(Complete) Joe Walch was in love with the girl of his dreams. Everything was perfect until it all changed...
Ella Burke had a wonderful family, a job she loved and a man she was completely in love with until her dreams were shattered.
Can Ella lear...
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From an observer looking in, it looked as if Ella was taking the standoff with her father fine, but Joe knew it bothered her. Any worry he had of losing her was pushed to the back of his mind, because instead of pulling away she stayed with him every night. Caleb didn't mind, because with Ella helping Joe shop, and they put decent meals on the table. They had become a little family - a somewhat unconventional family.
Even at school, Ella made no effort to hide they were a couple. The Monday morning after the big reveal, they drove into work together. Joe lingered in the music room, trying to assess Ella state of mind. He had spent the whole weekend waiting for her to break down, but she never did. Christa stopped in and was surprised to see them together. Joe had just pulled her into a quick hug, as he was about to go to his classroom to get settled for the day.
Eyeing them she smiled. "How was your weekend?"
"Good. I told my father and Joe's still alive."
Joe laughed. "With all my body parts."
"We should go on a double date sometime." Christa suggested enthusiastically.
Ella shook her head. "I'm not sure. Remember I dumped Dylan..."
"Who cares? He has me now. I'm going to meet the mystery girlfriend. There's a work thing and she's supposed to be going. I'll give you the dirt."
Ella laughed. With the worry about telling her parents, Joe wasn't surprised she hadn't told Christa about Tony and Ava.
"There is no dirt. She's my sister."
"What? Really and you didn't know. Why was it a mystery?" Christa rubbed her hands together.
"They were getting together at the same time I was going through a rough patch... missing Joe."
Joe quickly added. "The reason for everything is me and the fact I left her." He waved. "Have a good day."
He left them to talk about him. He couldn't help but smile which was what he was doing when he came across Karen.
"Someone is happy this morning. My guess is the little soprano is the reason for that smile."
Joe smiled. "Technically she's a mezzo-soprano."
Karen laughed. "You must have it bad, because I don't even know what that is."
Joe did have it bad, but as the days passed, he worried Ella was going to break. When she arrived at her uncle's house, she had tears but also an odd calm about her. After some insistence, she shared his lobster roll but refused the pizza. Her appetite was one indication she wasn't feeling as confident as she let on.
Joe had loved his visit with Nick and Sara. Bridget and Jack had grown while he was busy ruining his life. Bridget warmed his heart by remembering him. Fiona was practically a newborn when he had last seen her and she went to him, as if he was not a stranger. Nick's family was special to him, because it was at their wedding Ella chose him.
