Daddy Dearest: A Christmas Story

by Rachel Burns

  Morgan looked at the pile of her hair on the floor, wondering if she had bald spots on her head now.

  She left the guest room and never entered that room again.

  ~

  One night during the summer vacation of her thirteenth year, Morgan got a terrible stomachache. She felt as if she was going to die.

  The feeling wouldn’t pass. After suffering for hours, she made herself get out of bed and go and knock on her father’s door.

  Martin opened his door and rubbed his eyes. He couldn’t believe that she was bothering him in the middle of the night. “Please, sir, I don’t feel well. My stomach hurts so much.”

  Martin stared at her. He really just wanted to go back to bed, but what if it was her appendix?

  He got dressed and drove her to the hospital.

  They sat in the waiting room for a while, waiting for the nurse to call out her name, but it was never her turn.

  Morgan had her arms wrapped around her stomach, and she was doubled over in pain.

  He went to complain to the nurse, dropping his name. They got called out right away then. The doctor looked her over and did a couple of tests with her.

  When he announced that she was having her first period, and that it was nothing serious, Martin wanted to go at her right then and there. He couldn’t believe how much she had embarrassed him.

  He thanked the doctor and grabbed hold of her by her upper arm tightly and yanked her out to his car again.

  As always, he beat her when they got home.

  Morgan was so ashamed of herself, and she felt so dirty. Then the bleeding started, disgusting her.

  She didn’t understand it even if they had mentioned it at school. She hadn’t really believed that it could happen to her.

  Before she’d feared that her father hated her, now she was certain.

  Martin went even more out of his way to avoid her, and Morgan did the same.

  Chapter 5

  The years passed, and everything stayed the same. Morgan avoided her father, and he spanked her for each and every bad grade she ever got.

  She turned into a very shy person who spoke perfect French, who worked hard to get straight A’s in school, who knew Kung Fu, and did a little ballet when she was allowed. But her greatest skill was in fencing. She could beat anyone with a sword except her father. She was too scared of him to really fight him.

  Morgan was letting him win, but he didn’t see it that way. He yelled at her to be more concentrated, and he accused others of letting her win. Her trainers tried to avoid him, but this was the one thing that they actually did together. He took her to his club.

  Morgan was also very good at tennis, and she was also skilled on the golf course. She had grown long and thin. She wasn’t very pretty, and it was something that her father commented on often.

  Her breasts were slowly coming in, but they weren’t much to speak of. Her hips didn’t round out nicely like the other girls her age. She had tiny muscles, and she still looked like a little girl, except that she was tall.

  ~

  Morgan was going to turn sixteen tomorrow. She was at school, and her father had never sent a gift or a card, but all of her friends were convinced that because she was Martin Swift’s daughter that she would be getting a car tomorrow.

  Morgan explained that he was very busy, and that she didn’t have a license yet, but they insisted. The next day, nothing special happened, and everyone was so disappointed.

  Shortly after that, they stopped hanging around with her. She was no fun, and she didn’t have cool things to share with them.

  Morgan realized that they only wanted to use her because of who her father was. She started to have great problems believing that anyone could like her for her.

  ~

  Then a new girl arrived at school. She got sent here because she had caused problems at another school. She was loud and talkative and the perfect friend for Morgan, who listened to Fiona and hung on her every word.

  Because their fathers did business together, Fiona introduced herself, telling Morgan that her father had told her to say hi. The two girls met, and it clicked. They became inseparable.

  Fiona attracted people towards her, and Morgan was no exception. They switched rooms so they could be roommates and talked until late in the night, telling each other everything. Morgan left out that her father hated her.

  Fiona wouldn’t be able to understand something like that. Her father visited her often, and he called every night. He knew when she had tests, and when she had a bad day, Fiona talked to her father for hours on the phone. The weird thing was that Fiona wasn’t an only child. She was one of twelve kids, and her mother had just had another baby.

  ~

  When Fiona invited Morgan to spend Easter with her family, Morgan had to do something she had never done before. She needed to call her father. She didn’t know his number so she went to the school secretary and explained that she would like to call her father. That was normal because the girls weren’t allowed to have cell phones. Most had them anyway.

  “I don’t remember his number, and I can’t find my address book. Could you look it up for me, please?”

  Because Morgan was such a nice quiet girl who excelled in all areas, the secretary did as she was asked without commenting that she’d never had to look up a girl’s number before. A girl should know her home phone number. Then she saw that no home phone number was listed, only an office number. She wrote the number down and gave it to Morgan so she would have it in the future.

  Morgan was thrilled when her father’s secretary answered and not her father. She told the woman she’d never met about the invitation, pointing out that her friend’s father was a business associate of his. The secretary promised to speak to her father and get back to her.

  “Thank you, ma’am.” Morgan said, handing the phone back to the secretary.

  “Morgan, when was the last time you spoke to your father?” the school secretary asked her as Morgan was about to leave.

  Should she lie or tell the truth? “My father is extremely busy. The last time was Christmas.”

