Untitled (Chapter 1)

Chapter 1--15 Years Later

Kimberly

I’m so excited to be back home and see my two best friends I can hardly contain it. I’ve just spent the last month with my dad, like I have for the last five years of my life. When I was 9, my dad finally decided he wanted to meet me. He of course came to my mom with all types of apologies about how he wasn’t good enough when she had me, blah, blah. Mama, of course, didn’t want to hear it. She had raised me alone for 7 years before she got married to my Daddy, Keith. She was perfect as far as parents went.

My grandparents and Aunt and Uncle helped out while she went back to school to become a nurse practitioner since she only had a few credits to complete it with the nursing degree she already had. Then she had to do the clichéd thing and fall in love with a doctor. Keith is great though. Every date they went on, he either spent time with the both of us beforehand or the next day if their schedules allowed. After two years he got up the nerve to propose. He actually proposed to me first, ha-ha. I made him sweat, like I was really gonna say no. They’ve been married for 8 years and I have a baby brother. He’s a little shadow, but he’s super smart so I don’t mind too much.

It was actually my step-dad, or Daddy, as I call him who finally talked my mom into letting my dad meet me. I was a little skeptical at first. I didn’t know anything about Justin Hoffman. I had seen pictures of him and my mom told me little things about him. I still remember the conversation that led to me wondering about him when I was in Kindergarten.

“Mama, was I dopted?”

“Why would you think you were adopted Kim?”

“Jackson said his mommy dopted him when he was two and he don’t got no daddy either.”

“Oh, sweetheart, you’re not adopted. You’re just so special that I didn’t want to share you with anyone so God gave you to me and me alone.”

That placated my 5 year old brain, but it didn’t last long and I was soon after asking questions about my daddy. My best friends, Lanie and Lincoln had two parents and I wanted two also. The first time I meet Keith, I asked him if he was my daddy. Luckily, they had been dating for over 6 months before mom brought him around me and he was already falling for her and he didn’t think I was just a silly child.

So, anyway, back to my dad. His first communication was a letter.

Samantha,

I know I’m the last person you want to hear from, but I’m taking a chance that you’re still the reasonable woman that I remember from all those years ago. First, I’m sorry. I was a coward and a jerk, but I’d like to not be any longer. Four months after I left you alone and pregnant, I walked into an Army recruiting office and started the transition to becoming a new man. After 9 years and 3 tours overseas and seeing unspeakable things, I’ve learned what it is to be a man. I’d really like the chance to meet my daughter. Yes, I know it’s a girl. I only know that because I’ve been stalking you on social media for a couple weeks. God, that sounds horrible. The only reason I know my child is a girl is because I saw pictures of her on Facebook. That’s pathetic. I’m sorry, that’s not your fault. Please allow me the chance to see or at least talk to her Sam. I can be reached at lt.jushoffman@armyus.mil or 514-732-6161. Please Sam

Justin

Well, Mama didn’t take that first communication too well. She promptly responded back.

TO: lt.justjoffman@armyus.mil

From: samlittle0126@st.stevenshos.gov

Justin, I’m sorry to say, I’m no longer reasonable. This is the type of thing that happens when a women has to raise a child alone because of a coward. NO YOU MAY NOT SEE MY DAUGHTER!! She already has a father who loves her unconditionally and is proud to call her his child. When she is 18 if she decides she wants to meet you, I will pass along your info.

Samantha Little

Needless to say, she probably should have calmed down a bit after reading the letter instead of responding right away. After she was calm, she was a little ashamed, she’s admitted to me, but not too much. She’d wanted to say something like that for years. As far as I know, she talked to him about a week later after talking it over with Daddy. They talked a few times and he talked to Keith a few times before they asked me how I felt about talking to him. I was a first worried about hurting Keith’s feeling because for all intents and purposes he was my Daddy. I even called him Daddy. He assured me it was ok, so that started weekly calls with my dad every Friday night at 6:30. As we got to know each other more it progressed to 2 or 3 times a week. The week before my 10th birthday, I was finally allowed to see him face to face. He was really tall and I finally knew where I got my height from. I was the tallest of all my friends, even some of the boys.

So, I met my dad and he continued to come over for about 4 or 5 months before my mom let me have an all-night with him. It was different. I could tell he was trying. He had a nice apartment and I had my own room that he had filled with all kinds of girly things. It was pretty cool, although I’m not normally a girly girl. So the summer after 4th grade I started spending a month or two with my dad and we would travel. He didn’t have any family, so we would visit his army buddies and their families and do family things just the two of us.

So that’s where I’m coming from now. I’m almost home and so excited to see Lanie and Linc. We start high school this year and Lane and I plan to try out for track and cross country. I think Linc is supposed to already be training with the football team. Everything will be different, but we’ll always be best friends.