Falling for Her Boss Again

20. Support

Gemma

When Thursday rolls around the corner, Dad and I are pretty damn excited with my new room. Hell, I guess he's just excited about having to spend time with me. And I admit that I'm having a great time, doing our father-daughter bonding time with him after so long.

Birthday dinner with Edwin was a lot of fun, we talked and laughed, and turns out I genuinely like the guy. "I like watching you smile Dad, seriously, I can see the cartoon hearts in both of you guys. I'm so glad that you found him." I give Dad a side hug as we watch the finished result of my room. My childhood bedroom is now painted with a calming beige color as to the vibrant teenage pink and yellow. The pieces of furniture are painted white and brown since I refused Dad to buy me new pieces of furniture. I told him it'd be our project and re-painting furniture would be a lot of fun. And it surely did.

"Thank you kiddo, I'm glad as well. It...I'm sorry for not telling you earlier. But we thought..."

"Dad, it's done...and I'm okay with it now. I'm probably partly to blame for not visiting you and Mom more often. I still feel bad for not even noticing that things were not great between the two of you." I confess and Dad put his arm around my shoulder while he led me downstairs and straight to our kitchen.

"Okay, let's just put the past behind us and be glad that you have your adult room for whenever you want to visit or stay for as long as you like."

"Ugh, I really don't want to cramp your style or God forbid I put a hold on your sex life with your new beau." I wiggle my eyebrows playfully.

"Gemma!" He scolds with an amused face. "We're adults we can hold off on sex when you stay the night."

"Oh.My.God. I just dug my own hole, didn't I?" I shudder and Dad laughs telling me in his most deadpan expression that it's a pretty steep hole and I'm going to go down. Way down.

"There's nothing that's going to stop me now. Well, maybe you can...let's see, how about you telling me why you're actually here? Not that I'm not grateful that you're here instead of your Mom's. I know she's damn jealous of me right now for deciding to let me have the house and she moved out with her fiance." The sly satisfaction on his face is obvious, before adding, "Now, spill."

"Dad..." I dread that I really do need to share my trouble with him. He's my Dad and I'm confident that he's going to back me up. Entirely. So why am I hesitating?

"Sit, let me make your favorite hot Cocoa."

I pout but sit in the breakfast nook, letting my brain work out what I'm going to tell Dad while he makes me my favorite hot chocolate milk. I let him fuss with our drinks and snacks before he joined me, sitting at my front, patiently waiting for me to start spilling the truth.

"It's Larry. He took me on his business trip to Hong Kong, but my mind messed me up and my anxiety hit me quite intensely. Once I get back, I talk to Dr. Sheridan and now here I am."

"Right. That's a very short summary you gave me there, Gemma."

I huff, before trying to figure out how I can explain further. "Well, the thing is Larry is working nine to five there and I didn't want to interrupt his work schedule, his clients, his new clients, all those people at his Hong Kong office. So, he sent me to go shopping with his card and enjoy my time around the area. But, you know me...my mind went on overdrive thinking about things. There's the foreign environment, language, and basically everything that made my anxiety level spike up to the point where I started skipping meals and lying about it. I don't want to put myself back so I decided to take the next flight back, after explaining my situation with him."

Dad puts his hand on mine, his eyes give me that l'll-support-you-and-everything's-going-to-be-okay look, and I sigh knowing that he will.

"And how did Larry take it?"

"Well, he was reluctant to let me go, but he knew he couldn't leave his job. So now he's busting his ass off so he can go back earlier than Friday. And now it's Thursday, so I guess he's really gunning on those new contracts and expanding his family's empire." I shrug, trying to keep things light, but I know Dad sees right through me. Though Larry kept in touch every night, there's a small part of me that keeps on thinking that he's a true workaholic. Deep down I realized that there isn't a place for me in his world. Well, maybe a bit here and there. But I need to understand that I will never be a priority for him.

"There, you start overthinking stuff again." Dad presses his thumb on my forehead as if he were ironing the wrinkles there because I was thinking too hard.

"This is why I'm here not in some lavish suite in Hong Kong. Ugh...can you tell Mom everything I said? I know she worries, and I also know that you will call her as soon I take my nap anyway."

Dad laughs telling me that I know him too well. "Take your nap, Edwin will come home soon. I'll get our dinner ready. You just let us spoil you rotten while we have you here. Okay?"

"Oh, I can get used to this. Careful Dad, or I may never leave."

"You don't have to, kiddo..this is still your home. We got your room done, didn't we?"

I laugh telling him we sure did. Dad has taken his vacation days, though he didn't have to, seeing he's his own boss. But he's making sure that I am welcome, spoiled, and well-fed.

Edwin is helping Dad with our dinner when I join them a couple of hours after my nap and texting fiasco with my boyfriend. Larry texted me and I texted him back. He's busy and I can't help but feel gloomy, as if the dark clouds are hanging over my head.

"I don't even know what I'm doing with him, Dad." I sigh when Dad gets me to open up after we finish our dinner. Edwin is doing the dishes and clearing the table since Dad cooked for us. He won't let me help him, telling me that Dad misses me and he wants me to spend more time with him. Gah...if only I could find someone as kind and as appreciative as Edwin. The man knows when to tune out, he works in finance and Dad told me it's a cutthroat industry. But when Edwin's home he focuses on Dad and has been ever since they were officially a couple.

"What happened between nap time and dinner? Did he call?" Dad asks reading me too well.

"Texted. Seemed that he was too busy to call me."

"Oh, sweetheart..." Dad pulls me in for a hug.

"Come on. Let's shake off this bleak weather over your head." Edwin ushers me to the sofa while he tells Dad to make my special Cocoa. "I'll tell you about the day your Dad storms into my office demanding some asshole to move his car. Yep, that's how he took my attention from work." I can hear Dad groan in the background while I giggle telling Edwin that that's not the story Dad tells me about how they met.

"The funny thing about love is... sometimes it's not like they say." He continues while sitting beside me. Relaxing, like we have done this for years. "It's not love at first sight for us...it took several occurrences for both of us to finally realize that we are perfect for each other."

"Ugh...both of you are just too adorable for each other. I can't believe I'm jealous of my Dad." I exhale, slightly irritated with myself.

"You have many years in front of you, Gemma. You're so young. So what, if Larry is not the one for you right now...you might meet someone better in the future. Or, maybe Larry is the one for you and these struggles are how you two will appreciate each other." Edwin gently talks to me, he is patient, and caring, and I like him more for not judging me and Larry.

"Oh, my Edwin, are you sure you work in finance?" Dad walks into the living room with my hot Cocoa and their coffee. But instead of the previous jealousy, I feel happiness for Dad and the new love in his life. I wouldn't wish it any other way for him.

For the rest of the evening, we talk about love, about Larry and his demanding job. Both Dad and Edwin told me to be patient, but also be true to myself. Go with my gut feeling they both said. To lighten up the mood, Edwin suggests that we watch some bad horror movies and laugh the night away. And so that's what we do as we let hours pass until I fall asleep on the couch and Dad helps me back into my room to sleep. Alone. And my mind wanders off to Larry as I drift back to slumber.