Chapter 1

Daddy.

Daddy.

Dad.

I have never been able to use those words in a sentence without either crying, or going into a deep state of depression for at least two weeks.

And you want to know why?

I am Beth Fabray, and I have never met my father.

And I probably never will.

0O0O0O0O0O

"Mom! Can you come up here for a minute?" Beth yelled down the stairs.

Beth Fabray and her mother, Quinn, live in their two story house in the town of Lima, Ohio. It was in this very town that Beth was born, during Quinn's high school years.

"Okay, Beth! I'll be right up!" Beth heard her mother's sweet voice ring up the staircase.

Beth sighed.

She loved her mother's kindness, compassion, and generosity. But she sometimes felt like it was forced. She could sympathize.

Her mother left Beth's father before she was born. She left him after he told her that he wasn't going to help take care of Beth.

But Beth knew better. She could see it in her mother's eyes everytime they talked about him.

Her mother loved Beth unconditionally, but she still hated Beth's father for doing this to her.

Quinn gave birth to Beth at the young age of 16, during her junior year. Beth was never told who her father was, but she had a strong feeling it was one of her mother's classmates. Quinn came very close to giving Beth up for adoption, but when Quinn saw her daughter's beautiful face, she knew she had to be her's forever.

Beth didn't blame her mother for almost giving her up for adoption. If she had been in her mother's shoes at the time, she probably would have done the same thing. She admired her mother greatly for that, for taking on the challenge of raising a child while still in high school.

She could hear her mother's soft footsteps echoing down the hall. Quinn knocked three times on Beth's bedroom door before opening it. It was their thing. Knock three times, and enter. They don't know how it developed, but it was one of their routines.

"Beth, honey, what do you need?" Quinn asked while entering Beth's bedroom. She sat down on the bed and looked at her daughter questioningly. Beth was turned towards her closet, with her back towards her mother. She pulled two things out of her closet before turning to face Quinn.

Beth held up a hot pink tank top with lace sewn to the bottom, and back skinny jeans. "Hey, Mom, do you think these would go with my purple leather jacket?" Beth asked. Quinn stood up, and studied the tank top before walking towards Beth's closet. Quinn reached inside and pulled out a yellow tank top in the same style.

"Here, Beth, I think this would be much better," she said, holding out the top. Beth took the shirt from her mom, and looked at it, her eyes wide.

"How did I not think of this one?" she said with a tone of exasperation. She ran over and hugged her Quinn tightly. "Thanks, mom! Now out! I have to go get ready for Alyssa's party" Quinn chuckled as her daughter pushed her out of her bedroom and closed the door behind her.

Beth loved her mother so much. She loved her youth. Some girls would say that they were embarrassed to be born to a teen mother, but Beth was proud to say she wasn't. Quinn had turned 30 two months ago, while Beth turned 14 two weeks ago. Quinn was still like a teenager on the inside. She had a great sense of style, she left Beth alone when she knew she needed it, and she was really fun to be around.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Beth was about to go downstairs to answer it, when she hear Quinn's voice scream "It's fine, Beth, I'll get it. Go get ready!"

So Beth walked back to her bedroom to change, but before she made it inside, she heard a man's voice.

"Quinn, it's been to long."