Never Really Meant It When We Said 'Goodbye'

The Birthday Gift (2)

Tara spent the next week wondering what the fuck she should do. On one hand, there was nothing she really needed to do or worry about, but on the other, if she didn't take care of her shit and get a grasp on her life, then everything might eventually get ruined. Despite several people including her therapist telling her what she needed to do and how to handle this mess she unintentionally put herself in, the only person who was able to change her view on how things were was Amber, who was the person Tara was trying to protect from herself. She wasn't entirely sure why, but figured it likely had something to do with the fact that this was the woman she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with and build a family with eventually. But, the idea of that was also terrifying, following the situation she'd been through just a little under two years ago with Lily. Maybe that, along with her fear of putting the ravenette through a lot of mind fucking, heartbreak and constant worry and stress, was what made Tara so afraid of being with her. However, their talk on the night of her birthday shifted a lot of things in Tara's perspective, giving her a newfound hope and confidence. It was also reassuring in ways the sergeant never thought it possible. So now, she was once again sitting at a crossroads trying to decide what the right direction to go in would be.

After spending a good amount of time sitting on her couch and scrolling through channels, she finally got up, taking her car and house keys, and headed out, a determined look on her face nobody would see or care for. There was no need to worry about packing, as she was already done with that and had her stuff in the trunk, all ready to go, so she took a quick look and double checked that she got everything before leaving her apartment and driving off. Speeding past the low amount of cars, Tara knew that it was either now or never, so she pressed down on the pedal, gaining more speed. This was the only real way she could finally figure out what to do, so getting to her place of destination as quickly as she could was on the top of her list. And she did get there quickly, barely even putting her car in park and turning the engine off before she got out, running to the front door of the house she drove to. Without wasting any time, Tara rang the doorbell, waiting at the door for what seemed like hours until the click of the lock came and the door was pried open just a bit, revealing the person she needed to see.

"If it isn't my favorite stepdaughter." Billy said with a smile, opening the door a tab bit further. "To what do I owe this pleasure? Weren't you leaving to go to Tahoe for Amber's birthday celebration?"
"Yeah, we are, but there's still a few hours until we make the drive." Tara nodded. "Look, I need your help. More specifically, I need your advice. I don't know what to do and I'm afraid you're the only one who can possibly help me."
Billy furrowed his brows and tilted his head, the pleading look in his stepdaughter's eyes showing every little bit of necessity for him to offer his help. With a sigh, he motioned for her to come in, the door closing with a quiet thud behind them as they made way through the hallway of his house, heading for his office. As far as the sergeant was aware, this was the only place in the entire house where Billy was left alone, having the space to deal with his own matters, alone and unbothered. Granted, Tara understood his need for having the space, as she herself has been in a position where nobody could help her but herself.
"I don't suppose you're having legal troubles, are you? Otherwise, I doubt you'd be here given your status as a sergeant."

A small tight lipped smile came to her face as she shook her head, "No, not legal. I'm afraid I might have gotten myself into a trap known as what one would call a love triangle. I'd talk to one of my bio parents about it but one is dead and the other isn't even a present figure in my life anymore. You're the only one I can trust with this."
"Because I have been in your shoes before, I suppose?" Billy gave a weak smile, getting up from his armchair and walking over to a cabinet. "Given that you're driving, I will not offer you a drink, but do tell me more about your troubles."
"What is there to say other than I have two great women in my life who both brought me so much happiness and love and I can't seem to figure out which one of them I should be with? I mean, how can I when both were really good to me?" She said, raising her gaze as she saw his figure come back into her frame. "The only thing to consider here is that in both scenarios we broke up, one because the other party left and the other because I left."