The Dare

“But he has kids.” The idea of hurting children is a lot. “Shouldn’t I just leave it? Those poor children don’t need me walking in to their lives and destroying it. I don’t want to be that person…”

“But he destroyed it, not you. Don’t you forget that,” Tracey reminds me. “And I can assure you that if you aren’t the one who tells her what’s going on, then it will be someone else. Men like Zack can only get away with being little shits for so long. Eventually the hurricane of destruction that they leave behind them will come back to haunt them. You just have to hope that you can see it because you are one of the victims.”

I didn’t want to be a victim. I wanted to be with him, I really thought that we had something. But he’s a man with secrets and I guess that isn’t something I need to be dealing with. So, as much as it hurts, I need to walk away, I need to forget him completely. As for revenge, well I don’t know about that just yet. I will just have to sleep on this and see how I feel in the morning. Everything might be clearer then.

Chapter 10 – Zack

“I like having you home, Daddy,” Amelia says to me with much more color in her cheeks now. And not the redness that comes with sickness, but that has come with her finally improving at long last. “It’s been fun.”

“I have really enjoyed it as well,” I tell her honestly. “I am going to try and rearrange my work somewhat so I can be home with you more in the future. We can have more daddy and daughter days like this one.”

She cheers and jumps in to my lap, snuggling in to me as she does, and she makes my heart sing because I finally feel like I am doing something right by her. It’s been a long time coming, but I’m glad. All of the guilt that I have held on to because of Amelia is finally going away. It’s also nice to give my mother a break because I know she does a lot for me. She is around a lot, I do think she wants to be with Amelia all the time as well, but I can help out. I know that this will have to slow down soon because the office is going to need me, but for now I can enjoy my time with my daughter, I can relish this satisfaction because all is going well.

“Daddy, I think that’s your phone ringing.” Amelia climbs off my lap. “You better get it.”

In a bit of a daze because my daughter has shaken me from my thoughts, I pad in to the kitchen where my cell phone is ringing, just like Amelia told me, and it’s Terry’s name on the screen. Terry is someone that I haven’t thought about for a while now. I haven’t contacted him for days while I’ve been with Amelia, so I’m curious as to what this means. Is he contacting me with a general update or has something happened?

“Hello?” There is a definite edge to my voice. “How are things going, Terry?”

“I’ve found her.” The news that I have been waiting for and dreading in equal measures has come for me at last. I don’t know how to feel. If anything, I think I might be numb. “I have her details at last.”

“You do?” I should say more, he has achieved the goal, this is what I have been waiting for, but I can’t muster anything. “Wow, that’s incredible, Terry. And you are sure that it’s definitely Karen?”

“It’s her alright. I have actually just emailed everything over to you, but I wanted to call you with this information. I know how eager you have been to get in touch with her for Amelia’s sake…”

I think about my daughter in the other room, the one who has been clinging to me since I have been home because she’s been so glad to have her parent around. Just because I’m not sure, doesn’t mean I should deny Amelia the chance to get to know her mother. After all, that’s why I started all of this.

“Thank you so much, Terry. That’s great news.” I force some gratitude in to my voice. “I really appreciate it and I will send you the money once I get a moment to make the transfer. Thank you so much.”

We talk for a little while longer, just a bit of small talk because over the last few months I have gotten to know this man well and now we won’t have so much of a reason to speak to one another. It’s the end of a strange era… and I suppose the start of a new one as well if I go through with finally calling Karen.