Finding Daddy

“What do you mean ‘let’s go home’?” Autumn demanded, hands on her hips as she glared down at me. I rolled over on the king sized bed of the hotel room that we had rented by the pier.

“I met my dad, that’s all I set out for. I did it and now there’s no point to stay. So tomorrow we should just head back,” I explained.

“There is a reason to stay, more than one! One is that Jimmy guy. Two, we have to get your dad to believe you,” Autumn argued.

“How Autumn, how?” I snapped, sitting up to glare at my best friend. “I showed him my birth certificate, that’s all the proof I could ever muster. I don’t have a picture of him when I was a baby or anything. My mother must have burned all the pictures of him too. How do you suppose I prove it to him?”

“I don’t know,” Autumn said quietly, sinking onto the edge of the bed. The anger I had shown disappeared in a nanosecond. I have never seen Autumn weak or feeling hopeless, and that’s exactly what she seemed. I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

“I’m sorry Autumn, I’m just aggravated. Maybe I get my stubbornness from him. I just don’t think he’ll ever believe me,” I sighed. “It would take a miracle to convince him and that’s a miracle we don’t have.”

“I understand. We’ll just go home tomorrow. Maybe you can just stay at my place and make your mom still think you’re here. That‘d be a nice way for her to lose her mind,” Autumn joked, her usual smile back on her face. I opened my mouth to say something, but Autumn’s phone began to ring with “Bite My Tongue” by You Me At Six. I leaned over to grab it from the end table on the other side of the bed for Autumn. I passed it to her without even looking. When Autumn did look at the screen, she held it towards me. “I’m pretty sure it’s for you.”

“Why?” Once I took the phone from her and read the ID, it was obvious. Jimmy’s name was flashing across the screen. I had sent him a text when we got in the car to let him know it was me and left it at that. Here he was, an hour later, calling me. I clicked the green button before holding it up to my ear. “Hello?”

“Hey Danielle,” Jimmy’s happy voice greeted me from the other end of the line. “How are you?”

“I‘ve had better days. And you?”

“Fantastic. Now, would you and Autumn like to meet up at the ice cream parlor on the pier?” I looked at Autumn who was leaning back in the chair that was provided for the desk in the room. She tossed a pen up in the air to expertly catch it with her right hand’s middle and index finger.

“Hold on a moment.” After I heard an agreement, I muted the iPhone and looked at Autumn who was still throwing and catching the pen, but now her eyes were trained on me. “Want to meet up with Jimmy for some ice cream?”

“As long as he’s paying,” Autumn agreed, grinning. I laughed before un-muting the phone and holding it to my ear again.

“Sure,” I told him as I sat on the edge of the bed to pull on my shoes again as I cradled the phone between my ear and shoulder.

“Great! The place is just called The Ice Cream Shop. And don’t worry, I’m paying. See you in a while.” We gave our goodbyes before I handed Autumn back her phone.

“It’s like he’s psychic. He’s paying.”

“Good,” Autumn scoffed, stepping into her Toms.

“Is it really that important that you don’t pay for your sugary goods?” I asked as I stood and we walked out of the room together, Autumn making sure the key card was in her pocket. She had been promoted to carrying the card since I lose everything. It was really a wonder how I haven’t lost my car keys yet.

“Why yes, it is. My sugary goods seem to taste so much better when I’m not the one paying for it,” Autumn joked as we walked down the stairs and headed towards the front office.

“For some reason I don’t find that possible,” I remarked. Autumn grinned before walking through the glass door to leave me leaning against the wall. A minute or so later Autumn walked back out and led me to the left, the way the manager had told her the shop was located.

“So did your mom ever mention this guy? I mean, he was her best friend,” Autumn pointed out.

“Shockingly, no. Mom only mentioned everything after they had moved to Denver. She tried to play off that her life hadn’t started until she moved there. But, you know, she hasn’t been too honest with me about everything else, why would she tell me anything about him?” I scoffed.

“Speaking of your mom, do you think you should call her?” I stared at my best friend like she grew two extra heads. Maybe she did, that hair could cover another head on her neck. Or maybe Voldemort was growing out the back of her head. “Don’t look at me like that! I know you are angry with her, but you did just up and leave. Maybe just a phone call to let her know you’re okay.”