  The secretary smiled at her. As soon as Morgan was gone, the secretary went into the director’s office and told the director what had just happened.

  The director told her about the day Martin Swift enrolled his daughter at the school. There was nothing that they could do. They couldn’t force a father to take interest in his daughter and love her.

  ~

  Morgan got called into the office the next day. The secretary was pleased to tell her that her father’s secretary had called, giving her permission to go to her friend’s house.

  Morgan was over the moon. Her father’s secretary was sending her a package with gifts for her hosts.

  Morgan was thrilled that she wouldn’t look like a moocher. She wanted to make a good impression on Fiona’s parents.

  Morgan sometimes talk to Fiona’s father when Fiona was in the bathroom taking a shower. She’d answer the phone so no one would hear it ringing and know that Fiona had a phone. Mr. Patterson always asked Morgan how she was doing. He never forgot, not even once. And he listened to her answers. She knew that because he would ask her about the things she told him the last time they talked.

  She’d never met anyone like him. Well, other than his daughter. Morgan felt blessed to have Fiona in her life and as her friend.

  Fiona loved that Morgan adored her. Her parents loved that Morgan had the ability to slow her friend down.

  ~

  On the last day of school before Easter vacation, Mr. Patterson showed up personally to pick the girls up. He arrived with his limo driver, telling the girls to hurry because he had to pick up five of Fiona’s brothers as well. His wife was getting the other girls. He also had his two-year-old son with him.

  Fiona immediately picked him up and talked with him. It was clear that she adored him.

  Morgan whispered to Fiona how lucky she was to have so many brothers and sisters.

/>   Fiona told her to wait until they picked up her other brothers, commenting that the one on her lap was the only normal one.

  Morgan met the five other brothers and thought that they were pretty cool too. She thought that the teasing they were doing among each other was funny.

  Mr. Patterson had turned off his phone, and he was using this car trip to catch up with his kids. He knew everything about them. When two of the boys got wild, his fingers moved to his belt, and they stopped immediately.

  Morgan was surprised because she didn’t think that he would spank his kids at all. Were the punishments she got normal?

  Maybe she was too sensitive?

  Fiona’s mother and the other kids were already at home. Mrs. Patterson had a baby in her arms when she welcomed Morgan to her home. Mr. Patterson took the baby to free up his wife’s hands.

  Everyone went inside, and everyone was talking all at once. They talked with their parents and with each other while Morgan listened to them and smiled. She thought this was amazing.

  Fiona was someone who needed people around her because she was used to it. Morgan wondered if her father had also been an only child, like she was. Was that why he didn’t like having her around? He just wasn’t used to it.

  But where did that leave her? Was it better to try to get to know him, or was it better to steer clear of him?

  Because Fiona’s brothers and sisters acted up often, Morgan knew that they got threatened with spankings. Even Fiona did, which embarrassed her.

  No one threatened Morgan, but she behaved herself and spent most of the time watching the others with a smile on her face. She was just thrilled to be there.

  ~

  On Easter morning, each child got a basket with chocolates and gifts, but the baskets were hidden in their large garden. Morgan stayed off to the side, watching the others look for their baskets.

  “Aren’t you going to look for yours?” Mr. Patterson asked Morgan.

  “Who me?” she asked, pointing at herself. “There isn’t one for me.”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” Mrs. Patterson said. “The only way to know if the Easter Bunny brought you one too is to go and look.”

  Morgan was smiling so much that her cheeks hurt. “Really?” she asked them, not wanting to make a mistake, but the idea of getting a gift was so tempting. Her father never gave her a gift, not on Christmas or on her birthday. She had never even thought to want something for Easter.

  “Go on and look for it before it starts to rain,” Mr. Patterson told her.

  As she darted off to find her basket, she heard him worry that they might not be able to do the egg rally this year. It amazed her that Fiona’s parents wanted to spend time with their kids.

  It took her half an hour, but she did indeed find a basket with her name on it. She sat down by the pond and admired it for a moment before she joined the others. The others were on the patio, opening their baskets. Everyone got a chocolate bunny and other candy, but they also got gifts.

  Morgan had a purse in her basket. It was beautiful, and she thanked her hosts for it several times. It became her most valuable possession, right after her doll.

  Fiona’s sisters were interested in Morgan’s doll. They asked her why they didn’t replace her with a new one.

  Morgan explained that she didn’t mind that her doll hardly had any hair left, and she didn’t mind that the doll’s features were fading. She loved her no matter what she looked like because the doll was all that she had left from her mom.

  They didn’t understand that, but Fiona did. “Her doll is cool. None of you are allowed to touch it. If you do, I’ll tell Dad, and you know what he’ll do.”

  Morgan watched them back away from her doll.

  Later, Fiona asked Morgan to keep the secret about her dad spanking them.

  “My dad still spanks me too. I doubt that it will ever cross his mind that I could be too old for it,” Morgan assured her friend.

  Mr. Patterson overheard the two girls talking. It helped him with his decision to do business with Martin Swift’s company. If he was able to raise such a lovely person, then he must be an honest business man.

