Chapter 5: Goodbye

Getting into the rental car after getting off the airplane was the most nervous I felt in a long time, mostly due to the fact I was back in my hometown and away from Ayanna for the first time in the past seven years. Aunt Maria had said Ayanna could stay with her so that she wouldn't miss any school, plus the fact she didn't know any of these people or them off her. When I talk to Greg about what happen, he wasn't all that please about me leaving, but understood it was something I had to do, which left Carlos in charge while I was gone. Julia had offered to come back with me, but I told her I need to do this on my own. Leading to me being alone and unsure what would happen once I face the people I ran from all those years ago.

I drove down the street to see everything is looked the same in this small sleepy town, where I grow up at. Even though my family had a well-known restaurant they still like the quietness this town bought and thought it would be perfect to start a family. Everyone seemed to get along even though you still had your normal gossip queens who try to start fights between people, but most the time those had just been smoothed over by the end of the day.

I drove down to the hospital my mother had told that my father was checked into when I had talked her last night as I felt the nerves start to eat at my insides. I knew I was about to get hit with questions I wasn't ready to answer yet. I was here to say my goodbyes to my father not cause more problems between for my family. Pulling into the parking garage I let out a deep sigh knowing there was no turning back now.

Walking out into the hospital lobby there was an older lady by the desk typing away from the computer that I hope would tell me the new room number my father had been moved to, since my mother hadn't given me the number yet, "I'm sorry to bother you but can you tell me which room Aaron Dunn is in."

The lady looked up from her computer and looked me up and down and rolled her eyes at me "I'm sorry, but I can only give out that information to family members." She then turned back to the computer.

I place my hands against the corner and looked down at her,"I'm his daughter Lilly Dunn. Now please tell me which room my father is in or I'll go roaming throw this god forsaken hospital till I find him my damn self."

She looked back over at me and it appeared that her eyes pop out of her eyes as she looked at me more closely, "Lilly?" you could hear the questioning in her voice "But no one has heard from you in the last eight years"

"Yeah, I know I disappeared. I had something I need to handle, but that is really none of your business so if you don't mind what room is my father in?" I asked again not liking this lady anymore now. I knew by the time I walked away the whole town would know I've come back and be questioning the same thing my family wanted to know, where have I been.

After telling me the room number, I felt all those nerves came crashing back down as I step foot in the elevator to go to his floor. Taking a deep breath has the doors open as I felt my phone vibrating notifying me I had a message. But I didn't have to look to see who it was from because there was the man I hope I would never have to encounter again sitting in front of me looking down at his phone.

His blonde, brownish hair was shorter than it had been that night at the restaurant seven years ago and was all messy has if he had been running his fingers through it a million times. He wore a nice fitted suit that fit his broad muscle flame, with the tie undone at the neck. He appeared stressed out about whatever was going on as his eyes stay glued to the screen on his phone not looking up at me once. Stepping out of the elevator to walk past him, I pray he didn't see me as I got to my father room.

Walking in the room to see my dad lying in a hospital bed with tubes running in and out of him. He looked thinner than I had ever seen him. I remember in one of the emails my mom sent a while back, she told that the cancer had been eating away at his body, but i never image it was this bad. The gentle started sitting in with the fact that I hadn't been there to help out over the past few years with him.

I could see my mother sitting next to him with her back facing me. I walked over to her and place my hand on her shoulder, making her jump and turn to face me. Her normal blue leveret eyes seemed dead to the world has she looked up at me with watery eyes. You could tell the stress of my father dying had taken a huge toll on her with dark circle under her eyes, "Lilly?" All I could do was shake my head at her as she pulled me into her embrace. She hugged me so tight that it seemed she was trying to stop me from leaving her again. "I really didn't think you would come, I'm so glad you're here," she said in a wedding voice.

"I am too mom, I'm sorry I wasn't here to help you in the beginning." I convey, feeling the tears start to run down my face.

She pulled away from me a little and looked into my eyes "All that matter is that you're here now. We can talk about everything else later, that's not what is important right now." there was the mother I knew and loved who was always understanding. Maybe once I told her about Ayanna things wouldn't be all that bad. I knew once it was out and in the open, she would want to meet her granddaughter and spend time with her. But right now wasn't the time. Especially with Chance in the lobby and could walk in at any moment.

I looked over to see my father's eyes start to open and once he saw me it brought a big smile on his face "Lilly" he said sounding happier than ever to see me. He opened his arms up the best he could. I left my mother embrace to be wrapped into his. I started crying into his chest has his arms came around me holding me a loose embrace. "My baby girl, where have you been? I've been worried all this time that something terrible had happened to you, even though we still got your emails." I let out a little laugh thinking about how he was trying to be the rigorous business man and having to get to the bottom of things even though he was on his death bed.

As I sat back up I notice my my mother had left and shut the door behind her giving us some privacy, I looked down and started picking at his blanket, "I'm sorry daddy but I had to go. Something happened and I didn't want to shame the family with it, so I left." I reply, knowing it was time to tell him why I left in the first place.

"What could have been so bad that you need to hide from your own family?" he question has he coughed up a little.

Taking in a deep breath and let it out very slowly as my heart hammered in my chest, "I sleep with Chance the night at the dinner party, when you and his father were talking about merging the company's together." I finally confused feeling as if a weight had been lifted from my chest finally being about to talk about it.

