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Josiah Simmons sat down and studied the latest news report regarding his team. They were talking about how to the team wasn't doing good and other things when he heard the door open and looked up and saw Madeline enter into the house and head straight up to her room.
He sighed, yes he was making progress with her but it was still careful. And he didn't blame her for not trusting him, her mother wasn't a good parent. He had read her file many times. To be fair, it had only been two weeks but he had a feeling that pretty soon he would have to do something because he had a bad history of depression and he wasn't gonna loose another daughter.
He had made a lot of mistakes in his life but the worst mistake he ever made was letting Daniella walk away with his baby girl. He kept tabs on Daniella and Stephanie to make sure they were doing okay, what he wouldn't give to see talk to her. Okay, yes all he had to do was get in his car and knock on the door and there he would be with his daughter. She was eleven years old now, he hadn't seen her in at least three years. Does she ever think of him, even remember?
Josiah sighed, what was he thinking? Was he seriously that worried about the press and basketball that he let himself loose his daughter for a meaningless game? He got up and walked to his daughter's room. He knocked on her door, "Madeline?"
She opened the door, "What?"
"You okay?"
"I'm fine."
Josiah chuckled, "Those words are the most over-used words ever. How 'bout we try this again and you can be more creative."
Madeline leaned against the door board, "I'm okay, why do you always ask that?" She sounded like she could care less.
"Because you are my daughter."
"You don't need to treat me like a kid."
"How am I treating you like a kid?"
She straight up, "You are always asking me questions, stop it."
"No."
"Okay, I get that you are new to this parent thing-"
Josiah interrupted her, "Madeline, lets get one thing straight, this isn't my first time being a father."
She took a mini step back, and studied him her eyes were layered with confusion. She had no knowledge about Stephanie but she was about too. "What do you mean?"
"Let me in?"
She let him in and he took a seat in a chair while she sat on the bed.
"A few years after I met your mother, me and a few team mates wen't to Thailand for a few weeks and I met Daniella Grace. She was interning at a photography business, She was special. It could have been love at first sight. When we got to United States she went to my apartment and told me that she was pregnant. It took a few seconds for me to actually understand what that word would mean."
"You kept to baby right?"
"Yeah, we had a baby girl that we named Stephanie."
"What happened?"
"My career was getting started and I was getting busy, I came home late most of the time and Daniella was getting tired of me not being around as much. Finally she had enough and took Stephanie away."
Madeline looked upset, "How old was she?"
"Only four."
"Do you know where they are?"
"They moved to Pueblo."
"Why don't you go to them?"
"I don't know, Stephanie's older now. She probably doesn't even remember me."
"How old is she now?"
"At least eleven years old."
"Does she still go to Thailand?"
"Yeah, she takes Stephanie every summer."
"What about me?" Josiah was almost to the door when she asked that.
"What about you?"
"Will I ever meet Stephanie?"
Josiah had to think about that before he answered. "I hope so."
"Did you know I was suicidal?"
Josiah tensed up, where was this going? "A little bit."
"I tried to kill myself the day you went to meet me. I went to jump of the bridge and I almost did, I was on the rail," there was tears in her eyes and she stared at her lap and fiddled with her hands as a single tear landed on them, "But then I got a text from my fosters telling me to go to the office."
"I swear it felt like something inside my bones took over and got me off the bridge." More tears, he took a side on the bed and pulled her into his arms and stroked her hair.
"Please don't give up on me daddy." She said now crying. But the only thing that stood out was daddy.
"I won't, I promise."
"Then can you promise me something?"
"What?"
"Promise me that you won't give up on my sister."
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