Avery trusted her heart to a man who promised her forever. When he betrays her trust, should she stay and rebuild what was broken or let go and move on?
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Prepare to be swept away on a rollercoaster of emotions as Avery engages with the comp...
HER DAD'S EYES GREW bigger. Avery cleared her throat. "Dad, I'm pregnant. You and Mom are going to be grandparents."
"That disgusting piece of shit! Oh, my Muffin!" Tears slowly filled her dad's face. He seemed to waver between devastation and happiness, his jaw quivering.
Avery gently wiped her dad's tears. Though her lips curved her signature muffin smile, inside, her heart was grieving. The tears that fell from her dad's eyes shot like daggers to her heart. She felt insensitive, spilling the complicated stories of her life in one enormous blow.
"I'm so sorry, Dad. I didn't mean to overwhelm you this one time. But..."
"My Muffin. Stop apologizing. You have nothing to be sorry about." This time, her dad wiped the tears that slowly fell on her cheeks.
"I know my situation is such a complicated mess. I don't even know how I'm going to tell Mom. First, about the wedding not pushing through and me having a baby alone." Like when she was a little girl, Avery started sobbing, and her dad would cup her face in his hands.
He lifted her chin and tucked the strands of hair behind her ears. "Look at me. We are going to tell Mom everything together. Like the best dad-daughter team we'd been. There's nothing you should worry about. Mom loves you most in this world. We both love you, and nothing can change that."
"Thank you, Dad." They shared a tight embrace.
"I love you and that little munchkin in your tummy. Mom and I will ensure you and the baby will be fine."
Her cell phone rang while Avery and her dad were preparing to leave the park. Her fingers automatically canceled the call when she saw the name of the last person she wanted to see or hear from. But, just by the look on her face, her dad knew who was calling her.
Avery's phone chimed multiple times once they buckled up in the car. First, she and her dad looked at each other. Then, before she could open the messages, her dad sighed aloud.
"Go ahead. Read what that son of a bitch has to say!"
With her hands shaking, Avery opened the messages she dreaded reading. She knew that as much as she would want to avoid David, the time would come when she had no choice but to face him again.
David:Babe, where are you? I just arrived at our apartment. Please let us talk before our family dinner tomorrow.
David: Ave, babe, I love you. Only you.
David: Babe, tell me where you are, and I'll come to pick you up.
Lost for words, emotionless, she slid her phone inside her bag. Even without glancing at her dad on the driver's side, Avery was sure he was all eyes on her. Her eyes wandered for a moment to see nature in front of them. Birds chirped in chorus in a straight line on a tree branch. Leaves danced gracefully with the soft blow of the park wind. There was a calmness in the faces of the people enjoying the cool air breeze on that fine early afternoon. It was such a perfect moment.
Except that to Avery, it wasn't a perfect moment. Nevertheless, she felt that telling her dad everything would be the start. After reading David's messages, she imagined what could transpire during their family's dinner tomorrow.
"Muffin, let's go home to mom." Her dad's voice awakened her.
"Mom is so invested in the wedding preparations, just like David's mom. You think they can handle the news?" Avery asked without removing her gaze in front of her.
"They both should. It's not your concern. Mom and I will talk to his parents like the mature and reasonable adults we should be. So check it off your list of concerns," her dad declared.
Avery took a deep breath. "David wants us to talk before tomorrow's dinner."
"What's there to talk about? Tell him to talk to my fist! And I'll have my knuckles kiss his face!"
"Dad..." Avery faced her dad. "You understand that eventually, I'll have to talk to him, right?"
"I know." Her dad nodded. "That asshole infuriates me. I wouldn't want him anywhere near you if it were only me. And the second you told me about the baby, I already fell in love with my little munchkin, but it doesn't change the fact that asshole knocked you up, knowing his other woman was pregnant with his child."
Avery felt a sharp pain in her heart. She couldn't say which caused the pain. The hurt she saw in her dad's eyes or the truth that he spoke of. Whatever the reason, David didn't mind getting her pregnant while his "Jonathan" was about to pop.
Slowly, the pain she felt transformed into anger. David was one selfish bastard! She probably lived in a transparent hole where she didn't see who the real David was. Avery trusted him so much. It bubbled her world with only David in it when she fell for him. It felt sickening that everything between them might have been a big lie.
"Dad, what have I done? Why didn't I see the signs?"
"Muffin, stop blaming yourself. Don't blame yourself for that asshole's infidelity. Believe me. You can never know. Most of the time, the person cheated on is the last to know."
Avery shook her head. "I shouldn't have forgiven him when I found out. I could have left earlier."
"Listen to me, Muffin. There's a perfect quote to explain that. We all know we deserve so much more, but we still settle for less because we fear the unknown that comes after letting go."
Avery held back her tears. It had already caused enough pain for her dad. Maybe what her dad quoted was right. She didn't realize it then. The thought of losing David, her love for him, and the idea of not wanting to disappoint or hurt their parents. She may have kept their relationship and hold on to her feelings for David. But she also started losing herself.
"You don't have to talk to David on his terms. You can take your time if you're not ready. At tomorrow's dinner, you don't even have to come. We can take it as our chance to talk to his parents about canceling the wedding. We weren't there for you when you needed us, Muffin. I promise you we got your back. This time, we will do what parents should to protect their daughter."
"Thank you, Dad. I love you so much." Her dad replied by squeezing her hand. Then, when they started driving away from the park, Avery did what she thought she needed to do.
Avery: Talk to your parents first and be honest with them. Spare them a heart attack. I'll talk to you when I want to. Not now.
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Deep down, we all know we deserve so much more, but we still settle for less because we fear the unknown that comes after letting go. - Shefali Dang