"What is wrong with that? I've always liked Chance I had always hoped you two would settle your differences and get together." He reply, "I know for a fact that boy has always had a soft spot for you even now after all this years. He never stopped asking about you to find out how you were doing since you never seem to answer his emails he would send you."

"Dad sleeping with Chance isn't all of it." I said, looking up into his eyes. "He had brought a bottle of champagne to my room and we end up getting drunk. We were so caught up in the moment we didn't use protection and I end up getting pregnant."

"I have a grandchild and you keep them me and your mother," he query, with has much anger has his weak body could manage. "Why couldn't you have just told us? We would have been there to help you to see that the baby was well taken care of."

"Daddy, I'm sorry. When I found out I panic. I felt it that being eighteen and pregnant, I was shaming the family and its name, I didn't know what to do, with the reputation that Chance had I knew it wouldn't look good for the baby so I left." I cried out. "I've met some great people who help me get my life together. I have a perfect little, life with my daughter Ayanna, that I've always wanted. I really am happy with everything I worked for. The only thing I'm not happy about was not having you and mom there with me."

"Honey, you should told your mother and I all we want for you is to have a happy life. Now knowing that you were able to handle the world on your own I can die knowing you will be able to take care of yourself and that you don't need help from of other people. I'm sorry I won't be able to meet my granddaughter, but I will be watching over the both of you from heaven. I love you no matter what, remember that" He then closed his eyes, I leaned over and kissed his forehead told him I loved him also. When I walked out of the room, I saw my mother talking to Chance and his mother, Maggi.

Has I started to walk to them the code blue lights rang out through the hall. Looking over my shoulder to my father's door just in time to see the doctors and nurse rushing in. I try to run back into the room to see what was going on but was pulled back by someone who turned me around to face them. They pulled me into their well build chest and wrapped their tone arms around me "Don't Milly, you don't need to see it." was all he said has I felt the tears running down my face.

****

I sat there looking at the casket has it got lowered into the ground. My father was gone. He had waited till he saw me before he cross over. To know I was the last one to see him and that he was happy in the end was all that truly matter, but it still hurt to know he was gone. I lead my head down once the casket was out of sight and looked at the ground. I could feel a new set of tears start to fall again has my heart broke once again.

That's when I felt his arms wrap around me placing me in his lap as I cried on his shoulder. There wasn't much said between Chance and I the last few days with getting the funeral together, but I could tell he wanted to know that same thing everyone else was. But right now none of that matter has he held onto me and let me mourn the death of my father. I could feel his hand rubbing up and down my back to help calm me down. Once the tears stop I was too weak to move from his lap so I laid my head on his shoulder, looking out at the guest that were around my mother.

"Milly, are you ok now" I heard him ask. I just let out a deep sigh knowing that I was still heartbroken and didn't know if I ever be okay with the loss of my father. He pulled me tighter to him as to show that he was here for me, "I'm sorry Milly. I know losing your father is hard, but I hope you can let go of whatever this hatred is you have against me and lets try to get along since we are going to be business partners soon. Even though I hope that we could be more than that, but I know that takes time."

With those words, everything came crashing down on me. Here I was in the lap of a guy who player girl like a rag doll when we were in school. The guy who got me drunk and had sex with. In the end, I found myself pregnant and scared, but he knew nothing of that. I was hiding a secret from him that I wasn't willing the share with him ever.

I pulled away from him, but it only made him tighten his grip to keep me in his lap, "Chance I don't hate you. Annoyed yes, but hate no." I reply as I pushed more on his chest to get out of his hold. I didn't want people thinking something was going on between us looking so cozy against one another, they were supposed to be remembering my father. "Please let me go"

"No, Milly, I've always told you that when I found you again, I wasn't letting you go." he reply sounding a little angry now. He placed one of his arms under my legs and stood up "Matter of fact, we're going somewhere more private to talk"

"Chance put me down right now" I scream, causing everyone to look over at us. "I mean it Chance put me down."

He just held on to me has I strangled to get out of his hold, "Nope not going to happen. We need to talk and that what we are going to do."

As we walked past my mother and Mrs. Morgan I heard one of them say 'that things never change', but one thing that stood out was I didn't see Mr. Morgan. "Chance where your dad?" I asked, looking up at him to see his face fall and I knew then something had happened.

"He passed away about the sometime your father found out about the cancer." He let out, finally standing by his car and placing me on my feet. "Now get in the car, please."

I cross my arms and gave him a death glare "Chance there really nothing to talk about. I don't think it's smart to leave my mother at the moment."

"My mother with her and she already knows I want to take you out to talk to you about things, so please Milly get in the car," he ordered. When he said the ridiculous nickname he gave me as a kid, I remember something he had said back at the restaurant.

"I'll get in the car if you tell me why you keep calling me Milly." I stated.

He just smiled real bright down at me as I felt my heartbeat rise, "If that's all that it takes for you to get in the car and talk to me, then that's simple enough." He then wrap his arms around my waist and pulled me close against him and lean down to whisper in my ear, "I call you Milly because you're My Lilly."

copyright © 2015 Letty Scott/Embrace_Passion (All Rights Revered)

Revised 6/26/2015