“Why would she give a fuck?” Autumn continued to stare at me though. I groaned, stopping in front of the ice cream place we were meeting Jimmy at. “Fine. I’ll call her after we get back to the hotel, deal?”

Autumn stared at my outstretched hand for a moment before nodding, shaking my hand. “Deal.”

“What are we making deals about?” We both turned, taking back our hands, to see Jimmy strolling up with a wide smile. He was like a breath of fresh air. His aura of happiness was contagious and pretty soon I was smiling, even with the looming aspect of the day over my head.

“Nothing important.” Jimmy took us both into a hug before letting go. “How are you doing?”

“Swell. Now let’s get some ice cream. I’ve got a major sweet tooth.” We laughed before walking through the door that he held open for us, both of us being polite and giving our thanks. We approached the counter and ordered our single scoop ice cream cones. Jimmy picked a booth in the back for us to sit at. Autumn and I sat next to each other, munching on our matching cookie dough ice cream cones.

“So…” I trailed off, beginning to feel awkward. Jimmy had invited us here to talk, but I don’t think any of us were sure where to start. I already felt like we were off to a rocky start with no one choosing to break the silence. Or that’s what I thought until Autumn piped in.

“So how did you and Cameron meet?” Jimmy smiled, taking a lick from his chocolate ice cream with chocolate sprinkles on top. This man loves his chocolate.

“Funny story. My best friend Ma - ” he cut himself off, eyes growing slightly wider. I could only assume Matt had told him the newest ‘charade’ of his ‘daughter‘ and Jimmy thought it was wise to not mention his name. I shifted my eyes to my cone and licked at it. “Anyways, him and Cameron lived next door to each other so his mom gave her rides to school and home. I was maybe twelve and had hid up in a tree since I threw a balloon filled with paint at her car.”

“You sound like Danielle,” Autumn snickered, nudging me. I blushed, sticking my tongue out at her.

“It was one time! And it was that elderly lady that called me a brat. She deserved it,” I scoffed. Jimmy smiled at our interaction as if observing old friends.

“But so the next day in the morning, the two of them came up to me and started talking to me. Apparently his mother had told them to stay away from me, but they were never ones to listen, especially Camie.”

“So you guys were all just best friends from then on?” Autumn asked, practically on the edge of her seat. Jimmy nodded.

“Spent as much time we could together as possible. The Three Musketeers!” Jimmy exclaimed. A passing waitress hushed him and he smiled bashfully. “Sorry Judy, I’ll calm down.”

“Thank you Jimmy,” the teenaged girl smiled before continuing on her way to the back. We rose an eyebrow at Jimmy and he frowned.

“What?”

“The girl…” We slowly trailed off to nothing. She hadn’t even been wearing a nametag and he knew her on first name basis? That was just a tad creepy. He laughed, grinning at our faces.

“I’m a regular. She works almost everyday and I get loud a lot. She has to chide me constantly.” We just nodded before it fell silent again. But this time it was comfortable. “I have a question for you, Danielle.”

“Shoot.”

“Are you really Matt’s daughter?” I stared at my lap, sighing. Should I tell the truth or will he just mock me? No, I don’t think so. Jimmy doesn’t seem like the type who would do that. Especially with something that was such a serious subject. My hazel eyes locked with his blue ones and I nodded.

“Yes, I am.” He smiled.

“Then it looks like I’m telling Matt he’s a fucking idiot tomorrow.”

“Oh no, no. You don’t need to do something like that,” I instantly argued, paling. Just the thought of my ‘father’ knowing I ended up meeting with his friend scared the shit out of me. He’d think I’m just trying to get close to him so I can get to Matt again. Besides, who knew how’d Matt react? He’d probably get angry and I didn’t need to put a strain on such a long friendship.

“Please, I have to. No one treats my god baby like that,” Jimmy scoffed.

“But he’s your - wait, what?”

“Your grandmother called me as soon as she found out you left home to find your dad. Apparently your mother called her in Australia, flipping out. She told me that she signed me as your godfather. And as your godfather, I have the right to kick your dad’s ass.”

“Wait, you kept in contact with my grandmother?”

“Nope,” Jimmy replied. “She did keep in contact with my mother. She got my number from my mom and then called me. Strange arrangement, but in the end I found out. Now, I get to talk to your father and make him believe me, okay?”

I felt tears gather in my eyes as these words left his mouth. I sniffled and nodded. “Okay.”