"papa?" she whispers in shock looking up at the man that sat beside her.

he had aged so much, but the only way she knew his face was from the photos.

he had the same warm brown eyes that had little smile creases beside them. his chin was all stubbly and he had a light beard that was embedded with silver, from ageing.

his hair was a deep brown and his brows were thick beneath the worry lines forming on his forehead.

for only a fragment of time, they sat in silence looking at eachother, until she spoke up.

"where have you been?"

"i've been running from my mistakes, but i promise i'm back for good now"

she sits up, in shock, this silly man who had not been there for her entire life, who had not been a father to her. he thought it was okay to turn up out of nowhere and that she would forgive him in a instant and let him back.

"no, me and mother have been good without you and we will be fine forever with you."

she hisses out.

"you have not been here for the last sixteen years, this is my first time meeting you after you abandoned us, after you abandoned her."

evangeline stops to take in a large breath.

"do you have any idea what she went through because of you?" she pauses waiting for his response"

"eva, i'm so sorry, i know i messed up." he says, burying his face into his palms.

she slowly shakes her head,

"have you spoken to mother?"

"no i haven't, i came to see her parents first, and then to see you." his voice quavers from nervousness. "i want to fix what i did, eva, i need your help"

everything was far too much for her little body, all this emotion and everything had her in so much shock.

she burst out in sobs,

she couldn't believe any of this was happening.

her father put his arms around her and pulled her into the first hug he had ever given her.

his big warm arms wrapped loosely around her shoulders and her face was all smushed uncomfortably in his shoulder.

but she didn't mind if it was the first hug her father gave her.

"pa, i don't forgive you yet, but i think it might be nice to have you around." evangeline mumbles out, voicing her truth.

"i know eva, i promise i'll make it up to you, even if it means buying you everything in the world."

evangeline pulls away gently, looking her father in the eye.

"money cannot buy my happiness nor my forgiveness, but i appreciate the offer." she gives him a sliver of a smile and her eyes twinkle as he says,

"oh eva, how you've grown"

"that's what harry used to tell me" she coughs up as he words tumble unconsciously from her parted lips.

"who's this harry?" her father asks her, already knowing the answer, but asking regardless.

"surely nonna already told you" evangeline quirks her left brow.

"she did, i was just testing to see what your response would be"

"nice one papa" she rolls her eyes and laughs.

it felt nice to have a father.

the pair stood from their comfortable spots upon the grass and overgrown moss.

"let's go in, i'm sure your' nonnas have a lot they wish to fill me in on"

"speaking of which," evangeline enquires as they make their way back towards the house. "how did you get them to forgive you?"

"i told them the truth" her father says, "there isn't much else to say"

she hummed in response, still inquistive as to what he really told them.

the two enter the house, to be greeted by both her grandmothers, sitting at the wooden dining table.

still in shock, evangeline left the talking up to the adults as they all sat around the table to discuss how to approach evangeline's mother, in order to regain her trust and acceptance.

rather than reinvent a hatred.

she was quite worried and wary of the man, she had grown to know as her absent father.

why did he choose to leave?

why was he back?

however she thought that if he was back she had better make the most of it.

"eva" nonna karenina calls drawing the girl from her own mind.

"we think that it's a good idea for your father to go to your mother and apologise today."

"are you sure, mother has a very short temper and she'll be very tired considering she just returned from her trip today" evangeline responds trying to reason with them, today was far to soon.

"it's better sooner than later" her father states.

"i suppose" the girl responds half-heartedly.

nonna karenina claps her slender hands together, "so then it's settled, today is the day everything will settle back into place"

evangeline sighs.