Discovery

"I need to know something," I said. "Tyndal, do you want to know if I'm really your father?"

She looked scared. "Yes, I'd like to know, but no, in another way. If you're not, are you going to leave me?"

"No, my name is on your birth certificate and I'm happy with that. It doesn't matter. I'll be your father no matter what. I just needed to know how you felt about it."

"If it doesn't matter, then I'm your daughter," she said. "I don't want to find out any different. I'll just believe I am. I think I am, anyway. We're a lot alike."

I laughed. "Well, you're little and cute and I'm big and ugly. I guess other than that, we're just alike."

She punched me. "That's not what I meant, and you're the opposite of ugly."

We talked for a long time and I told her what was going on. She was a little upset at first.

"Why did you do that, Dad? Do you just steal from people all the time? You shot someone!"

"No, I don't steal from honest people," I told her. "These people are taking drug money, money they get from extortion, murder and selling guns and cleaning it up by making it look like it came from legitimate businesses. Some of it may belong to the government. They do illegal shit like that, too. Ever hear of Iran/Contra?"

"Yes, but that money is stolen. What if it belongs to the government? Shouldn't we give it back?"

"Immoral things are immoral no matter who does them," I told her. "I'm your father. Does that mean that I can do immoral things to you because I'm an authority figure? Can I steal your money, spy on you, violate your privacy and do all those things without your consent?"

"No, of course not," she said. "I never thought about it that way. Won't it damage the country if that money is gone?"

"Maybe," I said. "I don't give a damn. It damages the burglar if you shoot him for breaking in your house. It's his fault. He shouldn't have come in my house. Screw him and any damage he suffers. These people break the law they force everyone else to keep. I hope they all get it in the neck, but they'll just be embarrassed for a while and go right back to doing it. They'll just be sneakier next time. They're human garbage, honey."

She looked up at me and those eyes were as blue as the sky. "You're very smart, Dad. You've thought a lot about this, haven't you?"

"For years," I told her. "I was one of them for a while. I woke up. Maybe a few more will wake up and someday the wolves will be too afraid of the sheep to do stuff like this. That's my dream. Anyway, that's why we're leaving."

We spent the next day getting her papers. Mr. Black made another appearance and he was just as pleasant as the first time. He knew how to do it so that you become a real person. We went shopping, got everything we were going to be able to take and spent the last night in the apartment. It blew apart the next day due to a massive gas leak and explosion. Tyndal and I were over the Pacific on our way to Fiji and a new life.

It was evening when we landed, and we checked into a hotel. I took her out to eat and we walked around for a couple of hours, just taking in the sights like a couple of tourists. Our room was beautiful and the vista out over the ocean was stunning. We sat on the balcony and drank fruit drinks. I had gotten her a cute little straw hat and she was wearing it and her new sunglasses. We sat, side-by-side, holding hands, and admired the sunset.

She sighed. "This is perfect, Dad. Where are we going to live?"

"I've taken care of that," I told her. "We'll go shopping tomorrow and I'll show you. We have a place."

It was the first time we had shared a room. I was falling in love with my daughter. The sound of her voice made me shiver, and I couldn't stop watching her as she moved around the room, getting ready for bed. I think she felt my eyes on her because she would glance at me and smile shyly from time to time. Finally, she had enough.

"Stop it, Dad, you're embarrassing me," she said.

I laughed. "I'm sorry, Tyndal. I just can't help it. I got cheated out of 17 years of watching you grow up. I can't believe I have you. You're just gorgeous and I can't get enough of looking at you."

She came over and kissed my cheek. "I'm not going anywhere. Dad, I'll be 18 in three months. You can look at me all you want to. You could even hug me," she hinted.

I pulled her down on the bed and squeezed her until she beat on me with her little fists. "I'm going to hug you until I memorize how you feel, how you smell." I buried my nose in her hair. It smelled like the floral shampoo she had used in the shower.

"I'd smell you, too, but you need a shower," she giggled. She jumped up to brush her hair and I got in the shower. She was watching TV when I came out and we sat on my bed and watched Dr. Who for a while. She yawned and climbed over into her bed, and then we turned out the lights.

"Dad," I heard her whisper.

"Umm?" I said.

"I love you," she said.

"Me, too, baby," I told her.

I heard her giggle and we drifted off.

