Note: The situation with Stef and Lena vs. Robert is a moral issue that I've given a lot of thought to over the course of the season. I love Stef and Lena, you know I do, but I can't help but think that they're wrong to discourage Callie from accepting any kind of love and support from her father. Robert isn't like Ana, for example. He's stable, wants to do right by his daughter, and has a lot of love to give. But they never seemed to consider that he might love Callie just as much as they do, and might be unwilling to just sign away his relationship with his child. This isn't really something that's been touched on in the show, but I hope it is eventually.

Chapter 26.

"I think I need to go see my dad," said Callie, standing up and brushing her tears away.

"Wait," said Brandon, rising to his feet to join her. "Did you just call him 'dad?''

She nodded shyly. "Yeah. I did."

"It's just... I've never heard you call him anything but Robert," he said, following her to the door.

Shrugging into her jacket, she turned to him. "Well, it's time things changed."

Two Years Earlier:

"Whoa. That's something I haven't seen in a while," said Callie, walking into the living room. "I didn't know people still owned VCRs." It was a quiet day in the Quinn household. Jill and Sophia had gone to a horse show, leaving Callie and Robert alone.

Robert looked up from where he sat on the floor, surrounded by a tangle of wires. "Well, I do," he laughed. "And this baby still works." He connected the cords to the wall, and then backed up to admire his handiwork. "There."

She went to stand beside him, watching him curiously. "What's all this for?"

"Just a little surprise for you," he told her, holding up a tape labeled, Home Movies. "Since Jill and Sophia are out, I thought you might like to see this. I took it when your mom and I were married."

"You have a tape of my mom?" Callie asked, surprised. She understood why he'd never shown the tape to her before; talking about Colleen seemed to make Jill uncomfortable.

"Yeah," he nodded. "What do you say, kiddo? Do you want to watch it?"

"Of course," she said, sitting down on the sofa. Robert popped the tape in the VCR, pressed play, and sat down next to her. After several seconds, the video began.

"Get that thing out of my face!" Colleen cried, laughing, as the tape started. She covered the lens with her hand. She was in her early twenties, dressed in her bathrobe and slippers.

In the background, Robert chuckled. "Come on... the camera loves you. Don't you want to get discovered?"

Dropping her hand away, Colleen rolled her eyes, then went back to washing dishes. Briefly, Robert turned the camera on a younger version of himself. His now-salt-and-pepper hair was thick and dark. "Everyone, meet my beautiful wife."

The focus went back on Colleen. She was young, happy, healthy, and so, so pretty. Her voice sounded just the way Callie remembered. As she watched her mother laughing and joking with Robert, her eyes stung with tears and her throat felt tight. She leaned forward, focusing hard on the screen, wanting to study every detail; to permanently etch it in her memory.

"You know," Robert told her, brushing back her hair. "You were already in her tummy when this was taken. She just didn't know it yet."

Callie squinted at the date in the corner of the screen, and counted back the months. It was true; her mother's stomach was still flat, but nonetheless, Callie was already a part of her. She glanced up at her father in amazement.

"How about a little kiss?" a younger Robert teasingly asked Colleen on the TV screen.

"If I kiss you, will you get that camera out of here?" she giggled.

"Maybe..."

Callie watched her mother drop her dishcloth and cross the room to her husband. Robert turned the camera on both of them as his wife leaned in to peck him on the lips.

As Callie and Robert sat there, watching the video together, she felt her father put his arm around her shoulders. And for the first time, she didn't pull away.

"Callie?" said Sophia, studying her older sister with surprise. "I thought you weren't coming over today."

"I wasn't going to," she told her, standing on the Quinns' doorstep. "But I really wanted to see you guys. Where's dad?"

Sophia stood there for a moment, stunned. "He's uh... he's in the living room. I'll get him." She turned toward the other room, then looked back. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine," said Callie, letting herself in. She followed Sophia to the living room and found Robert sitting on the sofa.

"Callie?" he asked, standing up to greet her. "We weren't expecting you today, honey. Is everything alright? Can I get you anything?"

"I'm good," she replied. "But thanks, anyway."

He nodded. "Where's Brandon?"

"He's not here," she quickly told him. "Um, can I talk to you? Please?"

"Sure. Am I in trouble?" he laughed.

"No," she smiled. "Not at all."

She followed him to the den, and he closed the door behind them. "What's up?" he asked, sitting down.

Callie paced the room, more nervous than she imagined she would be. "I know I've been the worst daughter," she blurted out. "I hate myself for the way I've acted, and I understand if you don't want anything to do with me, but I just wanted to tell you..."

"Callie," said Robert, calmly. "Take a seat. Breath."

Stopping, she nodded and sat down next to him, playing with the ring on her finger. "Brandon said this was mom's," she told him, holding out her hand. "Was it?"

"Yes," he replied. "It was the engagement ring I gave her." He held up his hands defensively. "I promise, I wasn't trying to manipulate you in any way by giving it to Brandon. I just thought you might want it."

Callie smiled weakly at her father. "I didn't... think that. I just wanted to say thank you."

"You're welcome, honey," he nodded, looking relieved. "So, did you say yes?"

