who come to the shelter to face their demons if I can’t?
“I can’t believe you’re doing this to me.”
“I’m your daughter. Your adult daughter. You should support me when I’m doing something worthy of your support. I’m not committing crimes or going to prison. I’m not quitting and living in a van on the street. I wish you felt differently about things, but I’ve made peace with it.” I cleared my throat. “I need to tell you something else that you may find even more disturbing, but it’s my truth. I fell for a guy that I met at Julia’s wedding. At the time, I didn’t know he was anything more than Wyatt’s cousin.”