Is this destiny?

~Ottawa, Canada~

Bridgette is sitting in a coffee shop with Steve. They are facing an older man who resembles Felix. To be more precise, like an older version of Felix. That man is her and Felix's father, Damien.

Bridgette is looking at her father, and no words are coming out. She planned this for a while, she had everything figured out. What she will ask… in what tone… in what order… but now that she is facing him, all words left her. She is only looking at him, not sure what to say.

"How are you doing?" His voice was shaky.

Bridgette was almost startled by his question and stumbled to answer. "I'm doing well. You?"

"OK." Man was nervously rotating a cup of noisette in front of him while his eyes darted to Bridgette occasionally. After some hesitation, the man spoke. "I don't know what to say…"

'He is the same as I… He agreed to meet me, but still, he is not sure what to say…' Bridgette decided to start asking questions. There are questions she is afraid to get her answers to, but she can ask others, as a warmup. "Are you happy?"

Damien gave a small nod as an answer.

Bridgette inhaled and held her breath for few seconds. "Do you think about us… sometimes?"

Damien's hands which were fidgeting non-stop froze at this question. He looked up into her eyes. "Yes."

Bridgette exhaled in relief. She was afraid that he will say that he does not think about them, that he forgot all about them and they are part of the past he does not want to remember.

She decided to speak her mind. "Father… I think about you often. I don't care why you left… but I would like if we can be in touch. I would like to have you as part of my life. I have a job, and a boyfriend, we live in Los Angeles… I don't need money or anything else. I would just like for us not to be strangers." Bridgette stopped talking and looked at him.

Steve put his hand on Bridgette's back and rubbed it slightly. He wanted to show his support. That is why he came here with her, to support her.

Damien sighed. "It's twenty years how I left. I am amazed that you have the will to come and talk to me… that you don't hate me."

Bridgette frowned. "There was a time when I hated you. Many times… Every time there was an event at school, and parents came… you were not there, and I hated you. Every time I went to visit my friends, and their parents asked me how my parents are doing, I hated you… Every time I made up a story that my father is a businessman who travels a lot, and that is why he is not home, I hated you… many times I hated you. Sometimes I still do."

Damien shrunk in the chair. "So why are you here then?"

Bridgette hesitated for some time, before speaking slowly. "There is another event coming… and it involves families. I hope that you can be there."

Damien was alerted. "What event?"

Bridgette's expression turned soft. "Felix is getting married."

Damien inhaled more than necessary. "Felix? How is he doing?"

Bridgette smiled while talking about Felix. "Brother is doing well. He works at a good company as a director. His fiancé is kind and they love each other very much."

Damien frowned slightly, looking troubled. "How is his wedding related to me?"

"I hope that you can come and attend it…"

He didn't wait for her to finish speaking and spoke with urgency. "Does Felix know that you are here?"

Bridgette shook her head.

Damien sighed. "I don't think that is a good idea. Felix will not like it."

Bridgette didn't want to give up. She came all this way just to talk to her father and to get him to attend Felix's wedding. They only way she would give up was if her father said that he does not want to do anything to do with them. But that does not seem to be the case. 'I need to do this for my brother and for myself.' Bridgette strengthened her resolve. "It is a family related thing… I'm sure that he would like to have his father present. Mother… does not approve of him being with Sophia. That hurt him badly. It would mean a lot to have your support."

Damien snorted. "Your mother… who would she approve of? No one is ever good enough…" He paused and looked at Bridgette. "Even if I come, that does not mean that Felix wants me there. I left twenty years ago and didn't contact you since then."

Bridgette felt that her father is willing to come, as long as Felix approves. "How about if you two meet before the wedding? Then you can see for yourself how he feels about it?"

"Does he want to meet with me?"

Bridgette smiled. "We don't know until we try… Are you willing to try?"

Damien gave a small nod.

The atmosphere relaxed and they talked about their lives.

Damien remarried, and has two teenage sons. He lives with his family in suburbs of Ottawa. They agreed that next day, Bridgette and Steve will come and visit him there, so that she can meet his family. Bridgette was worried how Damien's wife and children will react if she comes to their home, but he assured her that his wife is an understanding woman.

Bridgette spoke about her school, work, how she lives in Los Angeles, and about Steve, her boyfriend who protectively held his arm around her shoulders.

Damien was interested to hear about anything she is willing to share and expressed his regret that he missed twenty years of her life.

Next day, Bridgette and Steve went to Damien's house. He greeted them at the entrance while a petite dark woman stood by his side.

"This is Smita, my wife." Damien introduced her.

"Damien told me about you." Smita smiled. "Come on in."

Bridgette thought that his father's wife is very welcoming, and her first impression was very positive. They went in the back and sat on the patio which was facing a beautifully landscaped garden.

"Beautiful!" Bridgette praised the garden.

"Thank you…" Smita smiled.

"She did all this." Damien praised his wife.

"Oh… it's really beautiful!" Bridgette repeated, and then noticed two teenagers peek out of the tree house. When they saw guests, they jumped down on the ground and rushed toward them.

"Bridgette, these are my two sons… your half-brothers." Damien introduced them. "Rishi and Shibu."

They greeted Bridgette and Steve and after few minutes went inside to play games on their consoles.

"Sorry that they don't have manners… teenagers." Smita explained slightly embarrassed.

They spent a relaxing afternoon, and Damien and Smita told them how they met. After Damien left Sylvie, Damien went to the University in Ottawa and started working at a professor. At first as a part time, and few years later he got promoted to a full-time professor. Smita was doing her postgraduates there, and they met for the first time when after one of his lectures she stayed behind to ask some questions. They started bickering what counted as a first date, and who approached whom first.

Bridgette was watching Damien and Smita and concluded that they are getting along very well. She could not help but compare Smita with her mother. They were so different, that it was staggering. 'No wonder father left. I'm happy he found a woman so sweet and understanding as Smita.'

Bridgette didn't notice that few hours passed. They left after Damien agreed to come to Seattle and meet with Felix. Bridgette promised to take care of all arrangements and to let Damien know when is a good time to come to Seattle.

…

Back in the hotel room, Bridgette was packing her things to go back to Los Angeles, and she got lost in her thoughts.

"Happy?" Steve asked and she got pulled out of her daze.

"Yes. Better than I thought." Bridgette smiled. "Thank you for coming here with me."

"No problem."

Bridgette sighed. "Now I only hope that Felix will accept Damien, and that we can have at least one normal parent."

"You think that he will refuse to meet with Damien?"

Bridgette shook her head. "I can't be sure until I talk to him… I remember that every time I asked questions about father, Felix would reprimand me not to talk about him. You see… I was very young when he left. I don't have any memories of us as a family of four. It's different for Felix. He was older. He remembers.. And I know that he was hurt when father disappeared from our lives."

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