Despite what he said earlier, General Patrick Cortez soon finds himself sitting opposite his daughter in a private room of a luxurious restaurant. Putting aside everything else, he cannot reject the chance to have a meal with his daughter again after 19 long years.
It has been a while since the dishes they ordered were served and Alycia is quietly eating. She looks calm, but the General is unsure if his daughter is like this on the inside. After all, he is still struggling to calm his nerves while trying his best to not show it.
The General also can't help but wonder how time has passed. When he left, Alycia was just 8 but now... she has grown into a beautiful lady.
"You have grown so much," he finally says in a very low voice. His small smile looks rather sad when he adds, "You were only a little girl back then."
Alycia Reese smiles upon hearing her father. "I always try my best," she says honestly. "So that one day, I would be able to show you how well I grew up even without you by my side." She spares her father a glance as she explains, "I told you before. I used to hate you."
When her father only stares at her with that same guilty expression, Alycia keeps on eating and calmly continues talking. "I took classes after that incident; I mean, I learned how to fight and also how to protect myself. I even know how to shoot guns now."
General Patrick Cortez raises a brow upon hearing his daughter. She learned how to fight and shoot guns too? He had no idea about that.
"So, you don't have to worry so much now," Alycia Reese calmly says after a moment of silence. "I can now protect myself. Besides, I own the best security agency in our country. I have the best bodyguards to assign whenever needed."
Perhaps for the first time, Patrick Cortez ends up flashing a small yet genuine smile. Everything he just heard... they were so like his daughter from his memory. It turns out that even after 19 years, his daughter does not change that much, if not at all.
"I am glad to hear that," he calmly remarks. There is a hint of pride in the way he gazes at his only daughter. Despite the trauma of the incident, he is glad that his daughter manages to overcome it and goes on to become a strong lady.
Alycia smiles and then shifts her gaze to the small shopping bag placed on the corner of the dining table. "I hope you accept that," she says and quietly adds, "I had a hard time picking out a gift for you."
She briefly recalls the time she went to the department store to pick out a gift for her father. Though it was just one thing, she ended up spending around an hour as she did not know what to buy. After all, it was her first time buying a gift for her father in 19 years. She is not sure of his taste at all.
General Patrick Cortez quietly stares at the shopping bag before he finally reaches for it. When he opens it, he sees a watch from a luxurious brand perfectly placed inside its box. Judging from the brand, the watch might be very costly, perhaps even more than a month's worth of his salary and the General could tell it. This makes him feel some pressure and hesitation too.
"It's already been 9 years since I became an adult," Alycia Reese explains when she understands what her father is feeling. "But it's my first gift for you since then. So, I want to give you that." Her lips curve into a little smile as she adds, "It will look great on you, Father."
"Had I known this beforehand..." General Patrick mutters with his eyes fixated on the gift his daughter got for him. He then continues by saying, "I should have got you something too. It feels bad to accept it alone."
Every word proves how much the distance between her and her father has grown and this feeling hurts Alycia to a certain extent. They are father and daughter. They are connected by blood yet... it is so hard to have a normal conversation like other fathers and daughters, let alone to give or accept gifts without pressure!
Still, Alycia Reese does not show anything and flashes another calm smile. "It's fine," she calmly reassures. "You can get me one on my birthday."
Maybe General Patrick manages to see through his daughter this time, he finally takes the watch and wears it after taking off the one he was wearing. Slightly lifting his hand, he observes his daughter's gift for a while and then smiles. "You were right," he points out and remarks, "It looks great on me."
Putting aside all the inner struggles she faced earlier, Alycia Reese ends up laughing at her father's comment. At least, her father also starts to make an effort and this calms her to some extent.
Mending and closing the distance between them does not look so hopeless anymore and she can't help but flash a genuine smile at the thought of it.
"You are 27 now," Patrick Cortez points out after a moment of silence. Even after thinking twice, his curiosity prevails and he continues by asking, "Do you have any plans for marriage? Or... do you have a boyfriend?"
Alycia who was quietly eating earlier, ends up slowing down when she hears her father's question. Soon enough, she unconsciously stops eating and narrows her eyes. She is reminded of the current unexpected events in her life after all.
When she reached out to her father's office for a meeting and also a reconciliation, Elliot McCall was also in her plan. If she managed to make up with her father, introducing Elliot to her father was what she intended to do. As both the two men are soldiers, she had hoped that they would get along well, but...
Things have gone wrong and now, it seems like she won't be able to fulfill her plan.
"I had a boyfriend," she finally tells her father after maintaining her silence for a good couple of seconds. "We broke up recently." Noticing the confusion and concern in her father's eyes, she forces a little smile and says, "I will tell you about it later. For tonight, let's just talk about us, Father."