"Hey dad" Liz said, carefully sitting in front fo the thick glass where her father smiled over at her.
God, she hated coming here.
"How's my girl doing?" He asked, the security guard walking behind him, not even glancing at the two as she made it to to the end, tapping one of the inmates on the shoulder to inform him that his time was over. The man nodded slightly, looking over and saying something to the other guy on Liz's side of the window. The guy gave him a pained smile, waving and saying something back. The security guard said something again, seeming stern. The inmate nodded and stood from the chair, politely pushing it and walking away, the guard following behind him. The guy watched him leave, his smile falling.
"Hey, I'm here" Her dad said, tone half-joking. Liz snapped out of her daze, looking over at her father, ignoring the guy that was starting to leave, a guard escorting him.
"Sorry dad" She said, and he nodded slightly in understanding.
"I know you hate it here Liz, I'm sorry you have to go through all that just to come and see me" He said, smiling at her sympathetically. Liz shrugged slightly.
"It's fine dad" She said, voice soft. He leaned forward a bit.
"Sorry, I couldn't hear you" He said, and just as Liz went to repeat what she'd said a guard came up behind her dad.
"Move away from the glass" The guard said, and her father immediately complied. After all, people were only allowed visitors if they were on good behavior. The guard nodded, continued their walk down the line. Her father smiled at her slightly.
"Sorry about that, what did you say?" He asked again, this time not moving forward.
"I said it's fine" She repeated, staying as patient as ever. When you drive hours to see your father, go through endless amounts of security and get checked over and over again, you learn to just deal with it, and be patient.
After all, what else could she do? Force her dad to call her every night and have him spend countless amounts of money for every minute they speak?
No, the visits were easier.
For her father at least.
"Anyways, how has it been at your new school? Your mom told me that you seem to be doing good" He said, and Liz forced a smile.
"Yeah, my grades aren't slipping and I'm making some new friends" Liz lied easily. She'd had to change her last name, if only for people to not connect her to her father.
Those first few weeks had been hell, with news stations waiting in front of their home, just to get in a few questions that neither her mother or Liz would answer.
She'd been lucky enough to be able to avoid them.
"That's good! Are you thinking of joining any clubs? You were always really good in writing" He said, trying to keep up a conversation.
"I was thinking Journalism, or maybe something like Volleyball. Not too sure though" Liz said, fiddling with the hem of her T-Shirt. They weren't allowed to wear shorts, tank tops or hoodies when visiting, so that left Liz with wearing an old T-Shirt and sweatpants, since the jeans she'd worn last time had set off the metal detector.
Because of that, she hadn't been able to visit her father last time.
"That's good! Maybe if you have the time you could do both, and I can send some money to your mother if you need it" He said, smiling at her. Liz smiled back at him, despite knowing he didn't have that kind of money.
Not anymore.
"Thanks dad. Anyways, how has it been for you?" She inquired, despite not wanting to hear it.
"Oh, the usual. Nasty food, nasty bathrooms. Although they changed my bunkmate, since they caught him with some weed. The new ones a shy kid, probably here for drugs or something. Heard something about him being here for only a couple months" He said, shrugging slightly. Liz nodded slightly, politely. Just as her father went to speak up though, the guard walked up behind him, immediately silencing him.
"30 minutes are up. Say your goodbye's" They said, voice curt. Liz loathed that tone of voice. Some guards were nicer than others, sometimes letting them have a moment to say goodbye, while others were stricter, rushing and being unreasonable.
Although they were doing their jobs, so Liz couldn't really hate it too much.
It wasn't them that took her father from her.
It was his actions that brought him here.
That doesn't mean she loves him any less though.
"Of course" He said, turning to Liz, clearly seeming to not be trying to rush things, despite the looming presence of the guard behind him. He smiled at her, that toothy grin of his.
"I'll call you tonight, okay? Of course, it won't be for long, but just to see if you got home safe. You taking the bus this time, or is your mom picking you up?" He inquired.
"Mom is waiting outside, she brought me this time" She said, and the guard loomed closer.
"Okay, well, I'll talk to you later, okay? Bye, love you baby girl" He said, and Liz smiled at him, trying to not make it looked forced.
"Love you too" She said, waving at him as they both stood at the same time. Her father waved back, although he wasn't able to get any other words in as he was escorted to the exit door. Liz let out a sigh, watching him walk off, in a similar fashion to the guy from earlier. As the door closed behind the guard and her father, she turned towards her own exit, the guard next to the door nodding at her, smiling at her sympathetically. Liz smiled back weakly.
"Come on" The female guard said, opening the door for the two. Just as she exited, another guard came in to take her place to watch over while she escorted Liz back to the entrance, where she would be brought through the metal detector, checked to make sure she still had all her items on her person, and then be given back all the items she'd been forced to strip off per dress code.
Because not only was her father suffering in there, she was suffering from the choices he'd made.
The choices he'd made for her and her mother.
But really, that only made her loathe it more.