Oliver visited his daughter, Ashley, who lived a few states away, but she kicked him out. He was heartbroken, but someone special was waiting for him at home.
On his 80th birthday, Oliver took an early morning flight from New Jersey to Orlando, Florida. He was looking forward to seeing his daughter, Ashley, her husband and their children, whom he had not seen since the death of his wife more than five years ago.
The older man was excited at the thought as he made his way to his daughter’s door. It was still too early, but he couldn’t wait any longer and rang the bell. Hopefully, since it was a Saturday, they wouldn’t mind cutting off their sleep and spending time with him. But Oliver had to ring the bell several times before someone finally turned on the light inside.
“Ok, ok… who’s over there?” Ashley said as she opened the door.
“Hello Darling! Oliver clapped, trying to reach out for a hug. Even though it was his birthday, he had bought presents for everyone and was looking forward to making memories with them.
Oliver was not alone in New Jersey. Her other daughter, Betty, lived a few blocks away and she was the nicest woman on the planet. Her husband, Tom, was also incredibly nice, but both of them had work events over the weekend and didn’t have time to spend with him on his birthday. Oliver was happy to make other plans and surprise Ashley instead.
And she certainly looked surprised, but it wasn’t for the reasons Oliver was hoping for. ” Dad? What are you doing here? And at this time? You’re going to wake up my children,” she said with a sullen look.
Ashley was not happy to see him.
“Honey, I wanted to surprise you guys this weekend, and I thought I should pass,” Oliver explained.
“You should have called,” Ashley muttered, crossing her arms and still not inviting her father into the house.
“Well yeah. I’m sorry I didn’t, but we can still have fun,” Oliver continued, his smile waning due to his attitude.
“I’m sorry. We are all overwhelmed this weekend. My husband is busy and the kids all have events, recitals, school stuff, etc.
“It’s Saturday. »
“I know, but all of their extracurriculars take up all my time. We do not have the time. Listen, why don’t you come back and call next time? We’re going to arrange something,” Ashley said and closed the door, leaving a shocked Oliver outside.
He didn’t know what to do, but he placed everything he had bought on his porch and started walking away. During his walk, he reflected on his relationship with Ashley over the years. It was no secret that, for some reason, she wasn’t that close to him or his late wife, Clara.
Oliver and Clara got married when they were 25 and tried to have children for a very long time. But at 40, they decided to adopt and got pregnant by surprise. Almost two years after Ashley was born, their neighbors died in a horrific fire and they also had a baby girl, Betty, who survived. So they decided to adopt him. They never told Betty or Ashley the truth, but Oliver always thought they knew instinctively.
Although they are almost the same age, the girls never get along. When Ashley turned 18, she left for college and barely called a few times every two months.
Meanwhile, Betty stayed home and went to a nearby college. But even when she moved, she always came to dinner and was never far away. When she told Oliver they were busy this year, he thought seeing Ashley would be perfect. But clearly she disagreed, and the fact that she slammed the door in his face was heartbreaking.
However, Oliver had to move on. He was an old man and he didn’t need anyone to celebrate his birthday. It was time to go home.
Fortunately, he was able to change his Monday flight to the same afternoon and returned home later that day. When he got out of the cab in front of his house, he saw his door slam open, and Betty was right there.
“DAD! You are finally here! Where were you? We have been waiting for so long! she exclaimed with a huge smile. Then Oliver saw her husband Tom walk out with a big birthday cake full of lit candles. The two started singing Happy Birthday, and Oliver couldn’t help but smile. After the grief that her other daughter had just given birth, it was a considerable balm for her soul.
He blew out the candles when they were done, and they all kissed. “Thank you, Betty. You never treated me like Ashley. I can’t believe you’re my adopted daughter,” Oliver said as he walked away from his daughter. Then upon realizing what he had said, his eyes widened in panic.
He looked at Betty and she smiled at her father. “Don’t worry, Dad. Mom told me about it before she died years ago. But that never mattered to me. You raised me. You are my father,” she said as they entered the house.
Oliver told Betty and Tom everything that had happened with Ashley, and both were shocked by his reaction. “I don’t know what I did to make her treat me this way?” he wondered.
“You didn’t, Dad. I swear! She was like that all the time. You gave her attention, love, money, education, therapy and whatever she wanted. You treated her like you treated me. Ashley is a mystery we may never understand,” Betty consoled.
He nodded, and Tom suggested we play a game of charades to lighten the mood. At the end of the day, Oliver had so much fun despite his previous encounter with Ashley and was incredibly grateful to have Betty in his life. He loved his two daughters, but for the sake of his sanity, he never saw Ashley again.