Nothing but a Pretty Face

📍 Chapter 13 of Gina's story (Episode 19). New here? Start at Episode 1 → https://daddy-tissues.captivate.fm/episode/im-fcking-doing-this Seven years. Seven years I had not seen this man, not once. Same neighborhoods, same bars, same shore towns, same everything — Philly's not that big and the shore's even smaller — and not one sighting. He went from the moon to just gone. And now here he is, at the one bar, on the one day, at no-shower happy hour. This is Chapter 13. I knew exactly what this was: God had finally answered my prayer from the ocean at 17. So I handed Dr. Murray my drink and walked across that bar like I was walking into surgery — me, the girl who never pursued a man in her life, who'd see a guy and discuss it with a friend for four to six business days. And he pulled my sunglasses down my nose real slow and said, "I want to see your face." On the one day I'm legally allowed to look like this and smell like this. That was the whole point of no-shower happy hour: the sunglasses stay on. And this man broke the deal to look at my face. Numbers exchanged. I went home, showered, did the full face — the real face, the one I'd spent seven years wishing he'd seen instead of the other thing he saw — and sat there in my best outfit waiting by the phone like it was 1998 and he was going to call the landline. What happened at 2 a.m. involved his name and the letter N about 700 times. What happened the next morning involved an everything bagel, a bag of potato chips, and the floor. Then, because believe it or not I was still on my mission, a bartender with beautiful eyes who made me laugh. We're calling him Night Shift. Almost a year of fun — no plan, no "where is this going," two ships passing in the same night, one of them docked by 9 p.m. with a retainer in. Until one night he got really drunk and said one sentence I can still give you with the punctuation. And a little while later there's a knock at my door: a crying man, a handwritten letter, and the exact Louis Vuitton I had wanted my entire adult life. A gift is not an apology. A gift is an apology-shaped object. Two doorways, eight years apart. At 17 the bar was on the floor next to a bare mattress and I handed a man a medal for stepping over it. At 25 the bar went to the top shelf. The men didn't change — there's a Night Shift in every bar in America. What changed was the exit. Nobody tells you this part about healing: the day you're healed isn't the day you finally pick the right man. It's the day you pick the wrong one and leave in one sentence instead of 11 years. Grab your daddy tissues. Till next time, my queens. 🖤 ⚠️ Contains strong language and discussion of drinking, drunk texting, a blackout (recapped), and dating as a single mom. 📖 Daddy Tissues is a true story told in order. Start at the beginning. Links to episodes👇🏻 New episodes every Monday. Grab your daddy tissues. Till next time, my queens. 🖤 Connect with Daddy Tissues: Follow along for more brutally honest conversations about dating, divorce, motherhood, daddy issues, toxic relationships, healing, self-worth, and all the emotional junk we somehow inherited without asking for it. 🎧 FOLLOW THE SHOW If Daddy Tissues has ever made you laugh, cry, or think holy shit, me too, hit FOLLOW so you don’t miss the next chapter. Everywhere: https://daddy-tissues.captivate.fm/listen Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033ygF97LFxvu3ZpHysLMb Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daddy-tissues/id1896925409 ⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW That helps more than you know. It tells the algorithm that this white trash right here is worth listening to. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daddy-tissues/id1896925409 Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/daddy-tissues-6514529 💸 THE SWEAR JAR Every “fuck” costs me a quarter. Bail me out here: https://daddy-tissues.captivate.fm/support 📱 SOCIALS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daddy.tissues.podcast TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTSHPhqwR/ YouTube: https://youtube.com/@daddy.tissues.podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1ECbqyrWpk/ Website: https://daddytissuespodcast.com Music: “Do It Anyway” by Scarlett Solo, used under license. Disclaimer: Daddy Tissues is a personal storytelling podcast for entertainment, reflection, and connection. It is not therapy, legal advice, medical advice, financial advice, or a replacement for professional support. Names and identifying details may be changed or omitted to protect privacy. 📚 THE WHOLE STORY, IN ORDER: every episode, start to finish