DEAR SOPHIA,

MY HEART CHECKS OUT FINE. I’M GOING TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO KEEP IT THAT WAY. IT MAY BE BROKEN BECAUSE I HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO SPEAK WITH YOU FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS (AND FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN ALIENATION) BUT I WILL KEEP IT PHYSICALLY INTACT UNTIL THIS IS ALL OVER. NO MATTER WHAT I OWE YOU, A FATHER DAUGHTER DANCE THE DAY YOU GET MARRIED. I WILL PREVAIL UNTIL THAT DAY. I AM YOUR FATHER AND A FATHER’S DUTIES AND OBLIGATIONS ARE NOT JUST POCKETBOOK ISSUES. I HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO MAKE SURE YOUR FUTURE WILL BE SUCCESSFUL, YOU HAVE A CHANCE AT HAVING A SUCCESSFUL FAMILY AND THAT YOU WILL HAVE NO NEEDS FROM ANYONE LONG AFTER YOUR PARENTS MOVE ON TO THE NEXT JOURNEY IN LIFE.

THIS IS THE TRAP I WILL NOT LET YOU FALL INTO. ONE PERSON WANTS TO HAVE TOTAL CONTROL AND MAKE YOU COMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON THEM AND I AM DETERMINED THAT WHEN YOU TURN 18, YOU WILL BE DEPENDENT ON NO ONE BUT YOURSELF AND CAN CHOOSE YOUR OWN PATH AND NEVER HAVE TO ASK PERMISSIONS WHY AFTERWARDS.

143

LOVE,

DAD