A Father's Intuition

The timer went off signaling that the pie was ready. Emily continued the story. "Yugi and I spent more and more time together over the weeks. The more we got to know each other, the more we started to like each other." She cut the pie and gave a slice to Mokuba and Rebecca.

"Did you ever tell him you loved him?" Mokuba asked.

"I did, around the time of my birthday," she answered.

"When was that?" Rebecca asked. She took a spoonful of the pie and tasted it. "Wow, this is yummy. It's a brilliant combination of sweet and tart."

Mokuba tasted it and agreed. "The lemon sort of overpowers the strawberry in flavor, but I can still taste a little bit."

"About several weeks later," Emily was saying, "which was also the same time my dad would meet Yugi for the first time."

"What happened next?" Mokuba and Rebecca asked.

Emily continued the story saying that her mother was having a party hosted at a skating rink a few miles away from where they lived and she had invitations for her friends. At school, Emily gave Yugi and Téa their invitations.

In the middle of class, Rachel surprised everyone with a tray of strawberry cupcakes. Robert came in after her with another tray. It was always a pleasant surprise for Emily when her dad would visit. Robert lived far away, but he never let that stop him from being there for his daughter's birthday. Rachel and Robert still weren't on good terms, but they agreed to cooperate in making sure their daughter would have a happy birthday.

After school, Emily dropped off her supplies and changed clothes for her party. She wore a white dress with pink flowers and a white clip-on bow in her hair.

They made it to the skating rink and paid their fee and made it to their designated room, but it would still take some time for the rest of the guests to arrive. While waiting, Robert took time catching up with her daughter and asking how things were. As usual, Emily would vaguely answer by telling him that things were okay. Rachel kept her eye open to make sure her ex-husband would behave himself.

Finally, Yugi and Téa arrived with their mothers and were carrying presents. Emily eagerly introduced her father to her friends. "Dad, I want you to meet my best friends in the whole world: Yugi and Téa."

"Hi, Mr. Briar," Téa said politely.

"Pleased to meet you, sir," Yugi said, holding out his hand.

Robert looked at the two. He looked at Yugi's hand, knowing he was trying to be polite and offer a handshake, but Robert didn't accept. "I suppose so," he instead replied. Rachel cleared her throat. Robert scowled at her.

Now that everyone was present, the party could begin. Rachel made Emily a French vanilla cake with white frosting. It had 'Happy Birthday Emily' written in pink icing with pink icing decorated as flowers. After the birthday song, Emily blew out the candles and everyone cheered. Robert began cutting the cake and setting it on the plates. Rachel took the plates and handed the first to Emily, then gave a plate to Yugi and Téa, then a plate to their mothers.

"What did you wish for, Emily?" Téa asked.

"She can't tell," her mother told her.

Rachel agreed, but she had an impression that she knew what her daughter wanted. So she was the first to give Emily her present. It was a soundtrack to her favorite television show Sailor Moon.

Emily looked at it and squealed in delight. "Yes! This is the one!" She jumped from her seat and hugged her mother. "Thank you, Mama!"

Earlier today, Robert gave Emily a birthday card with a hundred dollar bill tucked inside. As a present, he gave her Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. "I read this book when I was your age. I'm sure you'll like it."

Emily didn't really like reading, but she still accepted the book to be polite. "Thank you, Dad."

"Well, Robert, how very practical," Rachel commented. He didn't say anything.

Téa set her plate aside so she could give Emily her present. "I had to look everywhere in town to find this kind."

Emily opened the box and pulled out a tambourine. "Just like the one on television. Awesome, Téa. You're the best," she said, hugging her. Like Emily, Téa also wanted to be a performer; mostly a dancer, so she got the instrument to go with it.

"And here's something from me," said Mrs. Gardner, giving Emily another box. The blonde girl opened it and saw that it was a magic set. It included a black hat and cape with a plastic wand, a foam rabbit, plastic cups, and rubber balls. "I remember you mentioning that you like magic, so I got you this."

"Thank you, Mrs. Gardner."

"This is from me," Kanade said, giving Emily her present. She removed the wrappings and saw that it was a puzzle with a picture of kittens. "Your mother told me you liked cats and puzzles, so I decided to put them together."

"Thank you, Mrs. Muto."

It was Yugi's turn to give Emily her present. He presented her with a small case. Robert looked at it in astonishment, with a hint of disappointment. "This is from me. It's not much, but I hope you'll like it."

Emily opened the case and looked at it in delight. It was a Duel Monster card. "It's Dark Magician Girl," she cheered. "Awesome, I love it!"

"Really," Yugi asked. "I couldn't do much. I just looked at the card and she made me think of you."

