Family Commotion

"Hi, Ciara. 

I missed your calls. How are you doing over there? Have you had dinner already? What do you wanna talk to me about?" Kelly asked Ciara over the phone. He was already having divided attention and could barely concentrate on the telephone conversation. 

He might be having a conversation with Ciara, but his soul was inside the ward. He was eager to find out what nurse Olivia wanted to discuss.

 To Kelly, it was more important than speaking with Ciara over the phone. 

"Dad, are you doing great over there? Who's there with you? Are you still in the hospital?" Ciara asked relentlessly over the phone after she observed how restless Kelly sounded. 

That wasn't what the Father knew. He spoke as though he had a gun pointed toward his head, forcing him to speak. 

"What do you mean if I was doing great? How can you ask me such a question? Of course, I am doing great. Don't I sound perfect to you? How else do you want me to speak to you?" Kelly lied. 

He feigned a baritone voice to pretend as though everything was fine. Despite his effort to act smart, it still wasn't enough to convince Ciara otherwise. 

"Dad, take it easy. 

Don't be so hard on yourself for no reason. I can't be making stories that aren't real. I am too mature for that. 

I know what I am talking about. You're my Father and I know you too well. I should know when you're telling the truth," Ciara insisted. 

She spoke with confidence as though she could read Kelly's mind. She made him speechless for the few minutes they spent over the phone. 

"Are you ready to speak now? We both know I'm telling the truth. You just don't want to admit it. Are you under some kind of threat right now? I could call for help if you like," Ciara asked with a jaw-dropping voice. She was already panicking that Kelly was under some attack. 

Although he tried to make her believe he was telling the truth, the tone of his voice chose to betray him, making it difficult for Ciara to believe him. 

"Ciara, I am doing great. How many times do I have to tell you? I am your father. I have no reason to lie to you. Is that clear? It might interest you to know that I don't wish to talk about this issue anymore." Kelly raised his voice at Ciara for the first time in a while. He was tired of pleading about his innocence and figured that yelling at her was the best way to earn her trust. 

"I believe you are telling the truth. I apologize for doubting you. By the way, you shouldn't have yelled at me just to prove a point. You were hurting me," Ciara sighed. The yelling worked after all. 

"When are you coming home? I can't deny the fact that I've missed you so much. You didn't even bother to reach out to me over the phone. Does it occur to you that you have a daughter that you should care about?" Ciara lamented. She deployed a different tactic and played the victim card to make Kelly feel guilty for absolutely doing nothing. 

"Has it gotten to this level now where you play with my intelligence? Is this the reason you called me over the phone? Just to start a fight with me?" Kelly frowned. 

"Isn't that enough reason? For crying out loud, you haven't returned home since morning. Have you had your shower or had anything to eat since morning?" Like a concerned wife, Ciara asked. 

"Now that's enough! 

I am not going to let her speak to me In such a manner. Does it occur to you that I am your father? You should address me with respect. If you don't have anything important to say, I will end this conversation, and trust me, you won't reach out to me again," Kelly warned Ciara and panted heavily as though he were under some panic attack. 

"Guess who showed up at the house today while you were away?" Ciara brought up yet another topic for another lengthy conversation. She spoke so comfortably over the phone as though Kelly was seated next to her. 

While she craved a father-and-daughter moment, Kelly wanted a different thing. He can't wait for them to end the conversation. He was already getting bored. 

"You should know I suck at guessing. Can you just get on with it already?" Kelly cried. He had his eyes focused on George's ward if anyone was going to step outside. To him, missing out on the excitement was synonymous with losing a multibillion-dollar deal. 

"It's Derek, Dad. 

I was shocked to see him. I had no idea how he found his way to our home. I guess he must have asked some questions," Ciara revealed. 

In the process of explaining, she got Kelly more confused than ever before. He lost a few brain cells trying to process what Ciara was talking about. 

"Derek? Who the heck is that?" Kelly asked after failing to remember the person behind the name. The name doesn't even ring a bell in his head to give him a clue. 

"Is this a prank? 

Come on Dad.

Don't tell me you don't know who Derek is. Of course, you should know him. Of course, you two met last night," Ciara insisted. She wants her Father to guess right without having to hit the nail on the head herself.

"Ciara, I honestly don't like the game you are playing with me right now. If I knew who Derek was, I wouldn't be asking you. Can we get this done already? I don't have the whole day," Kelly's brows furrowed together as he raged. His eyes darkened. He was slowly getting on his worst behavior.

 The only reason he hasn't ended the telephone conversation was because he hasn't spoken to Ciara in a while, and he feels guilty about it. Staying on the phone was his only way of fixing his mess.