The New Daughter of the Family. (Sequel to An Angel's Voice.), chapter 32
-Billie's POV-
I couldn't sleep last night. It's noon, and still no sign of my daughter or Mike. I rubbed my hand under my chin. I need to shave. I sipped my cup of coffee and looked out the window. "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" was running through my head over and over again.
Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road. Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go.
Well, time was running out quickly. And I didn't like the direction it was leading me. I don't know where time went. My thoughts were interrupted by Tre, who stomped downstairs to grab his morning cup of caffine.
"Hey," he said, groggily.
"Hi," I said, returning my gaze to outside.
"She home yet?" he asked. I shook my head.
"Tre?" I asked, looking at him. "What have I done wrong?" He sat down next to me.
"What do you mean?" he said, drinking his coffee.
"I mean, she and I haven't been getting along so well. So, what am I doing wrong? Why does she hate me so much?" Tre was silent for a moment, letting my question sink in.
"You didn't do anything wrong," he said. "She's just being a teenager." He tilted his head towards me. "You remember us as kids?" I smiled.
"Don't remind me," he laughed and slapped me on the back.
"See? She'll come around. Just give her time." I looked at Tre and smiled. This is the side of Tre that is seldom seen. He's always so goofy and perverted. But now, he's a true friend. That's probably why I love him so much. We sat and talked about being kids. And I couldn't help but wonder where it all went. I mean, I'm 34, have three wonderful children, a beautiful wife, two of the best friends any man could ever have, and a kick-ass punk band. And I realized, the past was fun, but now, I have everything and anything I could ask for. My life was perfect. And sitting here with one of my best friends, talking about the good old times, I guess it's safe to say I wouldn't go back. I couldn't help but smile.
"What?" Tre asked.
"Nothing," I said, still smiling. We heard the front door open and gently close. Mike walked into the kitchen.
"Hey," I said. He smiled. "Where is she?"
"Out in the car. She's deathly afraid of being yelled at," I laughed.
"I'll go see her." I stood up and walked outside. She was sitting in the car, staring at her feet. I opened the driver's side of the door. She jumped, startled at my sudden entrance.
"Hello," I said, shutting the door. She winced.
"Go ahead, get it over with," I laughed.
"Don't worry. I'm not going to yell." She uncoiled and looked at me.
"Really?" I smiled.
"Yeah." I ruffled her hair. I sighed and looked out the windsheild. "You know, I was inside talking to Tre a while ago." She looked at me funny. "And, I tell you, I got a hell of a reality check."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I guess I never realized how perfect my life acutally is." I sipped my coffee. "I mean, I have it all. Perfect family, perfect career, perfect house. Everything is just...perfect."
"Yeah, right, dad." I looked at her. "Your daughter is SO perfect," she said sarcastically, starting out the window. I chuckled.
"No. You are perfect. You just don't see it." She looked back at me, and I smiled at her. "But I do." She smiled.
"Nobody's perfect, dad." She punched me lightly in the arm. "But you're pretty damn close." I laughed.
"You're ruining the moment, dear, I'm on a roll."
"Sorry." she said, laughing.
"Let's go inside," I said. I got out and stood, waiting for her to come out of the car. She walked beside me as I draped my arm across her shoulder. And we walked inside together.
I couldn't sleep last night. It's noon, and still no sign of my daughter or Mike. I rubbed my hand under my chin. I need to shave. I sipped my cup of coffee and looked out the window. "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" was running through my head over and over again.
Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road. Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go.
Well, time was running out quickly. And I didn't like the direction it was leading me. I don't know where time went. My thoughts were interrupted by Tre, who stomped downstairs to grab his morning cup of caffine.
"Hey," he said, groggily.
"Hi," I said, returning my gaze to outside.
"She home yet?" he asked. I shook my head.
"Tre?" I asked, looking at him. "What have I done wrong?" He sat down next to me.
"What do you mean?" he said, drinking his coffee.
"I mean, she and I haven't been getting along so well. So, what am I doing wrong? Why does she hate me so much?" Tre was silent for a moment, letting my question sink in.
"You didn't do anything wrong," he said. "She's just being a teenager." He tilted his head towards me. "You remember us as kids?" I smiled.
"Don't remind me," he laughed and slapped me on the back.
"See? She'll come around. Just give her time." I looked at Tre and smiled. This is the side of Tre that is seldom seen. He's always so goofy and perverted. But now, he's a true friend. That's probably why I love him so much. We sat and talked about being kids. And I couldn't help but wonder where it all went. I mean, I'm 34, have three wonderful children, a beautiful wife, two of the best friends any man could ever have, and a kick-ass punk band. And I realized, the past was fun, but now, I have everything and anything I could ask for. My life was perfect. And sitting here with one of my best friends, talking about the good old times, I guess it's safe to say I wouldn't go back. I couldn't help but smile.
"What?" Tre asked.
"Nothing," I said, still smiling. We heard the front door open and gently close. Mike walked into the kitchen.
"Hey," I said. He smiled. "Where is she?"
"Out in the car. She's deathly afraid of being yelled at," I laughed.
"I'll go see her." I stood up and walked outside. She was sitting in the car, staring at her feet. I opened the driver's side of the door. She jumped, startled at my sudden entrance.
"Hello," I said, shutting the door. She winced.
"Go ahead, get it over with," I laughed.
"Don't worry. I'm not going to yell." She uncoiled and looked at me.
"Really?" I smiled.
"Yeah." I ruffled her hair. I sighed and looked out the windsheild. "You know, I was inside talking to Tre a while ago." She looked at me funny. "And, I tell you, I got a hell of a reality check."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I guess I never realized how perfect my life acutally is." I sipped my coffee. "I mean, I have it all. Perfect family, perfect career, perfect house. Everything is just...perfect."
"Yeah, right, dad." I looked at her. "Your daughter is SO perfect," she said sarcastically, starting out the window. I chuckled.
"No. You are perfect. You just don't see it." She looked back at me, and I smiled at her. "But I do." She smiled.
"Nobody's perfect, dad." She punched me lightly in the arm. "But you're pretty damn close." I laughed.
"You're ruining the moment, dear, I'm on a roll."
"Sorry." she said, laughing.
"Let's go inside," I said. I got out and stood, waiting for her to come out of the car. She walked beside me as I draped my arm across her shoulder. And we walked inside together.
