It was the night that Prince had been dreading. The annual family dinner. Usually he would be all giddy and excited but he was sitting in his office behind his cherry wood desk sulking in his chair with his eyes up at the ceiling. Prince was deep in his thoughts on how this dinner could go. Either way it went he knew that it wasn't going to be a good night. Tori was the black sheep and there was no changing that. Even he was questioning why he married her and if he should even continue with the relationship. On the other hand he didn't want to believe that every time he'd turn around someone was disagreeing with him when it came to his wife. It was true he loved her but with all the doubt that was swirling around in his brain he couldn't bring himself to believe that she loved him back. All of the evidence was there. The audio of her disrespecting his children, Regan leaving Paisley and not answering or returning his calls, The simple fact that while on their honey moon she was hiding something and he could see it plainly in her eyes. Prince sat up and placed his hands over his sad face letting a deep breath release from his nose.

  "What do I do now? God i'm so lost. Tell me what to do." He prayed to himself in hopes to get a small slice of divine intervention in his love life.

He closed his eyes and wondered where this road of darkness was leading him and if he would ever see the light he's looking for. The gentle knock on the door snapped his eyes back open and forced a small shift in his chair out of his body to make himself look as if he was perfectly fine.

  "Yes? Come in!" He said with a slight raise of his voice.

The door came open and belly first in stepped a pregnant Carlyn. A smile rose on Prince's lips to see how stunning his little girl looked as she was carrying his first grandchild.

  "Well hello there! Don't we look gorgeous! What's the occasion?" Prince asked her jokingly.

  "Hey daddy! Whatcha doing?" She asked him giving him a hug.

Prince knew that if he even looked like something was bothering him Carlyn would pick up on it.

  "Just....trying to get myself mentally prepared for this dinner that's all." He sighed.

Carlyn placed her hands on her soon to be disappearing waistline and gave him his classic side eye and it made him do it back to her unknowingly.

  "Daddy. Don't do that I know when you're upset about something. So spill the beans."

  "Nothing else is wrong sweetheart I swear it."

  "Lie again dad."

  "It's not a lie Carlyn."

  "Don't make me call Tony."

It made him laugh that Carlyn would call his own security on the man who runs the place.

  "You can't be serious!" He exclaimed as he gave himself a hard palm to the forehead.

  "Yes dad I am! Now come on! Tell me what's going on before I go into labor or something." Carlyn said with a smile.

  "Alright alright. Sit down baby girl lets talk. Since you wanna be my therapist." Prince said giggling at her.

Carlyn sat down on the other side of the desk in one of the purple chairs and crossed her arms over her chest.

  "Now. What's troubling my dear old man?" She asked him with a smile.

Prince sat back in his chair and sighed heavily.

  "I think.......I think that Regan won't show up tonight."

  "But.....why wouldn't she? She's been coming to the dinner every year why would you think that she's not coming?"

  "Because of my poor decision making."

  "Meaning?"

  "My life. This living arrangement. Tori."

Carlyn was surprised that Prince was bringing up the conversation that he's was blowing off with her at last. Se kept her true emotions to herself as she continued to be the unbiased ear for her father.

  "Oh? What happened?" She asked to keep him talking.

  "I called Regan last night and invited her to dinner and it was like......she was distracted. Like there was something or......someone else......that made her blow me off. It's not like her to act that way towards me."

  "Well maybe she was working. You know how she gets when you tow have a falling out. She drowns herself in her work just like you do. She is a paralegal now after all."

  "I know but.....this time felt.......different."

  "Now I know you're overreacting. Daddy I'm sure things are fine! I have to be honest though. I did tell her that I was going to help her get back to dating again."

The color in Prince's face went from a creamy tan to almost ghostly white.

  "You.....what?" He replied in a shaky voice.

Carlyn knew that this much honesty was going to crush him but he needed to hear the truth.

  "Daddy listen. I know that you expect Regan to stick around forever but the thing is she needs to find love too. I know that she loves you and that you love her too but you can't just move on and expect her not to. It's not fair to either of you daddy and you know that. She has to start finding her own happiness since you found yours. You......did....find yours......right?"

Prince had to come to terms with the fact that his little girl was right. She gave him the hard pill to swallow and he was actually grateful to her. He sat back and smiled at her and shook his head.

  "Carlyn? How are you still so young but yet.....so wise?" He asked her.

  "Because I love you and I just want you to be happy. I can feel it in my soul daddy. You're not happy. It's Tori......isn't it?"

There is was. The question that he was hoping would not be asked came to light. He lowered his head and stared down at his lap trying to keep his daughter from seeing the pain in his eyes.

  "You were right about her my sweet girl." He said to her softly.

  "I was? How?" She asked him standing up from her seat and making her way over to him comfort him.

  "She's been runnin around on me. I know she has."

 Carlyn could feel her heart shattering behind her ribs and she dropped to the floor on her knees as the tears began to form in her eyes. The emotion had taken over her as she sat on the floor beside her father.

  "Daddy......when? How did you find out?"

  "Our honeymoon. She smelled of another man's cologne and had him in the hotel room we stayed in. The last few nights she's been coming home later and later. When I try to confront her about it.......she just says that she's not doing anything and would never sacrifice our love for another man. But......I know she has been. The heart won't lie Carlyn and my heart is telling me that I made a mistake."

When Prince looked over at his daughter he wiped her tears from her face and put his arms around her. Carlyn began to cry in his arms in pain and hurt for him.

  "Don't cry for me my love. Everything will be alright. I just......I just need to give you my sincerest apologies."

  "For what? You did nothing wrong. She's the one that is hurting you."

  "No but I hurt you by not taking your advice. I should have listened to you and now I'm paying for my mistake."

Carlyn looked up and wiped her face with a tissue from the box that was sitting on the desk.

  "I know you were just looking for someone to love daddy so it's ok. So what are you gonna do now? Are you going to get yet another divorce?" She asked him with a grin.

  "They say it's cheaper to keep her so......"

  "Not if she's abusing your love like its nothing! Daddy get your lawyer on the phone. I'll be right back."

Carlyn stood up from the floor and stormed over to the door. Prince didn't like the sound of her voice with the anger boiling deep within her throat. He quickly stood from the desk and reached out to her.

  "Wait! Carlyn where are you going?" He shouted as he tried to stop her.

She swung the door open and got out into the hall before giving her answer.

  "I'm gonna look for Tori!" She said and disappeared around the corner.

Prince's heart began to race as he bolted from behind the desk and out of his office to find his daughter. His only though was Carlyn and the baby. Not Tori.