Ellie White was one of a kind. As a byproduct of her father's high school mistakes, she was raised by her mother. Ellie, short for Eliza, grew up in a rough neighborhood, where her greatest asset was her body. She lived on the streets, doing what she could to keep herself out of the foster system. The girl's mother was a junkie, and difficult to keep under control and away from drugs. The poor woman had no way of keeping Ellie safe, so she finally contacted the girl's father.
The culture shock that hit her in the face upon arriving at the White residence was painful. This whole time, she had been doing everything in her power to keep her life from slipping and now it was like she had stepped into an alternate dimension.
They had a house, not an apartment. The place was moderately sized, definitely big enough for the family. She saw family portraits hung on the wall, and they were all smiling. The only time Ellie could remember being a part of family photos was before her mom's addiction. The man seated across from her was her father. This guy, who had a whole other family and life, was what she thought was missing this whole time.
"So, your mother. . ?" He trailed off, unsure of where to start.
"You know, I used to ask my mom about you. I think I was around nine when I realized I was doing more harm than good. I never got straight responses." Ellie began, twisting a ring on her middle finger, "You became an abstract thought. I mean, she fed me so many different ideas and stories that I stopped thinking you were a person." Tears formed and she noticed Walter was getting a little glassy-eyed as well.
"Sometimes, I wished you were dead. The whole hoping and praying thing got old, really quick. I gave up once I got to middle school, and I was the only one in the class who couldn't bring my parent in for career day. Since then, I've been working my ass off. Keeping ma away from trouble. Paying rent. Getting scholarships for every damn school in this country." Ellie continued, rapidly wiping the salty liquid from her cheeks.
"I don't know why I even came here; I don't need you and I never will. I should get going, actually." Rising to shaky feet, Ellie made her way to the door, not knowing if she wanted Walter to stop her or not.
"You don't need me. You never got the chance to need me. I wasn't there, but I am now. Let me help. I can talk to my wife, you can come over for family dinner every week." He said and she paused in her steps.
"Let me make up for lost time." He pleaded, and she took a deep breath, turning.
"Fine. But I really do have to go. Mom's waiting for me." She sniffled, then in a flash, was gone.