Disclaimer: not mine

From a Distance

He stood concealed by a grove of trees watching the tiny procession as it paraded down the isle between the two sections of seats. Sitting in those seats were parents, relatives and friends of those involved in the ceremony. He longed to be seated among them, but knew that he couldn't. He wasn't even supposed to be here at all. But when he heard that the graduation was today, he felt compelled to attend. He listened as the names were called out and the graduates went up to accept their diplomas. His breath caught as the name that he had been waiting for was called...

Time had gone by so quickly. He couldn't believe that she was graduating already—even if it was only from kindergarten. He watched as she excitedly took the diploma and grinned at the audience before sitting down again. He longed to be among the crowd, to be able to announce proudly that she was his... Instead he had to settle for watching from a distance aching to be a part of it all—to be a part of her life. If only things had been different...

He had been dating Susan on and off for a few weeks when she told him that she was pregnant. He had also found out at that time that she was married. He still wanted to be a part of the child's life but she wouldn't let him. She made him promise never to try contacting her or the child—and she had the money and the influence to make sure that he kept that promise. No one was to know that the baby was his...

He had kept his word, but he couldn't help keeping track of his little girl. He had saved her birth announcement—clipped from the newspaper. He had read it over and over again, '...baby girl...Elizabeth Anne Mitchelle...5lbs. 4ozs.' From the first time he had read that article he had wondered what she would be like: what she looked like, how she would act, what kind of a person she would become.... He had also kept the article announcing the graduation that was taking place today. His eyes had instantly caught her name and though he knew that he shouldn't attend, he had found himself drawn there anyhow, if only to catch a glimpse...

She had her mother's green eyes, but he noticed that she had his curly auburn hair. She looked just like a little pixie. He smiled as he watched her run toward the crowd when the program ended, her eyes searching for a familiar face. His breath caught when her eyes briefly met his and he took an involuntary step forward. He froze as she called 'Daddy!' and for a moment his heart soared... But then she raced into the waiting arms of a man in a brown suit and he stepped back into the shadows, his heart aching. In that instant he knew that he would never be 'daddy' to her, that that place was filled by someone else. He watched as Susan joined them and the three left smiling. He knew that he would never be a part of that. They were a family and he was just a stranger, watching from a distance...