The Booth: Part 1

I sit at the booth in the small café waiting to meet my biological father for the first time since I was eight years old. He must have decided I could wait a little longer to meet him because he is almost thirty minutes late, but I honestly didn’t expect much from him considering he left a six-month pregnant woman who doesn’t have any work experience with two kids and a massive amount of debt. Just as I am about to get up and leave I hear the entrance bell chime. I turn to see him staring at me with shock in his eyes.

I didn’t quite know what to expect when seeing my daughter for the first time after twelve years, but the young woman that now stands in front of me was definitely not it. I realize just how much I have missed in her life. I walk over to the booth and we both sit down before she jumps right to the question that I can tell has been eating at her since I left. 

“Why? Why did you just up and leave with no explanation or intent on staying in contact with Eli and me?” I have been asking myself this question every day since he walked out on us. I look into his eyes and can see what I think is remorse, but I can’t feel anything other than anger for the man sitting across from me. ​

“Sweetheart, you have to understand that your mother and I were young when we had you and Eli. We weren’t ready for the responsibility that was thrown at us and as you both got older your mother and I fought more and more, and it got to the point where I couldn’t take it anymore. I did what I thought was right at the time by leaving, but there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t regret my decision.” I need her to see how sorry I was for walking out on them. I need her to understand that I want to make it right.

“Why did you wait twelve years to finally contact us? It’s not like we moved or changed numbers even. If you truly regretted leaving you would have called, emailed, texted…anything! You would have tried!” I could no longer hold back my tears, so with one last look at the stranger in front of me, I got up from the booth and walked away just like he did all those years ago.