Kanade smiled and said, "Yugi had to beg his grandpa to let him have the card so he could give it to someone special."

"Mother," Yugi groaned.

Robert swiped the case from Emily's hand. He looked at Yugi and told him, "A simple trading card is not the best kind of present."

"Give it back," Emily cried. "That's special!"

Rachel took the case from Robert and gave it back to Emily. "Robert, come outside with me for a minute."

As Emily saw her parents leave, she apologized to her friends. "I'm sorry for my dad's behavior, everybody."

Yugi began to feel disappointment in himself. "No, he's right."

"No, he's not," the blonde protested. "I love the card, Yugi. Really, I do. Not just because the magicians are my favorite, but because it's a gift from the heart. I know how much you like the Duel Monsters card game and you giving me this card is like sharing your love for the game with me. Add that to what I like and that's what makes the gift so special." She faces everyone and tells them, "It's what makes all of your gifts so special."

Listening to Emily's kind words, everyone begins to feel appreciated.

Meanwhile, Robert and Rachel were outside discussing what happened. "What is the matter with you?" Rachel scolded.

"Me? The boy is the problem," Robert argued. "I knew when I saw him, something about him wasn't right. And giving Emily something so pathetic like a trading card is not the best present to give someone for their birthday."

"She loves her present," Rachel snapped. "She also really likes Yugi. I also think he's really influenced her so much in the time they've known each other."

"What do you mean?"

"Robert, before Emily met Yugi, she was struggling and getting into trouble," Rachel was explaining. "But when she met him, I noticed a change in her behavior. Now she's more compliant to her teachers and getting along with them, she's participating more in school, and her grades are improving. I think Yugi's been a good influence on her."

"Well, maybe," Robert was saying, "Or maybe she's just trying to impress him to get him to like her."

"You don't think he could be interested in Emily just for her?" Rachel assumed.

He sighs of frustration and tells her, "I don't trust him, Rachel."

She scoffs and crosses her arms. "You're a lot of things, Robert, but a good judge of character is not one of them."

"Rachel, look at him," Robert says, irritated. "That hair, those eyes, it's just not natural."

"So what if he's a little different?" Rachel protested. "I always… kind of… liked different." She looks at Robert and adds, "And maybe it's good that Emily does too. It could help her shape her perspective on people." She pauses, then adds, "Maybe make her a little less prejudiced than you."

"I'm not being prejudiced," Robert snapped. "I don't care how much of a good influence you think he is on Emily, but he's trouble."

Rachel was about a foot and a few inches shorter than Robert, but she reaches up to him and tells him, "Listen to me, I let you come here to take part in Emily's birthday. You are not going to spoil the rest of this day. Do you understand?"

In answer, Robert nods, saying he'll behave if Yugi will. Rachel didn't like Robert's response, but they went back inside and rejoined their guests. When they returned, they saw Téa and her mother and Yugi's mother outside the room. "What's going on here?" Robert asked.

"Yugi said he wanted to tell Emily something important, so we all agreed to give them some privacy," Kanade answered. The door was still a little open so they could hear what was going on. Rachel had a feeling she knew what it was, so she invited herself to join them. Robert did too.

Before Yugi could say anything, Emily spoke up and said, "I need to tell you something too, Yugi."

"Oh, um, okay," he replied. "Since it's your birthday, why don't you go first?" He offered politely.

She clears her throat and begins by saying, "Yugi, we've been friends for a while now and I've had a lot of fun with you." Yugi agrees and tells her he feels the same way. "You helped me see the world in your own way, you introduced me to new things, and since I met you, I feel like a whole new person. I'm being nicer to others, I'm working harder, and I owe it all to you." She stops and recollects herself. "Oh, but I'm rambling again." She tries again. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, Yugi, thank you. Yes, thank you for everything."

Yugi appreciated her words and said, "Funny, I was about to say the same thing."

"Then you probably know what else I have to say," she assumed. "I'm going to say it anyway." She takes a deep breath, then continues, "Yugi, when I'm with you, I feel happy. Because of that, I want to be with you, spend time with you, do things for you." She pauses, then adds, "I can't hide it anymore, so I'm going to let it out." She looks at Yugi directly, then tells him, "I… I love you."

Yugi softly gasped. He had known all along, but had been waiting for her to come out and say it. Now it was his turn. "Thank you, Emily. I'm happy to hear that you feel that way about me. I love you too."

On the other side, the ladies were happy to hear that, but Robert was not.

"You do?" Emily asked with glee. "You really do?"

"Of course, I do," he answered. "If I didn't, I wouldn't have said so."

