"What did you say before?"
Almost as soon as Ivy Aretha had uttered these words, Michael Gordon's confused counter-question rang out, while his mind was still flipping through their entire conversation one sentence at a time.
"Forgive Dad!"
The bright and charming little face, the nonchalant words pierced through his ears, creating a sense of burying the hatchet with a smile.
"Ivy... do you know what else I have to say?"
The word 'forgive', Michael Gordon had guessed already, when Ivy Aretha had said to him on the phone, 'just because he's your father'. He had guessed then.
"But whatever you have to say, I promise you, and I can accept it!"
This time, without Ivy Aretha's unexpectedly direct confirmation, she declared, "So, Michael, go ahead, I've been waiting for a long time!"