  He decided to call him and praise his daughter on Monday after he brought the girls back to school.

  Chapter 6

  Martin was thrilled when his secretary told him that he had a call from Nils Patterson. He had wanted to do business with him for a long time. Their company made boxes in all shapes and sizes, and they had the best quality. If he could have a piece of that company, it would save him millions.

  “Martin, I wanted to thank you for sharing your daughter with my family over Easter.”

  Martin was taken aback for a moment. He knew that Morgan had spent Easter with a friend, but he had no idea that she had been at Nils Patterson’s house. Then he had to wonder if she had done or said something to embarrass him.

  “I hoped she behaved herself?” he asked.

  “She was an angel. You’re raising a wonderful child.” Nils praised her.

  “I’m glad to hear that she made me look good.”

  “She really did. She’s such a lovely girl. I was wondering if we could take our girls out for a nice day of golfing and maybe talk a little business.”

  “That would be great.” Martin was thrilled. Morgan had opened a door for him that had mostly remained shut. Nils didn’t want to give up a percentage of his family-owned business. If Martin could buy in, it would weaken Nils’s holdings and position in the company, but Martin didn’t care about Nils’s best interest. He only cared about his own.

  “Perfect. I’ll have my secretary contact yours and make the arrangements.”

  “I’m looking forward to it,” Martin told him.

  “I think it’s important to meet my children’s friends too. Nowadays, you never know who they’ll bring home, but we were taken with your daughter. She was polite and very nice. She can come over whenever she wants.”

  Martin was unsure what to say. He didn’t see Morgan as a nice person who he wanted to spend time with. “I’m looking forward to meeting your daughter too. Morgan speaks highly of her,” he said, making it sound as if they talked often.

  They said goodbye.

  ~

  Their schedules first matched the weekend that the school year ended. Martin found himself in the back of the limousine with his daughter. They often shared a limo to the various clubs where they went, but it was mostly to the fencing club. He usually ignored her on those trips.

  “Do you have classes with Mr. Patterson’s daughter?” he asked Morgan, looking her over and wondering what the other girl saw in her.

  “Yes, sir, but we’re also roommates.” Morgan longed to tell him enough so Fiona and her father would think that she came from a normal home.

  “Roommates,” he repeated surprised as he nodded. “What a stroke of luck.”

  “No, sir. It wasn’t luck. We chose to live together.”

  “Even better. You did well.” He smiled at her. If he had known that the girls were at the same school, he would have told Morgan to be nice to her and to try to get close to her.

  Morgan grinned so much that her teeth started to show in a funny way. That made Martin sigh and roll his eyes. She was so goofy. The problem was that she didn’t have an elegant female role model that she needed. He liked to keep her separated from his affairs. He doubted that they would be good role models for his daughter. They were only after his money, and he was only after their bodies.

  Martin doubted that Morgan would ever be savvy. It would be better if he found someone else to take over his businesses. Morgan wasn’t up to the job.

  It might be best if he found someone for her to marry. Someone who would be able to tolerate her presence and keep her in check as well as do his dealings for him. It might be best to hire someone to search for a husband for her when the time came.

  ~

  Nils Patterson had his arm around his daughter’s shoulders as they walked over to the Swift famil
y as they exited the limousine.

  He noted that the two girls smiled at each other. He loved that Morgan was his daughter’s best friend. It was about time that Fiona found a friend who had a good influence on her. Fi was a happy girl, but she had the messed-up idea in her head about what you had to do to be popular. But something had clicked between the two of them, and now his daughter was getting good grades for the first time, and she wasn’t trying so hard to be a joker. Morgan’s seriousness rubbed off, making Fi more mature.

  Morgan shyly introduced her father to her friend and her father, making Martin fight not to roll his eyes. He knew that Nils was a family man through and through. He also noted that Fiona was a looker. She was the type of girl who must be very popular at school. It amazed him that she’d be interested in Morgan. Perhaps Nils had instructed her to get close to Morgan. That meant that the cards were in Martin’s favor.

  “How are your wife and the other kids doing?” Martin asked him as they walked towards the first hole.

  “All are well. The kids are enjoying their summer vacation, and my wife hired a new nanny to help her with our new baby, so she’s feeling more relaxed too.”

  “That’s great,” Martin responded. He would go mad with a household full of kids. Morgan was already one too many.

  “It’s a shame that Morgan doesn’t have any siblings. I can’t tell you how sorry I am that you lost your wife so young.”

  “We weren’t married,” Martin told him, figuring that this was the first time that anyone had ever given him a heartfelt condolences for Stephanie’s death.

  “Yes, but you already had an amazing daughter. It was only a question of time.”

  “True, but we weren’t given that time,” he said, playing along.

  “You have a wonderful daughter. You must be so proud of her.” Nils looked over at the girls with their clubs over their shoulders as they walked. Fi had the idea that they had to play with only one club no matter what.

  “My daughter is very fond of yours. It works well with them as roommates,” Martin commented.