Callie and Lexi's Kiss List | ✓

8: Lexi

Fine. Have it early. But now you do have to wait for Sunday (AEST) again.

Don't say I don't do things for you guys ;D 

Shout out to jueka1 and brightyeolie for the comments last chapter. And for supposedly 'needing' this chapter.

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"You're a week early!" I gushed as I pulled back from a bear hug, taking him in. Only a fortnight had passed since I had last seen my father, but it felt like it had been a lifetime.

As dad's eyes, swirling with love but still filled with sorrow, took me in, he brushed a lock of my hair behind my ear and said, "I thought I'd surprise you both." Then he took a step back, throwing an arm around mum as he pulled her into our small circle we had somehow formed around Callie. "Your mother helped me plan how to get here earlier. I didn't want to be apart longer than I had to."

Callie scoffed below us. "You mean you didn't want to be apart from Lexi," she muttered. Then she pushed her chair away from us as dad slowly dropped his arm from mum. We all watched as my sister pivoted her chair around and wheeled back to her room, slamming the door behind her.

"Callie," mum called out, marching down the hallway on a mission to scold Callie. Meanwhile, I glanced at dad, watching his face fall—this wasn't the reunion he was expecting.

"She's been like this with me, too, if it's any consolation," I mumbled to him.

Brows coming together, dad turned to look at me. "It's not. I don't understand why—"

"She thinks we abandoned her."

"I spoke to her almost every day before Jess passed," he said, like he hadn't seen this coming. Which made me wonder... what was Callie like on the phone with him all this time? "But with the funeral and move I haven't been able to... I explained that before. Is she mad—"

I shook my head. "I don't quite understand her qualms with you, but I do know she thinks we both left her because of her leg."

His brows shot up in absolute shock—as though this were news to him. "I left because Jess—"

"Dad," I cut him off. "I know. But she doesn't get it. Besides... we know that I did leave because of her leg... which I did confess to her when I got back, kind of making this all worse. And now that she has that confirmation to go off and she's using it to blame you as well."

Dad immediately wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against his chest. Fresh linen, musk, and pine filled my nose, warming me from the inside out—nothing was quite like dad's hugs. I always felt so safe with him.

"It's not your fault, Lex," he said softly, before asking, "How are you though?"

Shrugging, I pulled out of his grip—though he still kept his arm around me—and guided him over to the living room. Sitting on the couch, leaning into dad's shoulder, I said, "I know we had six months to prepare... but some days I can't believe she actually is gone. She was my mum—when mum couldn't be there."

"I know," dad breathed as he shifted his hold on me to look at my face. Blue eyes studying me—the same ones I inherited—he tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear as his own gaze began to mist with mourning. "But at least we are back here now with your mum and sister and aunt and grandparents..."

I couldn't help but snag my bottom lip between my teeth, avoiding his eye contact.

"What's wrong, my moon?" dad asked. Moon and Stars—nicknames dad had been calling us for as long as I could remember. He always liked to say we 'light up the darkest of nights' for him. My nickname, Moon, he said was linked to 'Blue Moon' because of my eyes. And Cal's was Stars because her grey eyes twinkle brightly. Or something cheesy like that; it had been so long since I last asked dad to tell me the story behind the names.