Danica's POV

"Good afternoon." I said to my dad and watched him set his newspaper down as he looked at me through his glasses. He seemed...different.

"Maya, how are you doing?" I nodded as I sat down before him.

"I'm okay. Mr Howard told me you weren't feeling fine. Are you better now?"

He nodded as he sank into the sofa completely and closed his eyes. "I'm fine now. It was not something serious, just stress."

I nodded in agreement. He looked tired. "You should take it easy. Since the merger is almost complete, you should start taking sometime off. Keith seems like a good business man, so I think he can manage everything on his own while you take a break. You can't spend your old age working." I joked. It was a poor attempt, and I never made jokes in front of my father.

He snorted and replied "I'm not even up to 55 Maya. What do you mean by 'seems like?'"

"Yeah. I dunno, I dunno anything about the business world, so I can't tell." I don't know my husband, so I can't even tell if he is a good business man or not.

Maybe he saw something in my eyes, maybe my body movement gave something away, so when his eyes narrowed to slits, his next question was "Are you happy Danica? Is there something else that I don't know about?"

First of all, I was shocked. Never had I ever heard my father ask me that question. His usual questions were either school related or our usual how are you? Fine questions.

Secondly, what had he expected when he made me get married at 19 to a total stranger?

Thirdly, he had asked the question in such a manner that shocked me, and there was a hint of protectiveness in his voice.

Fourthly, he didn't know what was going on. I always pretended to be okay whenever I saw him, probably because I didn't imagine him caring even though I wished it.

"I'm fine. Everything is fine." Lies.

"Are you happy Danica?" He asked again and I gave him a shaky smile as his eyes bored into mine.

"I'm... used to it. I don't know if you'll like it but I made pot roast for you so you can eat and get better." I said as I changed the topic immediately but he continued as if I hadn't said anything.

"You are too young to be used to it. God what have I done? I thought I was doing the right thing. Keith struck me as a promising young man, and even though the business was part of it, I thought...Shit what have I done?"

I frowned at his words. I think he forgot I was there when he was having that conversation with himself. He voiced his thoughts without knowing. When he opened his eyes, something in them made me dread his next words.

But he didn't say anything. He just stood up and went to his office. I followed, not knowing what he had in mind and not considering the fact that he might not want me there. He put in the combination and opened the safe. He pulled out a manila envelop and started flipping through it. I heard him mutter "there has to be a loophole somewhere, a way to get out of it before the merger is complete."

I suddenly felt like a hand was wrapped around my heart as I suddenly felt like someone knocked the breath out of me.

"I am okay, really. There's no reason to look for a loophole." I knew a little bit of how the law works in terms of breach. If he broke his part of the contract, he could be sued so badly and he couldn't do anything about it.

But he shook his head as he continued scanning the documents and flipping pages. "No Maya. It was a mistake to begin with. I shouldn't have done it. I'll see if there's a loophole in the contract and if there isn't, I'll pay damages but I'll be damned if I let this continue."

"Daddy please-" (that was my first time of calling him that in all my life) "-you don't need to do that. I'm happy-" (I couldn't let him find a loophole. For once in my life, I wanted my father to be proud of me, I wanted to help him get something and not be a waste of space.) "-Keith and I are happy and we are working towards having that baby. Just please. Just let me be of use to you this one time. I just want to feel useful. I know I have been a disappointment and a mistake and a waste of space but just this once, this one thing I can do for you, let me do it. I don't want you to lose everything you worked for all these years, and the merger is almost complete, I don't want you to lose it and if the way you'll get it is through the union between Keith and I then there's no problem. For once I want to be a good mistake. Just let me be it please."

I didn't know I had been crying until I sniffled and felt the wetness on my cheeks. I buried my face in my hands as I kept pleading with him not to do it. I just wanted him to be proud of me at least for once.

I froze when I was pulled into an unsure hug. I didn't know what to do. I just remained stuff and tried holding in my sobs while I took deep breath. My nose was filled with my father's smell, and I really wanted to hug him back and bury my face in his chest but I didn't know if I should do it. It was when I felt something wet drip onto my shoulder that I realised he was crying silently. At that moment, I hugged him back. I didn't want to let go. I had wanted to hug him for like forever and when I finally had the chance to, I didn't want to let go of him.

"You know Maya, you aren't a waste of space. Never have been, never will be. I am proud of you Maya. I may have never said that before but it's a feeling that I have had since you were a child."

"How come you never told me?" I asked as I rubbed my nose on his chest.

"Brushing fingertips with death can change a man Maya. I had a heart attack, and all the time I spent in the hospital made me think about my life and all the mistakes I have made, the highest being leaving you the way I left you. I regret it, and I'm sorry."

I nodded as I let out a sigh of happiness. "Can I call you Daddy?"

"Please. I'd love that Maya."

"...I love you Daddy."

Squeezing me harder, he repeated the words I said to him. After 2 minutes of not saying anything, I said "Don't you ever get lonely here? The house is so..empty, and you are always alone here. I'd have visited everyday and spent the night but I didn't think you wanted me around."

"I'm used to being alone Maya, but if you want to come over anytime, it's your home too. You don't have to ask me first."

"Well I was thinking of adopting a dog and 2 cats. I'll get you a doggy. Not a puppy tho. You'll love the company...by the way I made meatloaf for you to get better. Let's go." He nodded and then reached over to grab the documents but I held his hand to stop him and shook my head.

"Don't worry yourself about Keith and I dad. We will work our issues out on our own okay? Don't bother looking for any loopholes. He strikes me as a good business man, so I can say that your company is in safe hands... though I don't know anything about business but..." I just smiled without completing the statement. He sighed and then returned the documents to his safe. Holding out his hand for me, I took it and smiled at him.

Just like that, I had the best day with the person I least expected. My father.

.😏