*****

We went grocery shopping the next morning. There was a delivery service and I left it to them. We drove down the coast about fifteen minutes and I turned in at the gate. It had a keypad and I knew the code. The driveway was paved and it wound among the trees away from the beach for about 200 meters. The jungle opened up into lawn and Tyndal gasped when she saw the house. It was cream stucco with a red tile roof, just like I'd seen in the pictures.

"Dad, who lives here?" she asked.

"We do, baby. Do you like it?"

She bounced up and down in the seat. "I love it! Yeet! Really?"

I had to laugh. "I guess 'yeet' means something good? Yes, really. Casa Hamilton. I bought it a month ago. It should be ready for us." I rolled to a stop in front. "Wanna check it out?"

She seemed eager, since she was at the front door before I could get out. We did the grand tour. She was excited about everything, most of all about the pool and hot tub out back. We examined the six bedrooms and then went to the kitchen.

"Which room is mine?" she asked.

"Which one do you want?"

"Can I have the one upstairs with the little balcony over the pool?"

"Absolutely, Tyndal," I said. "You can have your pick. If you want that one, I'll take the one on the first floor. That way, when you have your wild parties the old man can get some sleep."

She laughed. "Yeah, when I invite all the people I know."

The doorbell rang and there was a guy at the door when we went to investigate. He introduced himself. "I am Nete," he said. "The agency sent me. I will be your caretaker."

We shook hands and I introduced myself and Tyndal. "What, exactly, do 'caretakers' do?" Tyndal asked.

He waved his hands around. "Everything," he said. "Well, I do not do anything inside. I will tend the grounds, drive you wherever you wish to go, arrange whatever you need."

"Where do you live?" I asked.

"I live in Suva," he said. "Is there anything special you need today?"

"We need someone to do things inside," I said. "Do you know anyone?"

"I have a large family," he said. "May I ask if someone needs work among them?"

That suited me, and we left him to it. Apparently, his family included people who needed work, because when Tyndal talked me into going to the pool with her that afternoon, he came around and told us his "little cousin" would be perfect for us.

Tyndal, in a bikini, was... very disturbing to me. I was thankful for my mirrored shades so that I didn't embarrass her with my eyes. She swam laps; it seemed like dozens of them. I was inspired to get up and swim with her. I was faster, but she just kept swimming, exhausting my oxygen supply in about ten minutes. She stopped and laughed at me when I got out, panting.

"Hey, old man, you out of gas already?"

I chuckled. "You're too tough for me. I can't hang with Katie Ledecky, out there."

She giggled and kicked off again. I puffed for a while, drank some water and got in the hot tub. She joined me after about ten more minutes and we lazed around the pool all day.

We talked about what we were going to do, trying to make some plans for the future. I asked her about school.

"I like school," she said. "I get really good grades, but I dropped out when I started... looking for you." She looked at me a little apprehensively.

"Hey, it's okay," I said. "Do you think you want to go back? Do you want to go to college?"

She nodded, those red-gold curls bouncing. "Yes, I do. Dad, do you think if I got really good grades I could go to medical school? I've dreamed all my life about being a doctor and helping people."

"What kind of a doctor do you think you want to be?" I asked her.

"I think I want to be a pediatrician," she said. "I would like to be a pediatric oncologist."

"Wow!" I was impressed. "My baby knows her mind. I think you can do anything you put your mind to. You're very smart, Tyndal. I know that, just from being around you the short time I have."

"I think you're really smart, too, Dad." She peeked up at me and those grey eyes were nearly blue.

I laughed. "I have low cunning," I told her.

She got a kick out of that. I loved her laugh, low and musical. "Got any other plans?" I asked.

"Just love my Dad," she said. "Dad, do you think I could get a dog? I've always wanted one."

"I don't see why not," I said. "What kind of a dog do you want?"

"A big one," she said. "Huge, wrinkly, wide, ugly."

I laughed. "Well, we'll have to see what we can come up with around here."

I was to learn that Tyndal was tenacious, once she got an idea in her head. About a week from the time we arrived and had out conversation, she came out on the back patio where I was lounging, with her laptop.

"Dad, you got a minute?" she asked.

"Sure, lovebug, what's up?"

"Come inside, I want to show you some stuff," she said.