Emily giggled, acknowledging that he was right. "Well then, I was also wondering if…" she twirled her hair and suggested, "if I could be your girlfriend."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Yugi asked. "It took a lot of courage for me to tell you my feelings for you."

"I guess I was a little scared," she admitted. "And I didn't want to hurt my best friend. But when I told Téa, she said she was okay and told me to go with it."

Yugi held Emily's hands in his. "Oh, Emily," he says affectionately. They keep looking directly into each other's eyes, then wrap their arms around each other to hug.

Téa and everyone's mothers were watching in anticipation that they would kiss. Robert wasn't going to wait. He charged into the room and broke Yugi and Emily apart. "That's enough," he barked. He looks at Yugi and says, "You keep away from my daughter." He turns around and tells Emily, "And you are grounded."

"But-"

"Grounded!" he snapped. He grabbed Emily by the back of her neck and began pulling her outside.

Rachel had enough. She stopped in front of her ex-husband and slapped him across the face. "I warned you!" she snapped. She helped her daughter and held her to comfort her. She also apologized to everyone. Yugi and Téa and their mothers agreed that Emily and her parents needed some time to each other and decided to help clean up.

Later that evening, when Rachel finished comforting Emily, she decided to have a discussion with Robert about his behavior. She found him in the kitchen, leaning his arm against the countertop. "I knew this would be a disaster," he grumbled.

"You should," Rachel reprimanded. "You started it."

"Me?" Robert asked. "It's that boy who's the problem."

Rachel had a temper and would often lose it, but she was trying hard to control it. Trying to keep calm, she faces her ex-husband and tells him, "I think you're taking this too hard, Robert. This is Emily's first love. I think as her parents, we should support her."

"No, we should be thinking of what's best for her," Robert protested. "Her being in love with that boy is not the best thing for her right now."

"His name is Yugi," Rachel reminded him. "And we should leave it to Emily to decide who she loves. But right now, Yugi is special to her."

Robert scoffed and said sarcastically, "Yeah, a fine Prince Charming she picked."

"Looks aren't everything, Robert."

"Yeah, and what's inside means even less," he added.

Rachel found that comment appalling. This meant to her that Robert did only care about what people looked like on the inside. "Emily loves Yugi for who he is. And you heard him tell her the same thing. Shouldn't that be the kind of person you want for your daughter, someone to love her for who she is? Don't you at least?"

"I'm only saying that Emily should choose someone who's smart, resourceful, and will treat her well. Not some shabby boy who likes to look like some kind of punk and makes her make a fool out of herself." He looks at Rachel and tells her, "In the real world, Rachel, brains are more important than good looks and personality. It's not too soon to teach Emily that."

Rachel couldn't take it anymore. Robert was just being too controlling and less understanding. In her thoughts, she was wondering what it was that made Robert fall in love with her long ago. Was he in love with her for her beauty? Was it because he thought he was smarter than her? Did he think less of her and see that as an opportunity to take advantage of her?

She approaches the front door, signaling that she wants him to leave. "I'd like for you to leave."

He looks at the door to Emily's bedroom. "I'd like to say 'goodbye' to my daughter first."

"She doesn't want to see you after what you did," Rachel remarked.

Robert didn't listen. He invited himself inside Emily's room and saw her sitting on her bed and crying. "Hi, Em-,"

"You ruined everything!" she shrieked.

"I know," he said calmly. "And I'm sorry." He approaches her and says, "I have to go now."

"Then go," she said angrily. She also took the book he gave her and gave it back to him. "And take this with you."

Robert held the book in his hands. "Can I at least have a hug before I go?" he asked, opening his arms out to her. Emily didn't return the gesture. She just got up and approached him to let him hug her. Robert softly chuckled. "Will I still see you for the summer?" Sometimes Rachel would let Emily visit her dad for two to four weeks in the summer, but Emily didn't want to this time; not after what happened. Robert understood and said, "Well, I love you, Em. You know that, right?"

"I know," she sobbed. She removed herself and sat back down on her bed.

Robert sighed and left her room. Before he can walk out the front door, Rachel stops him and tells him, "She loves you too, you know. And so do I. Like her, I miss you sometimes too."

Robert knew and said, "So do I. I think about you just like I think about her." Despite not being on good terms with each other, Robert and Rachel still had a place in each other's hearts. Robert held Rachel in his arms as she was hugging him. "Take care of our daughter," he whispers.

"And you have a safe drive home," she returns. Robert nods and walks outside and enters his car. Rachel watches him drive off until he's out of sight. She returns to the kitchen to have a glass of water, but after taking a sip, she drops the glass, falls to her knees, and starts crying. This was almost like how she felt when she took their daughter and left; filled with pain and sorrow.