The car stopped and before Tony could pull the key out of the ignition I got out and flew with lightning speed to the front door and had the receptionist buzz me in.

  "Hey Lauren!" I said racing past her desk and up to my room. I never gave her a chance today hello back because I wanted to be in my room ready and waiting for my dad and the tongue lashing I was about to receive. I ran down the hall and swung my bedroom door open and tried to close it behind me when I felt it come back towards me.

  "Carly wait!" I heard a little voice say.

  "Joey? What are you doing?"

  "I wanted to see you! I missed you before you went to the mall! Look what uncle Dez sent from his trip in California! It's a chameleon and it was glass blown! Isn't it cool?"

  "It is cool buddy! Just be careful not to drop it. You don't want to break it."

  "I won't! He sent you something too. I don't know what it is but dad said he'll be home soon so we can have him over for dinner. I can't wait to see him soon. I have to tell him all about school and my new friends and what I got him for Christmas!"

Joey was making me feel better as I calmed down and prepared myself for dad to come through my bedroom door.

  "I can't either kid. Speaking of Christmas I can't wait for you to see the gift I got you. You're really gonna freak when you see it!" I said patting his golden blonde head.

  "Can I see it now?" He asked with those big sapphire blues staring back at me.

  "You know Santa ain't gonna let that happen buddy."

He sighed deeply and shook his head.

  "Oh ok. I guess I'll wait." He said

I gave him a big hug and no sooner did I pick him up from the floor my door came open and in stepped out well dressed father. I felt all the blood drain from my body and the color in my face must have been as white as my window pane.

  "HEY DAD!" Joey shouted as I put him down.

  "What's up little guy? What's that you got in your hand?" Dad asked him.

  "Uncle Dezzy sent me a chameleon made of glass! He's got my favorite color inside! See look!"

Joey opened his hand and showed dad his new gift.

  "Very cool! My favorite color is in there too."

  "Yeah it's in the tail! See! Purple! And my favorite color is on his foot! It's yellow like the sun! Then Carly's color is right here on his back! She likes orange!"

Suddenly my dad looked right at me and I could feel my heart pounding so hard that I thought it could be seen from across the room. Dad put Joey down and kept his eyes glued to me. Phase one is about to begin. Now onto phase two.

  "Hey buddy can you give me and your sister a minute to talk? We'll play in a little while ok?" He said to Joey as he walked him to the door.

  "Is Carly in trouble Dad?"

  "No son she's not in trouble. At least not yet." He said with a small smirk on his face.

There was phase two. Now for phase three. Dad sent Joey down the hall to his play room and close the door behind him. The sigh he let out as he walked up to me and sat down on my bed said it all. He was very disappointed. Final phase. The conversation.

  "Carlyn. What's really going on with you?"

I sat down next to him and just looked down at the floor.

  "Dad I just wanna help."

  "Carlyn you shouldn't worry yourself with any of this! You have a home now and people who love you! Why would you want to risk it all for a woman we don't even know? Is there something I've done to you?"

  "Dad no!" I shouted as I looked his way.

  "They why? Why lie to me about where you're going? She could have taken you and if I didn't follow my instincts to follow you I would have never known! I want to trust you but you're making it harder than it needs to be! Then you say you wish that you never came here? That hurts me because I love you!"

My heart sank. I never really meant what I said I was just mad that I have the golden opportunity to get the information from the source itself and he won't let me get it. I know he means well but what about what I want? Maybe I could get answers to questions that he can't.

  "Dad I love you too! You know I do! I'm just tired to being in the dark about my life!"

  "And you won't be! Don't you know I'm trying to get the answers?"

  "Yeah but dad why won't you let me help you? That's all I wanna do is help! It's not like I wanna go with this person! I don't even know her! I just wanna know why she left me! After that I don't wanna see her ever again for the rest of my life!"

Dad sat as he looked me with an expression I've never seen before. I didn't know how to describe it but it was confusing me. I don't know if I should run for cover or stay and give him a hug. He stood up from the bed and pulled me closer to him.

  "You are still my daughter." He whispered me as he held me close to him.

When he let go he didn't look at me. He just left the room. I was shocked and tried to wrap my head around what had just happened. I didn't waste a second. I ran after him quickly to catch up. When I found him he was on his way to his office. I still ran after him without saying a word and when he got to his office I ran through the door and made my way to his desk. He was surprised that I slipped through the door in full stealth mode.

  "What are you doing here kid?" He asked me.

  "I wanna know why you won't let me help you?"

Daddy sighed as he walked towards his desk.

  "Come from back there Carlyn."

  "Not until you tell me why you won't let me help you."

  "Carlyn do what I said!"

  "Answer the question daddy why won't you let me help you!?!?!?"

  "BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU OK?"

The strong frustration in his voice was earth shattering. It almost made me cry.

  "I've already suffered enough losses. I don't want to lose you too."

  "Daddy......I'm not going anywhere! I'm not ever gonna leave you! Me and you remember? Joined at the hip."

I could feel my eyes getting teary as my voice began to crack with every word.

  "Then why is this really so important to you? She shouldn't even matter."

  "I know that dad. But there's so much about my past that I don't know about that I wanna know. It's not like I want to find out about what happen and then make a choice to leave you. You are the best dad a girl could ever ask for. Why would I ever want to let somebody take me away from you? I'm a Nelson now and that's what I'm always gonna be. Carlyn Alexandra Nelson will forever be my name and I will forever be your legacy. I love you daddy."

I watched as his smile grew big across his face and he failed poorly at his attempt to fight back his tears. I ran from behind the seat and crashed into him for a hug as I began to cry. His arms were wrapped tightly around me and it never made me feel so happy to have a parent in my life that I could fight will all the time. This guy has been my biggest cheerleader even thought he's overprotective there never been a love so strong between the two of us. As he let me go I could tell his amber eyes were red.

  "Don't cry daddy. It makes me sad when you're sad." I said as I grabbed his face.

  "I'm not sad mama."

  "You're not?"

  "No! I'm proud of you for standing up for yourself. Pretty soon I'll have to let you go."

  "You can't get rid of me that easily old man!"

He smiled at me as he hugged me one more time.

  "Now about this boy that your so crazy about. Don't you have a date to get ready for?"

I looked up at him with the biggest smile on my face.

  "You mean I can go?" I asked excited.

  "Yes Carlyn you can go."

  "Without you?"

  "Don't push your luck mama."

  "But it's a date?"

He sighed and closed his eyes as he prepared himself to say the forbidden word.

  "Yes Carlyn it's a date."

  "YES! THANK YOU DADDY!"

  "You're lucky it's just a basketball game and not a real date. Then I'll have to call Andre to look into his soul."

  "Seriously dad? Wouldn't you freak him out enough?"

  "Oh no! I really want to know what's going on with him."

  "Ha ha ha. Hysterical."

  "Go get ready and stop talking to me."

  "I'm already gone!"

I ran out of the office and back to my room to change into something more date like. This is going to be the best night of my life.