**Diary Entry – 10th September 2023**
He came back from fishing far too soon—and walked straight into something he never expected.
William Hartwood always went fishing on Fridays. He drove out of Manchester, revved the engine, and headed towards his usual spot by the riverbank—his escape, his solitude. But the moment he left the city, the sky darkened with heavy clouds, and fat raindrops hammered against the windscreen.
“Well… plans change,” he sighed, turning the car around.
Forty minutes later, he unlocked the front door.
“Dad, why are you back?” his daughter called out from her room, sounding surprised.
“Weather turned. No fishing today. What are you up to?”
“Just watching a show,” Emily replied before disappearing again.
William went to the kitchen, pulled out ingredients, and started cooking dinner. Everything felt routine—chopping, frying, the kettle whistling. When the food was ready, he went to call her.
He knocked. The door to her room wasn’t locked, and it creaked open slowly…
William froze. His stern gaze landed on the figure of a young man standing awkwardly by the window. His daughter’s eyes were wide with panic; the boy’s face was stiff with tension.
Something clicked in William’s mind. He understood without words.
He had raised Emily alone. Her mother had left when she was just a baby—gone off with another man, moved abroad, and never looked back except for the odd Christmas card. William hadn’t hardened his heart. He hadn’t broken. He had been both father and mother to her, her anchor, her support. Maybe that was why he’d grown so strict.
He knew everything—what she ate, who she spoke to, when she came home, what she thought. And yes, he forbade things. Gymnastics? Not when her grades slipped. A certain friend? No, she hung around a bad crowd. A *boyfriend*? Not until after university! The last thing he needed was teen pregnancy or failed exams.
Emily never argued. She understood—he was trying. But inside, resentment simmered.
When she fell for Daniel, a final-year student—kind, clever—she was terrified to tell her father. They began seeing each other in secret. She lied about late-night study sessions, claiming she was at the library. Sometimes she pretended to stay at a friend’s, only to spend the night at Daniel’s flat, bought by his parents.
Daniel begged her: *Move in with me*. She couldn’t. Not out of fear, but love. She didn’t want to disappoint her dad. He’d raised her alone, and she refused to betray him like her mother had.
But that day… she took the chance. With her father out fishing, she invited Daniel over. Just to spend time together. They bought sparkling wine, put on a show, settled on the sofa—and then, the sound of a key in the lock.
William walked in, unsuspecting. Emily rushed into the hallway.
“Dad! You’re back?”
“Downpour out there. No fishing in that mess. What are you doing?”
“Watching a show,” she lied.
“Right. And what’s with the wine on the counter?”
“Just fancied a glass,” she said, shrugging.
“Mm-hmm. *Two* glasses. Sure. Fancy some company?” He poured into both, smiled faintly, then said:
“Might as well invite him out here. I’m not blind. Never believed those ‘library’ excuses or ‘sleepovers’.”
Emily flushed, biting her lip.
“Dad… I didn’t want to upset you. You always said studies come first.”
“You aced your exams. Clearly, you can balance things. Go on, fetch him.”
Daniel stepped out. Nervous, but polite. Shook William’s hand. William studied him, then looked back at Emily. He sighed.
“Alright. Sit down. Let’s have a drink.”
It went smoother than expected. A month later, Emily said,
“Dad… I’m moving in with Daniel.”
“It’s early. You’ve only just started seeing each other.”
“We love each other. And I’m grown now. But you’ll always be the most important person in my life.”
William nodded silently. His chest ached—with pride, with pain.
She’d grown up. But she hadn’t turned away. That was what mattered.
