17 years later.
I let out a huff as I stood in front of my closet. There was no way I was going to get all of this into two suitcases. I began pulling out my favorite clothes and throwing them on the bed.

"Thalia?" I heard a knock of the door and a minute later my best friend Maeve entered. She immediately pulled me into a bone-crushing hug, bushy fire engine red hair covering my face. "How are you feeling?"

"Still holding it together somehow," I laughed, fighting back the sudden emotion that had hit.

"I still can't believe you're going to see him," she said, shaking her head. "Has your mom started talking to you again?"

I let out another laugh. "No. But I'm leaving today so she'll have to at some point."

I was headed off to stay with my dad in London for three months before school started. My mother had been completely against the idea when I told her about it, and I knew she felt I had betrayed her.

After we left my father when I was four we moved in with my Aunt Lucy and her foster kids. He kept his promise and didn't try to contact us at all - that I knew of. Two years ago, out of curiosity, I told my mom I wanted to meet him again. She reluctantly gave me his contact information and we met up at a coffee shop. Apparently he had been trying to find me for years and wanted to be a part of my life. We met as often as we could after that and three weeks ago he invited me to go stay with him in London.

Maeve let out huff and through herself down on the bed. "I can't believe you're leaving me alone in this house!”

"Don't worry!" I said running over and diving on the bed next to her. "Uni will be starting soon and we'll be back before you know it! Maybe I can even talk him into letting you visit in a month?"

Maeve shot up. "You totally should! I'll go bonkers here alone. You know how El and Mack get."
"Mack's harmless," I laughed.

When my mom and I moved in with Aunt Lucy she was housing two girls, both around my age. Maeve and Elaine. When I was 13 a new little girl had joined us, Mackenzie. The four of us had become as close as sisters over the years, though Maeve and I had grown particularly close. She also had several other foster kids she looked after, bringing the total to a whopping twelve children in one small home.

"Mack may be harmless but you know I can't stand El's reprimanding." I kissed the top of her head and got up to continue packing. Maeve sighed and changed the subject. "You'll have to find all the good clubs for us while you're there."

"Oh you know I will," I laughed, throwing more clothes at her. She folded them and put them in the bag. "I don’t think I’ll be too busy. Shit I don’t know. I don’t really know what to expect Mae.”

"It’ll be fine Thal," laughed Maeve, knowing full well I was freaking out about this whole thing. "I doubt you’ll have to spend all you’re time with him. He has that job."

"But what if it’s weird?”

“I mean you’re pretty weird by yourself…”

“Not helping!”

"Stop worrying. It will be fine. And if it’s not you can come back to me!" She smiled and then rolled her eye when I didn’t react. "You worry too much."

"Not as much as El."

She let out a laugh. Elaine had a type A personality and seemed to be always worried about something.

"Thalia?" There was another knock in my door and a second later it was opened by my mother. "Oh! Sorry girls I didn't mean to interrupt-"

"Don't worry Irene!" Maeve said as she jumped off the bed. "I was getting bored of packing."
"Bored? You didn't even help!" I laughed. She shot me a wink before closing the door behind her.

For a moment my mother and I stood in silence and I wondered if she was still angry with me for going to stay with my father.

"Come here baby," she opened her arms and I was immediately pulled into a tight embrace. "If you ever need to home just call okay?"

"I will mom," I said, giving her a squeeze before she held me at arms lengths.

"I'm serious Thalia," she scolded, but she broke into a small smile.

"Want to help me pack?" I asked? She agreed and my bag was packed within the hour. We pulled my bag downstairs where the girls and my aunt were waiting.

Mackenzie, the bouncing little blonde, skipped over to me and pulled me into a tight hug. "I can't believe you're leaving!"

"But in no time I'll be seeing you at Uni!" I laughed. Mackenzie was starting her first year of school this year and she would be at the same college as Maeve and I.

After more goodbyes with the girls Maeve and my mom helped me load my bags in the car. As we set off I felt myself growing more and more nervous. We arrived at the train station and I pulled them both into one last hug.

