Prolouge:
Bethany Roberts never knew her father. Her mother was the only parent she ever knew. At night or when she was bored she was imagine what he looked like and how he acted. She would fantasize about the things she would do with her father. She even secretly had a book full of pictures of men she wished were her father. Most of the men in it were from catalouges. Men holding babies or playing with kids. She would wish she were that child. When she watched tv shows she would imagine she were one of the kids and the things that happened to them happened to her. In the end she always had a heart felt discussion with her dad where he would hug her and tell her how much he loved her. But then she was pulled back to reality and have to face the truth. When she was 13 she gave up on her fantasies and decided to live with knowing her father would never come find her.
Chapter 1:
Bethany woke up quite suddenly. She looked around and nothing looked familiar. Then it all came flooding back. She was in the hospital . . . her mom had cancer . . . she was dieing. It all hit her like a ton of bricks. She looked over at her mother and said quietly, "Mom? Are you awake?" When her mother didn't answer Bethany got up to get some breakfast from the cafeteria. She exited the room and walked through the hallways until she found herself in the cafeteria. It was a big room with lots of tables. But only a few people were there. Two boys sat in one corner playing a gameboy, a fatheer and daughter eating a sullen breakfast together and a group of nurses piling their trays to deliver breakfast to their patients. Bethany grabbed a bagel and cream cheese from the buffet and sat down at a table. She ate breakfast alone wishing her mom would get better.
When she got back to her mom's room she saw her mom was awake, "Hey mom." She said, "How ya' feeling?". She sat down next to her mom.
"Not too good. Sweetheart, I'm not going to be around much longer. . ."
Bethany interrupted her, "Mom, don't . . "
"Beth, we're going to have to talk about it sometime. Soon I'm going to be gone and you'll have nowhere to go. So, I need to tell you about your father." Bethany gasped to herself. Her mom never brought up the subject of her dad before. Her mom went on to tell Bethany that her father lived in California, not far from where Bethany and her mom lived, he was married with kids. She told Bethany about how her and her father met and why they broke up and answered all of Bethany's questions. She ended with, "I want you to call your father and set up a time to meet. I want him to take care of you when I'm gone."
Bethany's bottom lip quivered when she thought of her mom dead. She didn't want to live with her father who she barely knew. He sounded like a creepy guy, too. He cheated on his wife with Bethany's mom. That fact made Bethany feel bad. Her mom was 'the other woman'. What would her step mom, or her dad even, say when they met? It all made her not want to meet him even more. But it was what her mom wanted so she said, "Okay. I'll call him today."
"Call him now, please." Bethany nodded and went in search of the nurses station. When she found it she said, "May I please use your phone and a phonebook?" The Director of Nurses said it was okay and Bethany looked up her father's number. She slowly dialed it and took a deep breath as it rung.
A girl answered and said, "Hello? Camden residence."
Bethany could barely think when she said, "Hi, may I please speak with Eric?" She some how remembered the manners her mother taught her.
The girl told her to hold on while she found Eric. When he answered the phone he said, "Hello?"
"Hi, my name is Bethany Roberts. If it's okay I would like to set up a time when we could meet. I have something I need to tell you."
Eric took a minute to reply, "Um . . . yes, that's fine. Is tonight okay with you?"
"Tonight?!" Bethany thought to herself. She politely said, "Yes, tonight's fine. Where should we meet and at what time?"
"How about at my church at 8:00?" Bethany agreed and he gave her directions to the church. When she hung up she couldn't believe what was going to happen that night. She was terrified and excited at the same time. She walked back to her mother's room on wobbly legs and imagined how her meeting with her father would go.
Bethany Roberts never knew her father. Her mother was the only parent she ever knew. At night or when she was bored she was imagine what he looked like and how he acted. She would fantasize about the things she would do with her father. She even secretly had a book full of pictures of men she wished were her father. Most of the men in it were from catalouges. Men holding babies or playing with kids. She would wish she were that child. When she watched tv shows she would imagine she were one of the kids and the things that happened to them happened to her. In the end she always had a heart felt discussion with her dad where he would hug her and tell her how much he loved her. But then she was pulled back to reality and have to face the truth. When she was 13 she gave up on her fantasies and decided to live with knowing her father would never come find her.
Chapter 1:
Bethany woke up quite suddenly. She looked around and nothing looked familiar. Then it all came flooding back. She was in the hospital . . . her mom had cancer . . . she was dieing. It all hit her like a ton of bricks. She looked over at her mother and said quietly, "Mom? Are you awake?" When her mother didn't answer Bethany got up to get some breakfast from the cafeteria. She exited the room and walked through the hallways until she found herself in the cafeteria. It was a big room with lots of tables. But only a few people were there. Two boys sat in one corner playing a gameboy, a fatheer and daughter eating a sullen breakfast together and a group of nurses piling their trays to deliver breakfast to their patients. Bethany grabbed a bagel and cream cheese from the buffet and sat down at a table. She ate breakfast alone wishing her mom would get better.
When she got back to her mom's room she saw her mom was awake, "Hey mom." She said, "How ya' feeling?". She sat down next to her mom.
"Not too good. Sweetheart, I'm not going to be around much longer. . ."
Bethany interrupted her, "Mom, don't . . "
"Beth, we're going to have to talk about it sometime. Soon I'm going to be gone and you'll have nowhere to go. So, I need to tell you about your father." Bethany gasped to herself. Her mom never brought up the subject of her dad before. Her mom went on to tell Bethany that her father lived in California, not far from where Bethany and her mom lived, he was married with kids. She told Bethany about how her and her father met and why they broke up and answered all of Bethany's questions. She ended with, "I want you to call your father and set up a time to meet. I want him to take care of you when I'm gone."
Bethany's bottom lip quivered when she thought of her mom dead. She didn't want to live with her father who she barely knew. He sounded like a creepy guy, too. He cheated on his wife with Bethany's mom. That fact made Bethany feel bad. Her mom was 'the other woman'. What would her step mom, or her dad even, say when they met? It all made her not want to meet him even more. But it was what her mom wanted so she said, "Okay. I'll call him today."
"Call him now, please." Bethany nodded and went in search of the nurses station. When she found it she said, "May I please use your phone and a phonebook?" The Director of Nurses said it was okay and Bethany looked up her father's number. She slowly dialed it and took a deep breath as it rung.
A girl answered and said, "Hello? Camden residence."
Bethany could barely think when she said, "Hi, may I please speak with Eric?" She some how remembered the manners her mother taught her.
The girl told her to hold on while she found Eric. When he answered the phone he said, "Hello?"
"Hi, my name is Bethany Roberts. If it's okay I would like to set up a time when we could meet. I have something I need to tell you."
Eric took a minute to reply, "Um . . . yes, that's fine. Is tonight okay with you?"
"Tonight?!" Bethany thought to herself. She politely said, "Yes, tonight's fine. Where should we meet and at what time?"
"How about at my church at 8:00?" Bethany agreed and he gave her directions to the church. When she hung up she couldn't believe what was going to happen that night. She was terrified and excited at the same time. She walked back to her mother's room on wobbly legs and imagined how her meeting with her father would go.