Once Simone's food arrived she dug in and allowed the taste to ease her stress. Mina asked for a few bites to which Simone happily moved the plate between them. The conversation was simple and light. Mina did most of the talking and Simone asked key questions which launched the girl into more story telling.
At one point she choked on her food as she was trying to talk and chew at the same time. Simone gently wiped her mouth and told her to slow down as they had all day.
Mina pouted. "I wish we lived in the same city so we could visit everyday. Daddy, can't we get a house here so we can be closer to big sister?"
Ronald looked away from his phone and smiled sweetly at Mina. "I'm sorry sweetie, but all of daddy and mommy's work is in the other city. We can't leave."
Mina looked a bit down.
"Plus, we have such a beautiful home. You love playing in the pool. And all your friends are the school. If we moved, you'd have to say bye to them."
Mina hadn't thought about these things. "Oh, you're right Daddy. I love our house and my friends, but I want to see big sister more. I barely see her."
Ronald looked up at Simone and he almost looked angry. She decided to speak. Pulling Mina into an embrace, she told her that for their next visit, she would go to the other city to see them.
"I'll come near the end of October and we can celebrate Halloween together. How's that?"
Mina's eyes immediately shone with happiness. "Omg! Yes, that would be the best! And we can dress up in matching costumes!"
Simone smiled. "Of course, we'll dress up as Disney princesses. I'll be big Cinderella and you can be mini Cinderella."
Mina got even more excited. "Omg! We would look so pretty. Cinderella sisters!"
Ronald was pleased to see that Mina was no longer sad, but at the same time he was annoyed that Simone had decided to initiate a visit. He'd prefer to keep all visits in this city alone and only meet at restaurants or parks.
He did not want Simone in his home and he knew Rebecca would balk at the idea.
But for the sake of their precious Mina, they'd relent.
Ronald gave a hard smile and agreed. "Okay, sweetie. We'll pick out a costume when you get home and have it all set for when Simone arrives."
"Uh, Daddy, can we go costume shopping together with big sister. It'll make it more fun if sister is there too."
Ronald struggled to keep the smile on his face. He cursed himself for having ever even mentioned to Mina that he had another daughter. He didn't want these two to have to ever meet. But Mina had been like a dog with a bone once she found out she had a sister and kept demanding they meet. Initially, Simone had refused, and he and Rebecca had thought that was the end of that. But Mina kept asking and crying and finally they managed to secure a phone call.
After that, all Mina wanted to do was go see her big sister. She would talk about Simone all the time and do so with such happiness that Ronald and Rebecca decided to relent for the sake of her joy.
They couldn't bear the thought of Mina being unhappy. After all the hardships they went through before finally becoming a true family. Ronald and Rebecca had always loved each other. Simone's mother had been an unwelcome intrusion that he had been desperate to get away from from the moment they wed. He didn't consider what he did to have been infidelity. He had never loved Simone's mother. His heart had always been with Rebecca.
If anything, he felt like he was cheating on Rebecca each time he was with Simone's mother. He couldn't even fuck her without picturing Rebecca's face. And afterwards, he'd have to wash himself cause he felt so gross.
He couldn't even stand to look at Simone for very long because she looked exactly like her mother. The daughter he never wanted with the woman he never wanted.
How did he even manage to put up with them for so long?
An awkward silence filled the booth as Ronald kept staring at Simone. She did not know what to make of the stare. It didn't look like anger, just disgust and...confusion.
Mina picked up on the weirdness. She looked back and forth between her father and her big sister. "Why is no on talking?"
Ronald was about to respond, but Simone beat him to it.
"We can't go shopping together. I'm going to be so busy. But don't worry, Cinderella costumes are all the same. We'll match, regardless."
That made sense to Mina. Though she was still upset they couldn't shop together, she decided to not push the issue. She knew that her big sister was sick and had to take medication for her head and her eyes and she could not sleep properly.
She felt so bad for her big sister.
Ronald was happy for the discussion to be over and went back to his phone. "So what are you two going to do for the rest of the day? We have to drive back by 5pm."
Simone looked at Mina. "I brought my bicycle with me. We could go to Borden Park and Mina could ride it."
Mina nodded. "That would be fun."
Ronald nodded, uninterested. He stood up and pulled on his jacket. It barely closed because of his beer belly. He paid for their meals and the three of them headed outside and walked towards his car.
After loading her bike into the trunk, Simone sat next to her sister in the back seat and two of them played tickle fight all the way to the park.
Ronald smiled slightly when he heard Mina laugh.