Gina's Guardian

    It was the saddest day of young Gina’s life. To say she had taken the death of her mother badly would have been the understatement of the decade. Young Gina’s grades taken a total nose dive, and she stopped participating in any extracurricular activities. She would spend every single day locked away in her room, refusing to speak with anyone. When they originally learned about the cancer a few years back, her mother had brushed it off as if it wasn’t something that was going to bother them. Just another bump in the road, she would always tell her daughter, but there was something in the young teen’s gut that never believed the bull that her family was trying to sell. Her mother was the one dying but she was more concerned about her feelings, which was the kind of person she was. It was when Gina and her mom moved out of the only home they knew into Grandma and Grandpa’s house that everybody had finally started to realize how serious this illness was getting.

    The extra money from the sale of the house in a sellers market helped pay for the chemo-therapy treatments and everyone hoped that would do the trick. Yet just like her mother, the cancer was stubborn and refused to quit. The day they put her mother into the ground was the saddest she ever knew, and she cried more tears that day than it felt like she had the previous few years.

    Her grandparents tried to comfort her, but it was no use. Gina would eat some food, and even watch the odd hockey games with grandpa, but in the end she’d lock herself away in her bedroom and not come back out until it was time to go back to school. Even when she would eventually emerge from her room to eat or do anything, Gina was distant and unwilling to talk. Despite their efforts, even their best counselors were unable to crack let alone tear down that mental wall she had constructed. It was going to take some time for her to get over this, everyone knew that, but soon people started to become concerned that Gina might become suicidal. Grandma started to hide the kitchen knives, and they both checked on her often to make sure she didn’t try to harm herself while going through what was a very difficult grieving process.

    One day Gina was pulled out of English class just before lunch, but she was willing to appease the councilor if it meant she could skip class and get avoid some of her boring teachers. Yet when she walked into the room where the councilor usually was, he wasn’t there. There was a different man in his place, and while he looked around the same age, he was dressed a little differently. He was wearing a rather impressive suit, tie, and was clean shaven. There were gray hairs on his head, but it was only on the sides around his ears which actually looked pretty cool.

    “Hello, Gina.” The man said, reach out his hand to shake hers. “My name is Jordan Gibson.”

    “Where’s Mr. Franklin?” Gina asked, as she didn’t take well to change and wasn’t impressed with this last minute substitution.

    “He’s somewhere in here, but I’m going to be talking to you today.” Jordan replied.

    “And why should I?” Gina asked.

    “Because your mother wanted me to.” Jordan replied, “I’m here to honor a request that was made by her prior to her passing. I’m very sorry about your loss, by the way.”

    “Thank you,” Gina said, but she had other things on her mind. “So you knew my mother?”

    “I did,” Jordan replied, “It was a while back, but she was an amazing person and I honestly believe the world isn’t the same without her.”

    “I agree,” Gina said, taking a seat in front of the councilors desk. ‘So are you a special councilor that deals with grief or something?”

    “Heavens, no.” Jordan laughed, “I’m a lawyer actually. I practice criminal law in the city and am pretty decent at it.”

    “Why would my mother think I needed a lawyer?” Gina asked.

    “She didn’t,” Jordan corrected her, “She just thought you needed me, and the fact I happen to be a lawyer has nothing to do with it.”

    “I don’t need you,” Gina said.

    “Oh, I disagree.” Jordan again corrected, “You’ve needed me for a very long, and I’m very sorry that I wasn’t.”

    “Who are you again?” Gina asked, very confused.

    “I’m a lawyer,” Jordan reminded her, “But I’m not your typical lawyer. I play things straight and always tell the truth, even if that truth hurts. I never sugar coat anything and call things the way they are. To save us time and not insult each other’s intelligence, that is exactly what I’m offering you: the truth. The real question is, can you handle it?”

    “What makes you think I can’t handle it?” Gina asked.

