Let me set up the following story for you. My Name is Amy O'Neil. The following story is, in fact, a true story. When I was younger, and attending School, my father and mother got in a an argument regarding me. You know when your parents say they're not breaking up because of you? Well, in my case, that was obviously not true.
My father argued that I should be able to express myself and parade my natural beauty, while my mother stated that all I should be concerned with at my age was whether or not I was turning my grades around instead of turning heads.
My mother, for a reason I guess I never understood, kicked my father out of the house. He left without a fight, but slipped me a P.O. Box number where I could reach him in the event of a problem. I only contacted him once after that. He never responded.
Much later now, and I am turning eighteen. It's my birthday, I've already received a brand new car, and a year of insurance on the house, but the biggest surprise was yet to come.
During my party, I was in the back yard with a bunch of friends from the High School I attended. My mom said she was going to run to the store to pick up some more Soda. No more than five minutes after I heard her car peeling out, I heard the front door open. My house is somewhat of a shotgun shack at this point, and I can see the front door from the back deck. And to my shock and amazement, I see my father, lost to me for four years, walking through my house and towards the back door. I rush my friends away, telling them we'll get back together later etc., frantically wondering why my father could be here.
When everyone was gone, I returned to the back porch to find my father, slightly less clean than when I'd last seen him, sitting in a chair very serenely.
"Happy Birthday Amy." He said quietly
"Hi Daddy. I haven't seen you in forever. Where have you been?"
"I've been living with some friends, dear. But I knew it was you're 18th birthday today, you're ascent into womanhood, and I had to at least stop by and say hello." He finally looked at me and smiled.
I knew that this wasn't the whole truth because it was way more than a coincidence that he hadn't shown himself until my mother left.
"Mom will be right back dad. I don't suppose that would go over very well." I returned the smile.
He looked away and sighed. "Yeah, I suppose that's true." He was moving so slowly and methodically. "Amy, would you like to spend some time with me, seeing as it is you're birthday and all?" He looked back up.
I was shocked, but at the same time Intrigued. I mean, he was my father, not some stranger. And I was an adult now, able to make my own decisions. I decided to take advantage of the opportunity. I left a note for my mom saying I was out with a friend and would be back. I got in my new car with my father, and we drove to the location he told me to drive to, leading us to the Spokane Sunrise Motel.
He explained that a friend of his ran this Motel, and was allowing him to live there in exchange for occasional work. He led me to room 23 and we went inside and sat down.
"I got you something you know..." He mumbled as he disappeared into a dark, dusty closet. He re-appeared with a Pink and orange wrapped box, and handed it to me, He sat me down on the bed, and smiled warmly as I opened it. As I tore off the third shred of paper, It was now strikingly clear what it was.