"Promise you'll be good!" My mom said, fighting back tears. "And don't forget to call."

"I'll call you every week," I promised.

I grabbed my suitcase and stepped on the train before I burst into tears myself. I quickly found my seat and put in my ear buds.

Well here goes nothing...

-

As the train came to a stop I could feel my excitement building. It had been a month since I had been in London, having left in the spring when the term was up. This time it would be completely different. Instead of staying in a flat with Maeve, I would be staying in a house with my father.

"Thalia!"

Speaking of which...

I turned to see him standing a few feet away on the platform. He was beaming as I came towards him and pulled him into a hug.

"How've ya been sweetheart?" He asked while ruffling my hair.

"Excellent. How are you?" I asked. He grabbed my bag for me and we headed out to the car.

"Better now that I got my little girl here," he said with a wink. We got to the car and he threw my bag in the boot as I climbed into the front seat. As he drove we talked about our lives for the past month. I and listened I admired the scenery, London was a whole other world compared to Birmingham.

My father is originally from Ireland, but moved to London for school, which is where he met my mother. On our first meeting he had told me that he remarried and lives with his wife and three kids in Ireland. However, due to his job, he rents a small house in London, which he now subleases out when he's away.

My father is a security guard for celebrities. His current clients were the boys of One Direction, the most popular boy band in the world. I had never really paid attention to them, but Mackenzie and a few of my other siblings are huge fans. They just about died when I told them.
We pulled up to the small house and my dad pulled my bag out of the car.

"I know it's not much, but it's home," he laughed.

"It's wonderful," I smiled. We stepped inside the house and he directed me upstairs to the guest bedroom. He put my things on the bed as we both looked around the space.

"Go ahead and rearrange anything or get rid of anything ya don't like." He scratched the back of his neck and I let out a laugh.

"Dad. It's perfect."

He relaxed and nodded slowly. "Ya hungry? Let me go see if I can dig up some food."

A second later he was gone and I was left alone in my new room. It was small, about the size of my room back home. I quickly unpacked before heading back downstairs.

"Here darlin'." My dad slid a plate towards me as I took a seat at the counter in the kitchen. I took a bite into the sandwich as his phone began to ring. "Yeah?"

I munched on my sandwich and watched his frown deepen.

"Jackson today is my day off-" he stopped and let out a sigh as he listened to the voice on the other end. "Alright, alright. Tell them I'm on my way."

I raised my eyebrows curiously while he let out another sigh. I smiled and said, "gotta go rescue your sons?"

"They had a friends party tonight. I should have known they'd get out of hand."

"Need any help? I got a mean right hook," I joked. He let out a hearty laugh.

"Maybe next time Lil's. I'll be back in an hour." I could tell he was upset when as he grabbed his jacket and headed out the door.

"They work him too much," I said to the empty house. After I finished the sandwich I decided to wander around the house. It was plain with the only decorations being photographs. Every single one was of a beautiful woman and three smiling children. His new family. It would be a lie to say it didn't hurt seeing them all so happy and I briefly wondered what they had that my mom and I didn't.

Thankfully I was distracted by the ringing of my phone. "Hello?"

"THAL!" I jumped and held the phone away from my ear.

"Hey Calhan."

"Is it true you're in London?" I could hear music blasting in the background and knew he was at a party. I had met Calhan at school last year and we had been on and off since November.

"Yeah I'm visiting my dad." I replied, sinking onto the couch.

"Oh shit really? How's that going?" Concern breaking through his voice.

"I'm not sure yet." I answered truthfully. "I just got here today."

"Alright. Well if you ever need a break, come on down to Nate's."

"Will do!"

"Catch ya later Thal!"

With that he hung up the phone and I was once again alone. I turned on the TV deciding I would stay up until my father got home. However, and hour and a half later there was still no sign of him. I let out a sigh and headed up to bed, wondering if this was going to be a reoccurring thing.

Notes