Thread: love will set us free (pm to join)

Gwen took a step into her old room and felt a rush of longing. It had been so long since she'd felt the sun warm her olive skin through her bedroom window. Even from the doorway, she saw the view of the city below was still just as beautiful. How her father managed to land this place was beyond her. He had the money, sure. Anyone who worked as hard as he did would. But the timing had been sheer luck. She took another step, biting her bottom lip as she recalled the day they finally accepted that her mother was gone for good. Gwen was used to her disappearing when she was a kid...but it had been weeks...months. Her mother was usually back within a few days and she knew her father wanted...needed to move on. Buying a new house was the beginning of a new life for them. A life where her mother couldn't disappoint them. It took only a stride or two of Gwen's long legs to reach her old bed and she plopped down as if a 50 lb weight was dropped on her shoulders. A frown tugged at the corners of her lips, but she refused it. Today was a happy day. It'd been a whole year since she'd seen the house. Seen her father. College kept her busy. It was study, study, study. Run. Run. Run. Track and school work had been her life and now that she was on summer break, she could relax and enjoy herself. Gwen sighed and forced herself to ignore what mixed emotions the thoughts of her mother brought on. All she wanted to remember was the happiness she and her father shared here in this house. When he was home, of course. Which wasn't often. Still, the hug they'd had only moments before her journey up the stairs had brought back as many memories as the room she sat in. It was tight...but not bear hug tight. It was more of an embrace...heated almost. It made her stomach churn. Flip. Like a gymnast on a beam. Gwen and her father didn't have the most traditional fatherdaughter relationship. She'd know that since before her mother left. 13. That was when she began to notice. All the other dads at her school didn't look at their daughters the way he did. Love. Pride. Joy. Her father's eyes shone with all of those...but there was often more. Hints of guilt. There were times he couldn't look her in the eyes. Or at all. Times she caught him biting his lip in nervousness and sometimes something else all together. Whenever her mother vanished, she saw it more often. When she was 16 and her mother left for good...Gwen could see him fighting whatever it was daily. Not that she acknowledged it verbally. No. Gwen never...fought it. Never thought it to be disgusting. She knew she should but...in all honesty...she liked it. And that's when she knew. Knew they would never be 'traditional'. The thought made her tremble with guilt. With pleasure. Her hand pushed through her raven hair before settling on her forehead. She had to get a grip. After sitting a few minutes, Gwen riffled through her suit case and changed into a pair of gray sweatpants and a thin wife beater. The material strained against her chest. The old track practice shirt was a little small, but comfortable as were the worn out sweats. She finished putting away her jeans and lifted her chin at the slight creak of floorboards. Gwen could hear sounds coming down the hall. He was coming. Butterflies swelled in her stomach as she remembered her first night in this room. The floor's creak was exactly the same. She..was fighting tears that night and her father's embrace relaxed her...and his peck on her lips soothed her....or rather...his kiss melted her. It was deep. Loving. Saddening. Maddening. Gwen had never felt such love and compassion in her life and all of that was swept up in one whisk...one tangle as his tongue slipped into her mouth and met hers. Never again did they kiss like that. Never again did they mention it. But she felt it. They both did every time they looked at each other after that. Even now, Gwen felt it. Burning through her cheeks as she heard a rap on her door and sputtered a soft Come in.