Melody looked at him hard to see if he's really going to say yes. Ariel waited too, to see what his response would be.

"I-I...can't," Eric winced at his answer. Melody looked like as if her birthday got canceled. No, this couldn't be! Her dad said, 'I can't!' Melody moved a little back from him.

"What? Why?" She half-whispered half-yelled.

"I-I have work and my boss needs me," 说 Eric. Melody tensed up. Her fists clenched and her teeth gnashed.

"Work? Work! Daddy! That's all I have heard! Work this! Work that! Boss that! What about me! 你 never have time for me!"

"Melody please listen-" Eric pleaded.

"No! 你 listen!" Melody yelled. "You never play with me! 你 never come to my 足球 games 或者 talent shows! I'm getting a funny feeling that 你 care about work 更多 than me!"

"That's not true!" Eric disagreed. "I do care about you!"

"No, 你 don't! Otherwise, you'd play with me! 你 don't do anything with me at all!" Melody yelled. She really wants him to come to her talent show! Why couldn't he understand that she needs him?

Eric was stunned 由 Melody's outbursts and refusal to listen (or even understand) his reasons.

"Oh, grow up, Melody!" Eric grumbled.

"Mr. Barnes!" Ariel said, shocked 由 Eric's words. She was in all shock while this fight was going on. She tried to say something but Eric continued.

"I've been working like a dog every 日 just so 你 could have an education and not live in the streets!" Since his wife left him, Eric had to work double-shift to support himself and Melody. "I gave 你 toys; I gave 你 food! What 更多 do 你 want from me!" He mentally winced at how harsh he is sounding. Normally, he would not raise his voice, but his daughter's refusal to hear his reasons were irritating him. Ariel was taken back 由 Eric. How could he sound so mean? Ariel knew she should stop the fight but how could she when her boss and his daughter were ignoring her?

"Melody! Mr. Barnes! Stop!" But her voice fell on deaf ears.

Tears streamed down from Melody's eyes. Her dad wasn't willing to give up a 日 at work for her?

"I hate you!" Melody screamed.

Hearing at those words, both Eric and Ariel were taken back. Ariel put her hand over her mouth, while gasping. Eric looked as if he had been slapped in if the face.

I never want to speak 你 ever again!" Melody continued. She ran upstairs to her bedroom and slammed the door. It took a while for the two adults to overcome their shock. Ariel looked at Eric. She noticed that his eyes looked cloudy.

"Mr. Barnes...," she 说 so softly.

"My boss 说 no!" Eric barked. "It's not like I have a choice! I don't want to lose my job!"

Ariel tried to think.

"Well..," she said, hesitantly, solemnly. "You have a choice to make."

"What's that?" Eric asked, still angirly.

"See Melody's 显示 或者 go to work," she answered. With that said, Ariel went upstairs.

Eric stayed at the bottom of the staircase and sighed. He knew she was right but the choice was so hard to make. How would he know which one to pick?


Author's Note: Okay, I hope I didn't make Eric 或者 Melody OOC. If I did, I apologize. I wasn't sure whether to have him tell Melody the truth 或者 lie about it but I learned that Eric is an honest type. He doesn't lie very much thus, I decided to write him saying he couldn't come. I was going to write to have Ariel advise Eric to change his work schedule but I don't know if every company does that. I requested my boss to let me change my work hours at my job on campus, but I don't know if a professional man like Eric would have a choice in that. But for the sake of my story, I'll pretend that his boss doesn't let him change his work schedule.