I followed her to the sofa and she patted the cushion beside her. I settled in, obediently, and put my legs up on the coffee table. She snuggled up against me and put her legs on mine, holding her laptop so we could both see it conveniently.

She had several tabs open in her browser, and she clicked on one. There was a picture there of the ugliest dog I had ever seen. "I want one," she looked up at me, expectantly. "Isn't he cute?"

"What the hell is that?" I asked. "Cute? No, baby, I'm sorry, but he's a long way from cute. Remember your description? Huge, wide, wrinkly, ugly? That's a perfect description of that fellow."

"They're called Dosa Gae," she said. "He's a Korean Mastiff. I want one."

I laughed. "Well, in case you haven't noticed, this isn't exactly Korea," I said.

She smiled. "I know, but I found a breeder who will ship them, worldwide. We can get one. This is the father of the puppy I want." She flipped through some screens and there was the puppy. He was cute, I had to admit it. His wrinkles nearly covered his face and he was adorable.

She was waiting for me to say something. "How much do they cost?" I asked.

She didn't want to tell me. "A bunch," she said. "I'll get a job. I'll work and pay you back."

I put her laptop on the coffee table and squeezed her tightly. "Tyndal, if it would make you happy, it doesn't matter to me how much it costs. I will spend every dime we have to make you happy. It isn't about the money, baby. You know we don't have to worry about that. I was just curious."

She made no effort to move, just letting me hold her. "This makes me happy," she said. "Having you hold me and love me makes me happy. A puppy would make me even happier. It's $3000, plus shipping."

I laughed. "Well, are you sure you don't just want a little rat looking dog? I've seen a few around town we could dognap."

She laughed and nodded her head against my chest. "I'm sure. I would love the little rat, but I want that puppy."

"Well, that's settled, then," I said. "Was there something else you wanted to show me?"

She got her computer, again. "Yes," she said. "Dad, I don't want to go back to high school. I don't need to, here. I can go to college here without that. I want to enroll at Fiji National University and get my bachelor's degree, then I want to enter their medical school. It's kinda expensive, though. I hate to be like all a burden." She sniffed a little and her eyes were wet like she was going to cry.

I repeated my earlier maneuver, and held her again. "Tyndal, am I your father, or not?" I asked.

"Yes, you are." Her head bobbed and her voice was a little choked up as she got out the words.

"That's what I thought," I said. "I'm your father, and it's my responsibility to take care of my daughter; make sure she gets what she needs to have a successful life, give her what she needs, and everything that goes along with being a father. More than that, baby, it will be a joy to me to watch you conquer the world. I know how special you are, and until you came along, I was just... I don't know, just existing. Just living and waiting to die, I guess. I enjoyed my life, but it was kind of empty. Now that I have you, everything sparkles, I'm looking forward to getting up in the morning so I can see you, talk to you. You mean everything to me, and it makes me happy to do anything I can for you. Do you understand?"

She looked up at me and her eyes were completely filled. She climbed on top of me, straddling me ,and kissed me before pressing herself into me, burying her face in my chest and holding me in her little arms. "I love you, Dad," she murmured. "I'm so glad you feel that way, and I'm going to make you proud of me. I won't talk like that again. I'll just love you and tell you what I need. Will you tell me what you need?"

"I need you to love me," I said. "That's the only thing I need."

"I do, sooo much," she said. "When can I order the puppy?"

I laughed and gave her little butt a spank. "How about now?"

She squealed, and got off me, grabbing her computer and firing off a message.

The puppy arrived three weeks later. We picked him up at the airport, and she held him with me sitting beside her while Nete drove us home.

"What's his name?" I asked.

"I don't know," she said. "Do you know any Korean names?"

I laughed. "No, I don't. I don't know any Koreans. Kim Jung whatever is the only name I know."

She laughed. "I don't think I want to name him that." She got out her phone and Googled.

After a minute, she finished and hugged him to her. "Hallasan," she said. "His name is Hallasan. We'll call him Hal, for short. I love you, Hal," she cooed.

I laughed. "Not that I don't like Hal, but why that?"

"It's the name of the tallest mountain in Korea," she said. "He's gonna be a mountain."

