Dear Jimmy Grant,

I’ve done my best, I’ve fought my fight – and now it’s time to be quiet and accept fate. I’m happy with the choices I’ve made, I did my level best. When I spoke with you today, it was interesting, I think that I may never understand how you see the world. After all, we disagree so very much about so many things.

And yet, there’s nothing quite like a father’s love to make a girl feel okay with the world. It’s a small thing, hearing you say that you love me…but it means so much to me. After everything that we’ve been through, and as much as I try and distance myself. As much as I know I’ll get hurt, and that I can’t talk too long or let you get involved. I want to say thank you.

Thank you for loving me.

I think we differ significantly on whether that love really, truly shone through when I needed it the most. When I was young, and scared and I needed a father you weren’t there for me. But now that I’m grown and strong, you want to be. I don’t know how I feel about that. It will take time, I suppose, for me to decide.

But as I step out more and more on my own, and as Hawk and I grow further apart, maybe it’s a good time to hear my father say that he loves me. Maybe that means something to me in a different way than it did before.

So even with everything else that stands between us, including but not limited to a thousand miles, religion, science, morals and a lot of other disagreements besides, thank you for reaching out to me, Dad. I’ll always say thank you when I think it’s needed.

Thank you for loving me,

MarieAthena