I adjust myself, and Maddox gathers my hand as I face him.
"You have to promise not to be mad at our friends and me with what I'm about to say."
I pull my hands and cross them on my chest.
"I smell something fishy here. What exactly do you want to tell me? Say it now, no more buts and swearing." I commanded Maddox.
Maddox's cheeks begin to blush, which rarely happens to him. I don't know if he's embarrassed or nervous about something he wants to confess.
"So?" I said impatiently.
"Baby, this is concerning our island vacation. There is someone who sponsored it, not me."
Now my curiosity begins rising to the highest point. "What do you mean? You told us it was your treat."
"And our friends know about it, we help the man make it happen as he wishes you to have a holiday with us and have some fun. He has the best intention for the reason why we helped him."
"Him?" I question, turning my thoughts to Angelo.
"Yes, a man, your father, Angelo."
It wasn't shocking anymore. "I already suspected it when Maddox mentioned having fun with friends. That's precisely what Angelo told me the first time he visited mom.
"He chose to keep everything to you, Angel, because he knows you won't accept it if you learn that it's from him."
"Baby, I know."
"Angel, you're not angry, right?"
"How could I? After all the help he has done for mom, I can't be angry with him. And if he's doing it to make me happy, how can I be mad?"
"Baby, it's okay. I understand how you feel about Angelo. I may not know everything, but I am certain that the situation is complicated for all of you. At least, now I can see some progress with how you deal with your relationship with him. The hard pill to swallow is that we can never change the fact that he is your father. And for that, it is reasonable that you take action in bridging the gap with him for your own sake. He is a part of you."
"Yes. Too much preaching, Maddox."
Maddox snorts. "I only want you to see things positively. You might have missed some points here. I don't want to see you hating your dad; that's not good for you. It might harm your relationship with other people around you."
"Does it harm you?"
"No, baby, not me. It might be with your mom. Look, we can't change the past, but we can do things right starting today."
"You talk like an old man. Baby, you have an old soul."
"That's funny, but I think losing my mom taught me a lot of things. And I don't want to see you regretting or appreciating things when it's too late. This will do good to your mom as well seeing you and your dad on good terms."
"So true. Baby, I'll keep that in mind."
Maddox has a point, though. And I am committed to giving what's best for mom in the duration of her treatment. I don't want to give her headaches anymore.
"Speaking of Angelo. He volunteered to arrange everything for my mom's doctor's appointment and the best hospital for her. I can't stop him, and I don't want to. Angelo is the only man who can help us right now. He has the resources that I don't have."
"Right Angel, that's good news. I am also very positive about your mom recovering from this big C."
"Me too. Thank you, baby."
Maddox reaches for my hands and gently squeezes them.
"Baby, I'm here for you."
"I know that, Maddox. Whenever I feel down and need someone to talk to, you are always at the forefront of my mind. Hearing your voice even just on the phone feels calming, and I thank you for that.
"Baby, I'm happy to hear I'm doing a little something for you. Let me know if I can help besides talking to you. Whenever you need me here, call me. I'll be here in a heartbeat."
I nod at Maddox as my mind reminisces about what happened last night between my father and me.
"You know it was the first time I felt a father's love last night."
Maddox's face is puzzled as he looks at me in the eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"Last night, when they confessed about my mom's health condition, I cried a lot. I embrace mom as tightly as I can while crying. Angelo came stroking my back, and his hands were like a healing tool that slowly eased my pain. I didn't object to him trying to calm me while I was in pain."
"Baby, I'm happy to hear that. See, we only have to look on the brighter side of things to move forward, especially with your dad's case. Let him be a father to you and you as a daughter," Maddox said as he gently trails a finger on my cheek.
"Before Angelo left, I thanked him for everything he did for my mom. Angelo was startled when I did that; he surely didn't expect I'd say it to him. As I watched him leaving, I silently wished he would hug me before he left, just like the typical father-daughter relationship."
This time I can't help but break down in front of Maddox. I thought I was tired of crying, but reminiscing Angelo's face shatters my heart.
"Mad, you are right. Angelo is part of me."
Maddox pulls me close to him and rests my head on his chest.
"That's okay, baby. Let it all out. Everything you felt last night was right. Angelo is your father, and it is rightful that you wish to have a good and typical relationship with him. All children feel that way with their parents. We want to belong, and we want someone to care for us."
I rest my head on Maddox's chest for a while until my mind lands on Maddox's family. Maddox rarely talks about them. I loosen my arms around Maddox and face him.
"Baby, can you tell me more about your parents? You've known my entire family and our story, but I don't even know your story about your dad and how your mom was to you when she was with you. Please don't take this wrong. I only wanted to know more about you. If you are not open to talking about this, it's fine. Don't force yourself."
"No, baby, it's okay. Yeah, if you didn't remind me just now, I wouldn't even notice that I wasn’t open to sharing my family's story. I'm sorry for that. It feels like I don't trust you enough to share my own story."
"Don't be," I said quickly.
"I understand. Just say whatever you are comfortable sharing. Small details, even once in a while, are good."
"Well, since I've shared little things about my mom before now, I'll talk about my dad. We don't have a close bond, but he was so open to speaking that I am his favorite, even though he has other kids with another woman."
"Baby, I don't know what to say. Is it hard for you to have siblings from another woman of your dad?"
"Oh, Angel, you have no idea how hard it is. Even when mom was still with us, they have been fighting about this. I think I am the only reason why dad never had the nerve to bring her woman home."
"I miss my mom; she is the best."
Maddox drops a tear as he says it.
This time, I pull Maddox to hug him, hoping it will relieve his sadness.