𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙂𝙞𝙧𝙡 𝙏𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝘽𝙖𝙙

Chapter 26: I'll fix it

♦ ♢ ♦ Kaitlyn ♦ ♢ ♦

I feel numb.

Luna was kind enough to drop me off to my home, and my dad took one look at me, and it was game over again.

I've never cried so hard and so much all at once.

I told that the whole story in broken breaths and whispered words. I told him everything. And I was so tired by the end of it, that I'd fallen asleep.

I'd woken up with my head still on dad's lap, and him asleep sitting against the couch. My face had felt swollen and crusty from dried tears, and dad had woken up shortly after me, his face full of concern.

Now, as I've gotten ready in autopilot, I come down for breakfast.

"Hey, honey," dad smiles. "Come, I've made pancakes."

"I don't feel like eating," I rasp, my voice hoarse from crying and screaming so much.

"That's not what we like to hear," he pouts. "But I made it with so much love."

I give him a tired smile. He's trying for me. Not that I deserve it. "Thanks dad," I take a bite. My heart heavy.

He comes to sit beside me. "Xavier was always a good kid," he says, making pain return to my chest. He was. Still is. "I saw the way he looked at you, sweetheart. Everyone did."

I swallow hard. "Only I didn't."

He shakes his head. "You two were close. It makes sense you didn't understand all of this at such a young age. But losing his mother has impacted us all. Your mom lost herself too, in ways. That's when she started being persistent that she wanted a divorce from me, because she couldn't stay close to Xavier without missing Helen. But then you cut ties with him, and his dad spiraled and cut ties with us," dad sighs. "You shouldn't be blamed for being confused and taken advantage of, sweetheart."

I shake my head. "It's my fault things went to shit with Xavier. I... I was hurting for Helen too, but I was selfish, and I didn't see anyone else's hurt. Not even Xavier's, who was closest to her. It's my fault."

"Sweetheart," he sighs. "Dwelling on the past won't do you any good. It's only been five years, unlike the seventeen I had with your mother. Take this chance. If he's waited so long for you to come back to him, then he still loves you. Love never ever goes away. It didn't for your mom, who's settled down with her ex boyfriend. He waited for her too, despite the challenges."

My eyes widen.

Dad chuckles. "I was a one night stand for her," he says. "And then, a month later, she'd found Brayden. But she'd had to cut things off with him because of me and the child, aka you. So he'd waited, because she'd promised him she'd come back. And she did, look. Even if it took seventeen years, she went back to the man she truly loved. Xavier is a man of his word, if I've seen any. He's protected you all his life because..."

"Because he'd promised," I finish, a ball in my throat.

"Because he'd promised," Dad nods. "And he hasn't forgotten about all your moments, from what you've told me. Sweetheart, it might take him some time to come around to it, but his love for you will exceed any negative feelings. It is true, you will need to apologize and own up to everything, if you don't want to lose him. But don't expect him to jump back to you right away, okay? You will end up overthinking and hurting yourself. Give him some time, and space, but try to talk to him. If he lets you in, then nobody will be able to take you two apart again. But if he doesn't... well... what am I there for, waiting with some ice cream?" He smiles at me.

I chuckle lowly, my heart warming. "Thank you, dada," I hug him.

"I love you too, honey," he says. "And," he says. "Happy birthday."