Dinner party

Things went better than she had expected. They all sat down and ate a nice meal and everyone was cordial to Quest and asked no questions. Vanessa wandered if her father had coached everyone on what to say. During the meal she would catch her father- and her mother peering at Quest as if he was someone they had once met. Neither of them looked like they could place him but as the idel chatter of her siblings took over she soon stopped looking at them. Kevin was being his usual humorous self and kidding Anne.

            Vanessa was impressed Anne took all this well and in stride reminding Kevin that he was not great success either. Dad finally interrupted them and made his signature hand cut and warble to indicate that it was time for silence. Slowly conversation died down and everyone got still to suit her father. Her father stood and raised his glass to Vanessa. Suddenly she felt all eyes turn to her and had the sudden urge to sob. Instead she blinked back her surprise and raised her own glass to him.

            “Look I know this must seem very strange to all of us, least of all you my dear daughter but I feel that I must say something.” He considered the glass then looked at each of them in turn. “To say that I am proud of all of you- despite how you may feel about yourselves at this moment, is to say that I am proud, very proud to have been the one to raise each and everyone one of you. I know that you must leave Van, but I want you to know that this is your home and will always be your home-“ He held up his hand to stop her from interrupting. “No matter where you have to go, it will be your home. That goes for all of you kids, this is your home.” He paused long enough for everyone to nod. “Now it may be your home but that doesn’t mean you can move back in.”

Vanessa laughed as did the others and toasted her father again and knew that this was the only father she needed to have known. It was enough to have him.