Riccardo
"Why do you hate Angel, dad?", Aria asked, looking at me.
I froze at her question.
That came all too sudden.
I didn't expect her to ask me so directly.
I composed myself and looked at her intently and she looked back at me with determination.
"What makes you think I hate her?", I questioned back, calmly.
"It's way too obvious and very evident in the way both of you behave when you are around each other.", she said.
"I don't hate her.", I stated.
"Yes, you do.", she countered, looking straight at me.
I chuckled internally.
My daughter has grown strong.
A few months ago, she was like a scared lamb and now she is ready to confront me, looking straight in the eyes.
I couldn't be happier.
But I would have been more happy if this wasn't about that girl.
I wonder what's so special about her that all my children dote on her so much. Even my daughter who has known her for just a few months.
"Dad", Aria's voice broke my chain of thoughts.
"You should rest, Aria. We'll talk later.", I tried to dodge the topic.
"No, dad. I need an answer from you. It's been months and I've always wanted to know what's wrong between Angel and you but I didn't want to upset her so I never asked. But now, I understood that the problem is not from her side but from yours. So I am asking you, why do you not like Angel?", she said seriously.
"It's not like I don't like her.", I stated with a stoic face and flat tone.
"Then what is it? I can clearly see that you hate her.", she said.
Sigh.
Seems like my daughter is as stubborn as me.
I looked at her straight in the eye and understood that she is not going to calm down if I don't answer her questions.
If it has come this far then I might as well answer some of her questions.
I looked at her and she looked back at me, waiting for my answer.
"Hate is too strong an emotion, Aria. I just don't feel anything towards that girl.", I stated in a voice devoid of all emotions, looking straight in her eyes.
She frowned and her eyes dimmed a little with an emotion I never wanted to see in her eyes.
Disappointment!
But if I have to answer her, I want to be truthful. I'd rather hide a few things than lie. And I don't want to lie about something that is very obvious and evident, as my daughter said.
"Why?", she asked, softly.
I didn't reply.
"Why don't you feel anything towards her, dad? Wasn't she your daughter before you knew I existed? Then why?", she asked with a frown.
"I knew she was not my daughter the moment I saw her as a baby.", I stated, honestly.
"What?", Aria exclaimed in bewilderment and with widened eyes.
"What are you saying, dad? You knew she was not your daughter? I don't understand. This doesn't make sense.", she said, exasperatedly.
I remained silent to let her process the information I just told.
YOU ARE READING
What is family?
Teen FictionAngelina Marino The only princess of the Marino family. The world knows her as a princess who has everything a girl could wish for. With unlimited fortune and five loving and overprotective brothers, life seems to be happy and flawless. But is it? A...