"Nessa got a letter from father today..."
I waited.
"He says...he s-says..." Omigod, I wanted to tear the words from you. Seeing the pain flicker across your face as you struggled to find the right way to say it was killing me, and it made me want to run from the room and DO something, anything to make everything okay again.
But I couldn't. I settled for grasping your hand in a mute gesture of comfort. I'd expected you to snatch it back. But you didn't. And maybe I was imagining it, but I think your voice got a fraction stronger.
"He wrote to Nessa. And told her what time he'd be here to bring her back home for the holidays..."
A pause. Then, with a quiet acceptance, betrayed by the tears sliding down your face, "And he told her to tell me not to bother packing. I'm not welcome at his home any longer, apparently. Now that I'm 17. I'm not to try to contact him."
I'd been unable to suppress a gasp of horror, and I could barely begin to understand what you were telling me. What kind of father would do this to his daughter? To just dispose of her as carelessly and callously as if she was an object? To cut her out of his life completely just because of her skin-colour? I didn't buy the lie about it being a sort of twisted coming-of-age ritual.
My thoughts must have shown on my face, because I was brought back to reality with your bitter laugh.
"I know. I suppose he must have been planning this since I was born..."
"Elphie, I'm sure that's not true..."
I'm a terrible liar. That was the one time in my lifeIi would have given everything I had to be able to make you believe what I said, even if I didn't believe it myself.
"It is. I suppose I don't blame him. I killed my mother, damaged my sister. I somehow manage to make everyone I meet hate me within minutes. If I were him, I'd hate me too..."
And I watched as your sarcastic, ironic humour melted away into nothing, leaving you to your harsh reality...and you dissolved into tears all over again...
Pinkpolkadots59, Orange-Green, and Lightning-call upon my name, thank you so much for reviewing/adding my story! Please enjoy my home-made virtual cookies.
PLEASE, PLEASE review! You know you want to, especially since reviews are the only good thing in my life right now! Just joking...sort of...
BTW, did anyone have a snow day today? I did, and it was genius Possibly will write a gelphie fic based around it in some way...
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