    “Because I’m about serve you an obscene serving of it.” Jordan confessed, “And this one is a royal doozy. If this truth were a bomb, the mushroom cloud would be visible from space. I’m a rip the band aid off kind of guy, so can we just cut the small talk and get to the guts of why I’m here?”

    Gina took a deep breath and braced herself. “Alright, let her rip.”

    Jordan grinned for a moment, because Gina’s courage reminded him of her mother, the very same person that had planned this meeting. Jordan took an envelope out of his pocket and placed it on the desk between them.

    “What’s that?” Gina asked.

    “It’s why I’m here,” Jordan answered. “It’s a letter from your mother. It’s ten pages long, and is nicely written too. She was always a stickler for doing letters old school rather than on the internet. But I digress, let’s get the guts of it. According to this letter, which I didn’t receive until a few days after your mother’s passing, your mother informs me that I’m your father.”

    “Excuse me?” Gina said, “She said what?”

    “I get it,” Jordan said, “That’s the same face I had when I read this letter. Up until that moment, I had no idea you even existed. She never told me, and I went on with my life unaware that I had a daughter.”

    “This can’t be right,” Gina said, confusion beginning to consume her.

    “I already took care of any doubt,” Jordan countered, “Your mother had your DNA sent to a lab several months before she died. All the lab needed was a sample of my DNA for confirmation. I sent a sample in several days ago.”

    “So what are the results?” Gina asked.

    “I think you already know,” Jordan said, “If the result was negative, we wouldn’t be talking and I would have left you alone. The only reason I’m here is because we are a match, and I’m your father.”

    “So why are you here then?” Gina asked, an anger started to swell up.

    “I’m here for you,” Jordan said, “When a child is in pain, this is exactly where we’re supposed to be: front and center, ready to help you weather the storm. You mom isn’t here to help, and while I’m probably not as good a substitution, I’m the best you’ve got right now.”

    “What if I don’t want you?” Gina said, “You were never here!”

    “No, I wasn’t.” Jordan agreed, “But that wasn’t your fault. None of this is your fault, and that includes your mother’s cancer. Shit happens, Gina. Sometimes it’s good stuff, but more often than we’d like to admit the bad shit happens too. You’ve had some very bad stuff happen to you, and I’m here to help you through it. You don’t have to mourn and grieve alone. There are people who care and want to help. Your grandparents are a good example, but there’s only so much they can do. I’m here now, Gina. Let me help you.”

    “I don’t want your help!” Gina roared back at him, “You’re a deadbeat.”

    “That’s it, get mad.” Jordan said, “Don’t worry about me, I can take it. Come on, hit me with your best shot.”

    “You weren’t here when she needed you!” Gina cried, “When she was dying and when we had to give up our only home!”

    “No, I wasn’t!” Jordan concurred. “And there’s no excuse for it. I’m sorry.”

    “I hate you!” she cried out.

    “Everyone hates their parents at one time or another,” Jordan said, “Happens to everyone, even your kids will one day but it will pass.”

    “You don’t deserve me!” Gina roared.

    “Probably not,” Jordan said, “But fate has brought us together, and I’m never going to be absent again. Never.”

    Gina took a swing at Jordan and slapped his upper arm. Jordan never made and defensive response and just let her hit him. She kept slapping his arms and shoulders, crying out loud ass she did so. Jordan didn’t even seem upset as he probably was expected her to eventually lash out physically.

    “Keep going!” Jordan said, “We’re barely scratching the surface.”

    “She didn’t deserve to die!” Gina called out.

    “No, she didn’t.” Jordan said, “No one deserves to die, Gina, but death comes to us all eventually… some of us far sooner than it should have.”

    “I wish it was you!” Gina called out, “I wish you took her place instead.”

    “I know you do,” Jordan said, “So do I.”

