The following day at the hotel restaurant where Melvin is staying

He sits at the table waiting for Bette. When Bette arrives she has Missy and the twins wait in the lobby since Melvin had no idea about their existence. When she walks in she notices him sitting alone and she brings him out of his thoughts when she touches his shoulder. He turns around and says

“Elizabeth.” He stands not knowing what else to do. He was trying to be very cautious of his actions and words. He really wanted her to make the first move so he would know what his boundaries were.

“Daddy,” she says in a low and shaky voice. Here she was standing in front of her father she hadn’t seen in almost 7 years.

“You look so beautifulI’ve missed you.”

She could see the tears forming in his eyes and no matter what he has done; her heart still broke for him. She closed the distance between them and gave him a hug. She silently cried as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“I missed you too.”

They were both oblivious to the people around them. They wanted this moment for a long time and they just wanted to savor it for a little longer. And after a few minutes they let go.

“Would you like to sit and talk for a while or do you have something else you have to do?”

“I came to see you, of course I have time.”

They both take a seat.

“I want to apologize for not being able to make to The Planet last night.”

“Its okay, Kit told me you were feeling tired.”

“Yeahso what is Australia like?”

“It’s a very beautiful country. I didn’t that I was going to like so much.”

“That’s good.”

“So what about you, how is your job going?”

“Well, I quit or retired, however you would like to categorize it. I had to because of my condition.”

“Daddy, I’m sorry.”

“There is no need to be sorry. You know Elizabeth, I always thought that the Porter’s were very strong people and that we didn’t need anyone to depend on. My mother used to say ‘We have to do what we got to do to succeed. Just because we’re black doesn’t mean that we can’t be as good as any of them white folks,’ so that was embedded in my mind for the rest of my life and I guess I have put some of that in you so you think the same way. But what I have come to learn these past few months is that we are as vulnerable as anyone else sitting in this restaurant. Lately I’ve been accepting things as they come, if something changes than it changes, if not than that’s fine too.”