Rose's life has order. She knows what she needs to do to stay out of trouble with her always traveling, never loving, slightly abusive dad. But that all changes when Liam Powers got pushed into her life, making it completely and utterly chaotic.
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Trigger Warning
Dad came home at around lunchtime the next day.
Jenifer was preparing some weird salad to eat when we heard the front door open and dad walked in.
He was in a pair of black cargo shorts and a clean, white polo shirt. He was much tanner than when I last seen him. So, wherever he's been the last four days, he had a lot of sun.
"Charles," Katelyn perked up with a smile before going to hug my dad.
"Hi, Katy-Kate." He hugged her back before placing a kiss on her head and I frowned.
Katy-Kate?
"Hello Dear," Jenifer beamed at him and he sent her a flirty wink before looking at me with a smile on his face.
"There's my graduate." He made his way towards me and I stood up from my barstool before giving him a careful smile.
"Hi daddy," I said quietly and he wrapped me in a hug.
It took me by surprise. I saw him walk towards me and him reaching his arm out to hug me. But the true act of my father hugging me was not a common act.
"I'm so proud of you, pumpkin." He said before pulling away from our hug.
If he was really proud, he would've been present. I wasn't going to be the one to tell him though.
"Why weren't you able to make it?" Katelyn voiced. She knows I want to ask that question but I wouldn't dare. So, she did it for me.
But I know my father, he's not going to answer that question.
"That's a story for later." He dismissed before looking at me with a smile. Not like the one he gave Katelyn and Jenifer, but a smile from my father is not something that happens often.
"Right now, I want to watch my daughter's graduation ceremony and hear her valedictorian speech. Then I want to have a nice family lunch."
I said nothing. Because I knew if he wanted to be there, he would've been. Charles Thorne isn't anything if he's not determined.
"Why not lunch, then the video?" Jenifer offered.
She has now caught on that my father wanted me to go Dartmouth instead of UCLA. This was her way of stalling the big reveal.
"No, I can't wait until after lunch." Dad dismissed before reaching for Jenifer's phone.
"Charlie," she glanced at me and I gave her a reassuring smile.
