Page 41 of Fame & Rhythm

“Dad. Really?”

“Yes, really, Annie.” He exhales and runs a hand through his hair. “You’re my baby, right? You’re the first child, Dee and I raised together, and that alone means the world to us. You know what happened to your mum. The accident took away our ability to have biological children together, which was devastating, but strangely, it also led us to you.” I frown slightly, listening. “It was a terrible time, but if your mum hadn’t been hit by that van and injured so badly, our lives would’ve gone in a completely different direction. We might never have found you.” His voice softens. “Don’t you see, Annie? Your mother and I… we live because of you and Ella. Without you two, our world would’ve fallen apart a long time ago.” My throat tightens. “You’re part of what keeps this family standing,” he continues. “And if something happened to you, or to Ella, the rest of us would struggle to stay afloat. We need all four of us. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

I do.

We work because we’re together. Take one piece away, and everything shifts.

“I know what you mean, Dad. I can’t apologize enough that I scared you.”

He draws me in again, his arm around my shoulders. “You did scare me. When you said you were at the hospital because you were drunk, it sent me straight back to the worst parts of my own life. I know where that road leads, Annie, and I don’t want it anywhere near you. That’s why I’m so hard on you and Ella about it all. I lived that life, and it nearly killed me. I couldn’t stand it if I let it destroy you, too. Or Ella. Or Caleb. Or Aston. Or Chad.”

At Aston’s name, my chest gives a strange little tug.

“I love all of you,” Dad says. “I’ve watched every one of you grow up. Our families are tied together forever. I know how close you and Aston are. Just imagine how he’d feel knowing what happened to you… knowing what could have happened. Imagine if it were him in your shoes, and he’d ended up in the hospital because he’d drunk too much. Can you see where I’m coming from now?”

I nod, but my thoughts have already drifted.

I wonder if Aston knows.

Mum probably told Anna, and Anna probably told Aston. She’s probably warned him to steer clear of me too.

I don’t blame her.

And after the way I treated him at the party, I deserve it. Slapping him definitely wasn’t my finest moment.

“Are you okay?” Dad’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts.

I look up at him, and suddenly my eyes fill with tears. “I love you, Dad.”

He presses his lips together and tips his head back, staring at the ceiling like he’s trying not to crack.

I hate that I did this to him.

Dad is usually so strong, so stubborn, so impossible to rattle, and seeing this softer side of him makes my chest hurt.

“I love you too, Annie. Just remember that next time you have one of your tantrums and go do something stupid.”

A watery laugh escapes me. “I think I’m done being stupid now, Dad.”

He brings his hands together like he’s praying. “Praise the Lord.”

I roll my eyes. “I know I’ve said it a lot, but I really am sorry for scaring you and Mum. I never wanted to make you this sad.”

“I’m not sad, sweetheart. I’m worried.” He looks at me carefully. “I want to be the best father I can be. I want to be worthy of having you as my daughter. I know you think about your birth parents a lot. I just want to make sure the life you have with us is better than whatever life you might have had with them.”

That breaks my heart a little.

He worries he’s not enough for Ella and me, just like we worry we’re not enough for him and Mum.

“I don’t want better parents, Dad. You and Mum give me and Ella everything we could ever need.”

He gives me a look. “Maybe that’s the problem. Maybe we give you too much.”

I half laugh and shrug. “Maybe. But we really do appreciate the life you’ve given us. You gave us music, a family, a beautiful home, and the best friends we could ask for. I think you’re doing everything right. I’m just the one stuffing it up all the time. You don’t see Ella acting like me, so clearly you’re doing something right. Maybe my moods come from my birth parents. It’s the only explanation I can come up with for why I’m such a brat.”

“You are a brat,” he says, deadpan. “But I love you anyway. And Annie, even if you’ve got a temper for the rest of your life, I don’t care, as long as you’re healthy and happy. That’s all I really want for you.”

“Thanks, Dad.”