She managed a small smile. "I did." She cleared her throat before going on, knowing the question she was about to ask was a difficult one, and that the answer might be something she didn't want to hear. "Um, you didn't take this ring back from mom, did you?" she asked. "When you got divorced, I mean?"

"No," he laughed, patting her knee. "She threw it at me, actually. Like mother, like daughter, huh?"

Callie smiled, looking down at the ring, lovingly fingering the stones. "Thank you for this."

"You're welcome," he replied. "I'm glad you like it. I thought it would mean more to you because she wore it."

"It does." She sighed deeply. "Listen. I'm really sorry about everything. I just wanted you to know that."

"I'm sorry too, honey," he replied. "We both said things."

"I don't mean just for yesterday," she told him, her voice shaking. "I mean for everything. I've been horrible to you, when you were just trying to be a good father." She brushed the back of her hand across her damp cheeks. "You are a good father. And I'm so sorry, dad."

Robert looked at her, speechless, as if he didn't trust his ears. "You just called me dad."

She nodded, blushing a little. "Yeah. I did."

"I've waited so long to hear you call me that," he breathed, his eyes filling with tears. "Callie, you don't know what this means to me."

She sniffled, wiping her runny nose with a tissue. "I've been a terrible daughter," she told him, focusing on her shoes.

"Hey, now." He grabbed her hand in his, lightly squeezing it. "You are not a terrible daughter, Callie. We've had our differences, but I know you're a good girl, and I love you no matter what."

"How can you still love me?" she asked, picking at the lint on her sweater; anything to distract herself. It was still hard for her to show her emotions, and maybe it always would be. "I wouldn't."

"I'll always love you," he replied. "You're my little girl. I love you more than you'll ever know."

Finally, she couldn't handle it anymore; her feelings of regret, sadness, and love were too strong for any distraction to hold back. Looking into her father's eyes, her face crumpled and she burst into tears, her shoulders shaking.

Robert held out his arms expectantly, waiting for her to crawl into them. "Come here, baby."

Callie moved closer, letting him enfold her in a hug. She wrapped her arms securely around his neck, actually hugging him back.

"There, there, honey," he whispered, stroking her hair. "Don't cry. It's okay." He pressed a light kiss to her forehead. "Daddy's got you."

Callie held onto him tighter, trying to ease the ache in her heart as he rocked her in his arms, trying to console her. "You're so precious to me," he told her, his own tears wetting her cheek. "You're so much like your mom. And every time I look at you, I remember the love I had for her."

"Really?" she asked, her voice hoarse from crying.

"Mm-hm. You know, I didn't even know she passed away until I found out about you."

"That must have been hard."

"It was," he nodded. "It was very hard. But you're the greatest gift she ever gave me."

Callie sobbed against her father's shoulder until she was breathless and all her tears were shed. Finally, she looked up at him, through puffy, hooded eyes. "You really do love me, don't you?"

"Of course I do," he assured her. "And nothing you can say or do would make me stop."

She nodded. "I... I love you too, dad." He handed her a clean tissue, and she dabbed at her eyes and cheeks. "I think I always have. I just... I have a hard time showing my feelings for people."

He gently patted her shoulder. "Yeah, I figured that much. And I can't say I blame you after all you've been through. Listen, though. What would you say to starting over?"

"I'd like that," she replied. She looked to him shyly, just realizing how much her bitterness and resent had been wearing down on her. The possibility of losing it was more than welcome. "I mean, if you can forgive me."

"I already have," he promised. "Can you forgive me?"

She nodded. "Yes. I'm not sure about trusting you yet, though. That's a little harder for me. Is that okay?"

"It's okay," he agreed. "Trust takes time. We'll work on that."

"Okay." She rested her head on his shoulder, slowly growing more comfortable in his arms.

"Callie," said Robert. "I want you to know that it's okay with me if Donald walks you down the aisle. I won't love the idea, but I can handle it. He did raise you, after all. He's just as much your father as I am."

"Are you sure?" she asked, looking up.

"Yeah," he nodded. "And maybe I can do the father-daughter dance with you?"

"That sounds fair."

He planted another kiss on her temple, then stood up, holding his hand out to help her to her feet. "I guess we'd better enjoy the rest of the holiday. It looks like we're going to be busy planning a wedding soon."

"Dad?" Callie quietly asked, hanging back a little.

"What, sweetheart?"

She dug the toe of her shoe into the rug. "Do you really have a problem with me and Brandon living together?"

He paused, running his fingers through his hair. "No, honey. I'm sorry I made you feel that way. That was... that was more about my personal feelings toward Stef, rather than you. I was just hurt that I was left out of the decision. I didn't mean the things I said."

"Promise?"

"Promise," he nodded. "I'm glad you have Brandon. He's a good kid, and he really loves you."

She smiled. "I love him too." She followed her father out the door, and back to the living room.

When Sophia saw them, she hopped up from the sofa. "What's going on?" she asked, looked from Callie to Robert. "Is everything okay?"

Callie nodded, grabbing her younger sister into a hug. "Everything's fine." She kissed the top of her head, burying her nose in her hair. "So, are you still up to being a bridesmaid?"

To Be Continued