A Daddy/Daughter Story. Part 2.

** This is part 2 of my friends search and journey to find her father, if you haven't already Click here to catch up. (by the way, this is going to be lengthy.. I may split into 3 parts)

After WAY too long in the car, my companions and I made it to the Sunshine State in one piece and still friendly with one another. Needless to say we were very ready to be out of the car and moving around, 1 to make sure we could still walk and 2 to keep us  busy until D-Day (Daddy day).

We stayed in Orlando that first night and then made our way to the SouthEastern part of the state and stayed outside of Ft. Lauderdale, had our Thanksgiving and enjoyed a relaxing night with each other.

I guess I'll touch on Thanksgiving a bit and you all can wait patiently to find out whether it is a happy ending or not. *insert evil laugh her*

HEY. I can hear all the shit you are talking right now.
QUIT IT.
I'm getting to it, this is important too.

This was my first Thanksgiving away from my family.. at least the kind that is blood related, come to think of it, it really was my first holiday ever away from my family, I mean sure I've worked holidays but I always went home to family after. So spending the holiday with a friend's family, 1500 miles away from home was surreal. The conversation was interesting and typically turned back to meeting Her father.

I saw the ocean for the first time while I was in Florida. It was dark and windy on the beach. I'd never felt a wind so steady and strong in my life. It was incredible. I thought a lot about what was supposed to happen the next day. The fact that my friend was meeting her father and how much of a life changing experience this was turning out to be.. for all of us. I started to realize that things were not going to be the same when we got home and as those thoughts hit me, the biggest wave we saw all night broke on the shore as if to say...

"I just washed away the past, it's still apart of you, but it is time to move forward."

Totally cheesy I know, but look at the story I'm telling you. It's bound to be a little cheese ball..right?

So, we left the beach and made our way to have an enjoyable Thanksgiving night.

When we woke up it was D-Day. We didn't really say much, other than goodbyes, until we were in the car on our way back to Orlando to pick her up to take her to Bradenton (which is on the kind of South-Western part of the state) to finally go to meet her dad.

"You guys.. she is meeting her dad today."

We drove back to Orlando and somehow navigated our way to the Resort she was staying at and picked her (and another friend, not really relevant) up and were on our way to Bradenton Florida.

There was a lot of excitement, nerves and a lot of scary thoughts roaming around our heads. There were about a million things that could go wrong..

Would he be there?
Is it really her father?
What if it's some sick psycho?
What if he wants nothing to do with her?

We stopped at a rest stop to gather our thoughts and kind of prepare as best we could.



At the rest stop. Not too far out from our destination.
Mama B (middle), Mosey (black), Me (red) 

Then, before we knew it, we had arrived in Bradenton, drove around lost for a bit, then found Applebee's. 

"I am not leaving you unless I know for sure it's your dad."

"I'll be fine."

"No, what if he is some psycho murderer. I'm not leaving here till I know."

She and Mosey got out of the car and walked to the building.

I sat in the car with my 2 other passengers.. waiting impatiently to see what happened.

Next thing I know.. Mosey is at the window.

"He's here and he is so cool and he wants to have dinner with us."

*** There will be a Part 3 because the next part will take too long. Also, you will be rewarded for your patience with this super sweet video (if I get permission to use it) that tells the WHOLE story from her point of view. :)

please don't hate me.