The Confession by Jeanette Muscella Page A

crying like a baby when you graduated from high school? It was your
father. Being a father is much more than biology. Adam has shown
you for the past eighteen years that he loves you. He will continue
loving you until he takes his final breath.”
    “I know
what happened was horrible. I will never regret it because
something beautiful arose from something ugly. I have my precious daughter, and I love you, Gail. You are
my very best friend. I am so proud of the young women you’ve
become. I want you to live your life to the fullest, and always
remember that your mother and father will always love and support
you.”
    Those few words meant the world to
Gail. It eased some of the pain she felt. She worried that her
relationship with her father would change. Adam, who still stood
outside her door crumbled and slumped to the floor. Gail and Lydia
heard him crying and became concerned.
    “Is that Daddy crying outside my door?” She looked horrified and covered her
face with her hands.
    “It’s ok honey. Let me talk
to Daddy for a few minutes. Close your eyes and try to
relax. Everything will be ok.” Lydia walked into the hallway and
found Adam sitting on the floor. He had his face buried in his
hands, and when Lydia touched his shoulder, he broke down again.
“Honey, get up off the floor and come into Gail’s room. We need to
be strong for each other. Did you hear what I said to
her?”
    “Yeah, I heard all of it. My heart is
breaking Lydia. I hate seeing my baby upset because of that
bastard! I swear I want to hurt him in the worst possible
way.”
    “The best way to hurt him
is to ignore him. I refuse to play the victim. I also refuse to
accept his apology. We have a loving marriage , and beautiful , talented children. I want him out of my life.”
    Adam stood, reached for his
wife’s hand and walked back into Gail’s room. Upon seeing her
father, Gail opened her arms to him. Adam fell into her arms. “It’s
ok Daddy. I know you love me, and you will always be my father. I
don’t care how it happened. I’m just so happy you’re my dad .”
    “These past few days have
been a nightmare for us, honey. The accident and everything
else has me somewhat weepy. I want you to know something Gail, and
I never want you to forget it. I am your father, in every way that
matters most. If your uncle tries to contact you, I want you to
tell me. I do not want you alone in a room with him. Do you hear
me? He is to stay away from you. I will protect you from him. I
don’t want him upsetting you.”
    Gail smiled at the thoughtful way her father protected her. “You are my knight in shining
armor, willing to slay the dragon for me. I have to say, I like
this evil side to you. It makes you look rugged.”
    Adam stared at her
dumbfounded for several seconds. He looked at Lydia, who just shook
her head, and then, everyone laughed their asses off. It was a tremendous release of tension. “That’s right, daughter of
mine. I will slay any dragon who hurts you, priest, or no priest . I will always protect you.” It was then that Gail’s stomach
growled with hunger. “I think someone is hungry. Let’s ring for the
nurse, and get something solid into your belly .”
    While Gail was eating what
she considered baby food, David entered the room. “Well young lady,
I am happy to see you eating something.” The nurse followed
behind him and took her vitals. “You are progressing on
schedule Gail, but I want to keep you here for two more days to
monitor the concussion.”
    “How’s the leg, David?”
    “It looks good. I took
another x-ray earlier this morning. The pins are in place, and I
anticipate Gail will be in a cast for at least eight weeks. I want
to see her in two weeks for another x-ray. Once I remove the cast,
she’ll need to wear a boot for another four weeks at a minimum. I
want her non-weight bearing until the boot comes
off. At that point, we can discuss therapy. Her leg muscles will
atrophy during this time, and