Chapter 66 CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX.

Chapter 66 CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX.
​My Daughter,
​I must be dead. Because you wouldn't be reading this letter if I were alive. I would have wanted to look you in the eye and tell you all this myself. Too bad. I've never been one to beat about the bush, if you can remember. And I'm not about to start now so here goes -
​I am very sorry for kicking you out. That was harsh and uncalled for and I apologize. Sometimes anger makes people behave irrationally. But I must admit that my behaviour was even worse than irrational. I should not have taken out my anger on you because you were a victim. That's what I failed to realize on that fateful day when I called you a disgraceful slut and cast you out, and trust me, I regretted it for the rest of my life.
​Please, do not be angry at your mother. She wasn't in agreement with how I behaved. She wanted to look for you but I wouldn't allow her because I was still angry. By the time I realized how stupid I was being, you were long gone and we couldn't find you. Thanks to my stupidity, you didn't enjoy your childhood as you were supposed to. Thanks to my stupidity, you've had to grow up without all the comfort and welfare that you are entitled to as my daughter. And thanks to my stupidity again, I never got to enjoy my daughter as every father should. I regret that. I don't know what you've been through in life before this moment, daughter. I can only hope that a Good Samaritan helped you along the way. Because just thinking of the possible hardship and struggles that a young girl - without her parents - has to go through to survive, makes me curse the day I was born into this world. I failed you, Brianna. And all I can say at this point, is sorry. I regret that thanks to me, you lost the parental care that every person needs in their lives. Especially your mother's.
​I know I said a lot of hurtful and nasty things to you that day. I shudder to imagine the kind of impact those words have had on your life. It was wrong of me to allow all those cruel words to fall out of my mouth to the hearing of my child no matter how angry I was. To quote Bill Bullard, "The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world." This quote perfectly sums up my ignorance. I had no empathy. I behaved horribly, I couldn't let go of my ego, and by so doing, robbed us of a happy family life. I apologize.
​I cannot end this without touching on what led to me kicking you out that day, Brianna. I have already stated that I regret kicking you out. What I don't regret, however, is what I did to that animal. I would do it all over again, today. He didn't deserve to live after what he did to you. Although taking his life had been an accident, I am glad I did. I don't know whether you are a mother now. If you are, just picture your kid in that same situation/position. If you're not yet a mother, you will understand me better when you become one. No father should see what I saw that day. I don't know how being dead works exactly but if it's a whole new world- as some people say it is, then if I see that animal anywhere around there, I'll kill him again.
​This letter is not to ask for your forgiveness because what I did to you is unpardonable. It is just to let you know how sorry and ashamed I am for what I did to you. I love you, daughter. Once again, accept my most sincere apologies.
​God bless you.
​Your Father.

​After reading the letter for the second time, Brianna quietly passed it to Julian to read. Keeping an arm around Brianna, Julian took the letter and read it too. Without making any comment, he folded the letter and placed it on the bedside table. Then he wrapped both arms around Brianna again.

​"Are you okay?" Julian asked softly. At Brianna's nod, Julian sighed with relief. "Good."

​Brianna sat up and rolled onto her back beside Julian and just stared up at nothing. Julian took the envelope and put the letter back into it before stretching out beside Brianna. He reached out to gently run his fingers absentmindedly over Brianna's body as he thought about the letter he'd just read. The tone of the letter sounded just as he'd pictured Reverend Jackson the very first time Brianna had told him about the man. He was a very proud man who was clearly used to calling the shots. The way he'd apologized to his daughter for what he'd done to her but had stuck to his disgust for Wendell had particularly stood out for Julian. Somehow he hoped that the man's words about Wendell would help Brianna see Wendell for who he really was. He thought that the content of Reverend Jackson's letter was exactly what Brianna needed at that point in her life to help her move on. When Julian felt Brianna squirming beneath his hand, he looked at her to see what the problem was and couldn't suppress his amused chuckle when he realized that his wandering hand was actually stroking the wet, hot center of her.

​"Sorry." Julian muttered as he reached down to pull the covers over them.

​"I've heard enough apologies for today don't you think?" Brianna muttered. "Do something about that wet pussy and stop apologizing."

​Julian's eyes widened at Brianna's tone. She looked...detached. "What do you want?"

​"All of you." Brianna whispered as her eyes fluttered shut.