Gabriella's POV

My birthday was amazing, but it also means that school's starting again soon. I will be going into grade 11 and am mostly taking grade 12 courses with a lot of music courses. I get out of bed the next morning and go to the kitchen after getting dressed.

"Hey Dad!" I exclaim, hugging him.

"Good morning, Gabi," he replies.

"You seem a bit off." I look him in the eyes.

"Okay," he says, "I really didn't want to tell you, but... I talked to your mom yesterday."

"What?! Why? I hate her!"

"Please calm down, Gabs," he soothes. "I won't let her come see you."

I nod. "Do you have to go into work today?"

"Yeah," Dad replies, "but only for the morning." He grabs his jacket and heads out the door. "Love you!"

"Love you too, Dad," I say as the door closes behind him.

I walk into the living room and sit down on the piano bench with the sheet music to a Demi Lovato song in front of me. I start to play and sing Shouldn't Come Back. The song is held close to my heart and relates to my mom and I's situation. Sometimes I wish that my mom had never abandoned me, but then I realize that I would never have been close with Dad. If only I hadn't been born into a complicated family and they'd been together when I was born; that sure would have made life a whole lot easier.

That evening, I sit on my phone in my room listening to some Demi Lovato songs that I still haven't heard. I don't know why, but I feel kind of obsessed. It feels like there's something deeper there than just music... like we're somehow connected. I just wish that I knew why.

I turn off the music when Dad comes into the room.

"Who were you listening to?" Dad asks, pointing to my now tangled earbuds.

"Demi Lovato," I reply. "Weren't you in that movie with her?" I know that my dad was super famous but gave it all up for me when I was delivered to his apartment, which is more than my mom ever did for me.

"Yeah," he replies, "we were pretty good friends."

I really want to ask what happened, but Dad seems to be trying to avoid the topic, so I let it go.

"What did you talk to mom for this morning?" I ask, changing the subject.

"Um," he procrastinates, "I kind of sent her a video of you singing your birthday song."

"Why would you do that?!" I yell. "I'm sure as heck that she doesn't care! Not about me or you!"

"Gabi, calm down. I know it may seem like it, and I'm mad at her too, but she did it for your own good."

"So now you admit it."

"What?"

"That my mom not only hated me, but gave me up. I don't even care; I already assumed."

Dad takes a deep breath. "Okay, do you now how old I was when you were born?"

I take a few seconds to mentally calculate. "Around 19," I reply.

Dad nods. "And your mom was 16. She couldn't care for you the way that you needed."

"So she just threw me away like I was some... piece of trash or something?!"

"Believe it or not, she doesn't hate you."

"Then why didn't she ever come see me?" I ask.

"Because she didn't want either one of you to get hurt. Now, can we please just let it be for tonight?"

"Okay," I say. "Goodnight, Dad. I love you."

"I love you too, Gabs," Dad leaves the room, closing the door behind him.

I change into some pajamas and lay in my bed to think about what Dad had said. If she loved me, then why couldn't I find her, or at least try? Still, a part of me says that he's lying and that she really does hate me. I can't help but wonder what she looks like, since I look a lot like my dad, I'm really curious to know if there are any features that I got from my mom. 

I drift to sleep and dream about what it would be like to one day meet my mom.