    And without warning Jordan reached out and grabbed his daughter, taking her into his arms. He squeezed as hard as he could and gave the young lady a big hug, while also bracing for the additional hits he was about to take. Gina was yelling and crying and even slapping Jordan’s ribs as he kept holding her, refusing to let his daughter go. Eventually she gave up and stopping fighting, allowing her father to hold her as the storm in her belly was finally starting to subside.

    “There’s no excuse,” Jordan said again, “Just because I didn’t know about you doesn’t mean I shouldn’t have. I could have reached out and checked up on your mother, and not ignorantly assumed she was doing alright. I could have tried to make sure everything was tip top, but for some reason that never happened. I was too busy putting my career first, but I should have made that effort for you and your mother, and I’m sorry. But I’m here now Gina, because your mother knew you’d need me. I’m also here because I learned a long time ago never to question her judgement. I assume you learned the same lesson over the years too, right?”

    Gina wiped a tear from her eye, “Yes, I did.”

    “I see a familiar defiance in you young lady,” Jordan said, smiling at her. “My mother called it being disrespectful, but my dad called it standing up for what was right regardless of where that path led me. I’m here today because this is exactly where a father should be, and I’m not going anywhere. Is that clear, young lady?”

    “It is,” Gina said, as she also recognized that stubbornness in him. “So the test said we were a match?”

    “According to this,” Jordan said, pulling another envelope out of his suit jacket, “The lab is about ninety-nine point nine, nine, nine, nine, seven percent sure we’re a match. That’s close enough in my books, and it means you’re officially stuck with me.”

    “Does this mean I have to move again?” Gina asked.

    “No, of course not.” Jordan answered, “I mean if you want to eventually you can, but I’m not going to force you to do anything you’re not comfortable with. Your mom’s parents are good people, so if you want to stay with them I’m okay with that for the time being… as long as your grades show some improvement.”

    “Uh oh,” Gina said, as she could sense what was coming next.

    “Yeah, that’s right.” Jordan said, “I had a long talk with your councilor and principal before speaking with you. I’ve been here since nine. I’m up to speed on everything, and we need to talk about that.”

    “Seriously?” Gina asked, since she just met the man.

    “Seriously,” Jordan confirmed, “You know more than anyone else that your mother wouldn’t want you to let her passing ruin your future. She’s like every other mother out there; she wanted the best life for you. That’s why she sent this to me, because she knew I wouldn’t hesitate to take over for her. She couldn’t finish this race, so she passed the baton to me. I’m not going to let her down, and starting right now neither are you. Understood?”

    “Alright,” Gina said, “We’ll do it for mom.”

    “Fantastic,” Jordan said as he knocked his knuckles onto the desk with glee. “Now let’s blow this pop stand. I don’t know about you, but I’m famished. Let’s hit your favorite place for lunch… my treat!”

    “What about school?” Gina asked, confused about the contradiction.

    “Don’t worry about that today,” Jordan said, “We’ll start to get you back on track tomorrow. I convinced the principal that you’d be too distracted and shocked by this meeting to function for the rest of the day. That means you’re off for the rest of the day, and I’ll need your help because we still have to tell your grandparents.”

    “They don’t know you’re here?” Gina said, her face one of absolute shock.

    “Not yet,” Jordan said, his face tensing up as the real work was just about to begin. “They never liked me when I was dating your mom so this could get a bit ugly, and I mean bowling shoe ugly.”

    “But I thought you could take it?” Gina asked him.

    “I can, and I will.” Jordan confirmed, “I’ll do anything for you.”

     Gina walked up and hugged her father again, and this time it was a genuine, heartfelt hug that she had been missing since her mother passed away. She held onto him for as long as she could before eventually breaking away.

    “Can we go out for cheeseburgers and onion rings?” she asked.

    “You see,” Jordan replied, “It’s comments like that that will make me think I just wasted hundreds of dollars on a DNA test. Now there’s no doubt, and yes, we can have burgers as long as we can have milkshakes too.”

    “Strawberry?” she asked.

    “Absolutely!” Jordan said, as he opened the door for her, “Let’s go.”