By Anthonia Nicol
Chris felt like his heart was going to burst with joy when his daughter willingly ran into his arms. He just met her, and he felt like he couldn’t live without her. The hug lasted for three minutes, and the heavily relieved assistant took it as her cue to leave after dropping the note on his desk.
‘What happened to your mum,’ he asked, putting her down.
She took the note and gave it to him. ‘Is it true?’
He read it carefully and frowned. Sarah had a terrible way with words. Chris was afraid to meet Penny’s eyes. ‘Yes, Penny. It’s true. I am your dad.’
His hands started to tremble. ‘I didn’t know, I just…’ She gave him a tighter hug. ‘Daddy,’ she said sweetly.
He couldn’t hold the tears back any longer. ‘ My baby. Do you forgive me?’ he stammered, lifting her.
She wiped the tears off his face. ‘For what? You didn’t do anything wrong
He managed a smile. ‘ I swear I will never leave you alone again. Now, what’s this about your mum going to look for Herbert?’
‘He sent a message with Uncle Timothy’s phone and said he was coming for us!’ she explained. ‘I guess mum left to fight with him again. I’m afraid he’s going to hurt her some more’.
Chris was already clearing his desk. This commotion had to stop. ‘Who’s Uncle Timothy?’ he asked. ‘He’s my dad…I mean Herbert’s brother. He’s a judge in the high court’.
That’s how he got out of jail, Chris thought. He thought they were safe with him behind bars. He was wrong.
‘Where’s Daisy?’ he asked, and Penny shrugged her shoulders. ‘I dunno. She’s mostly at her friend Brenda’s place. We never know where she is most of the time.’
Brenda’s place! Chris was alarmed, but he tried to hide his emotions from Penny. ‘We will find your mum, but first, we need to find Daisy.’
He carried her out the door and into the elevator, with his assistant looking on. ‘Daddy,’ she said softly as the elevator took them to the ground floor.
He loved the sound of that. ‘Yes, baby.’
‘Is Daisy your daughter too?’
‘Yes, baby. She’s mine too’.
‘Great! So we will all come live with you now, right?’ She rested her head on his shoulder.
‘Yes, baby. From now on, everything will change’.