Her prediction was accurate. He was a mountain. By the time he was a year old, he was close to 30 inches tall and weighed 160 pounds. He wasn't done growing, either. At that time, he was a 30-pound bundle of fur, drool and love. He loved Tyndal with an undying devotion, and condescended to give me the occasional lick and drool mess on my clothes. She was his goddess and he worshipped at her altar.

She enrolled in college, and when we were alone, he used me as a substitute god, lying on my feet, leaning against me constantly. I discovered that I loved him almost as much as she did.

She worked like a little slave at her schoolwork, and when the first semester ended, she came home, got on her computer and she was so proud to show me her GPA. It was 4.0. I was nearly bursting with pride, and I spoiled her rotten during her break.

Her 18th birthday was on December 31, and I planned a celebration for her. She had made several friends at school, and she brought most of them home with her to meet me. It seemed that there were always two or three girls around the house, and there were several boys, as well. A couple of them were the boyfriends of the girls she brought home, but a good many of them were smitten with Tyndal. I knew she dated from time to time, but I never noticed her favoring one about the others, and she never, as far as I could tell, had anything approaching a steady.

We joked around about particularly love-struck swains, but she seemed happy with just casual dates, and I sure wasn't complaining. Looking at four years of undergraduate work, plus med school, which she had firmly in her sights, serious relationships seemed quite a way down the road, in any case.

She was about half-way through her second semester, we were relaxing on a Friday night, after she had just finished swimming laps. She swam those laps four days a week, and she'd been making me swim with her. I was in the best shape I'd been in since I was a teenager. She still swam a dozen more than I did while I huffed and puffed to get my oxygen back. She was amazingly athletic.

Her laps done, she swam over to the side where I was sitting and rested on the side of the pool, her arms crossed on the edge and that little heart-shaped face resting on them. She seemed to be just watching me. She didn't say anything, and it made me nervous. "What?" I asked.

"What do you mean, 'What'?" she asked.

"I don't know." I chuckled. "You seemed like you were going to say something, or ask me something."

"Nope," she said. "Just cooling down."

Apparently, she was cool, because she put her hands on the pool rim and pushed herself up until her arms were straight and only her legs were in the water. It did... disturbing things to her breasts. They were pushed together, forming quite a valley of cleavage there. I had an idea of her as an adolescent in my mind; she was my baby girl, and that was hard to reconcile with the woman she'd obviously become.

I realized that my baby girl was spectacular looking, no longer a baby girl. How had I missed that? I mean, I knew she was hot, and her court of boys who hung around obviously thought so, too, but damn, she was HOT!

She pushed herself higher and climbed out. She walked away to the cooler to get a bottle of water, and I noticed her boobs weren't the only thing she had going on. She had one of the tightest and sexiest asses I'd ever seen. Her hips tilted as she walked, and she seemed to be exaggerating that. Her hard little butt jiggled, and that was about the sexiest walk I'd ever seen. She glanced back over her shoulder at me and I noticed a satisfied look on her face when she caught me watching. I had no idea what that was about.

She got her bottle of water and came back to the lounger beside me. As usual when she sat close to me, I felt her little hand slip into mine. She loved holding my hand, and I loved the feeling. We relaxed for a minute as she told me about a professor making life difficult for her.

Elenoa, Nete's "little cousin," who took care of us "inside" came to the patio door and asked if we needed anything before she took off for the evening. She said that dinner would be ready in 90 minutes, and Tyndal looked up at me with a mischievous expression. "Can we drink some wine?" she asked.

I had no objections, so I had Elenoa open a good bottle of white and bring it out with two glasses. She hugged Tyndal and gave me her usual little head nod, went back inside, and in a few minutes, we heard Nete's car pulling down the driveway. I popped the cork and poured.

Tyndal shivered a little at her first drink and I laughed, remembering her reaction to her first beer being identical back in my apartment in Miami. She gave me a quizzical look and I explained. She smiled.

"Yeah, I remember. It seems like a lifetime ago. It seems like I've been with you forever, you know?"

"Yes, I know, baby," I told her. "It's getting hard for me to remember when I didn't have you. Still, it seems like yesterday."

She cocked her head to one side like she did when she was thinking. She squeezed my hand. "Are you ever sorry?" she asked.

"Sorry we're together? God, no, Tyndal. The time since I got you has been the happiest time of my life. I would cut off my arm to have you. Never, ever, think I regret a single thing."