Impulse Of The Heart

A Dad's choice.

Boot camp day we arrived at a camping sight. We got our rooms. We unpacked. About two hours later the camp guide called all of us together and told us that we are going to be divided into two groups and we can decide self who can be in our teams but he gave us a hint don't just pick the strong or the athletic but also have the brain and the quick thinker. Jack and I was chosen to be the two team leaders. We had the whole night to decide who we can choose. The next morning we chose our teams my first choice was Katharine we went on pick and choosing and in the end my team was one too many so Jack's team had to choose is if it was fine or someone on my team must sit out. He chose the second challenge us with one player less. My team name was The Sparta's and Jack's team was The gladiator's. I noticed that Ava was on Jack's team. This was going to be interesting and we got our first clue and the competition began. Who is the best in our class?

Dale's POV

It has been a while since I have seen my father. When Ava and I arrived in Mykonos it was late. We went to the hotel suite and went to sleep although she was already asleep in the car. We slept in late almost past twelve. I woke up to a sound of knocking on the door. When I opened the door I was face to face with my father. "Morning father." He looks at his watch and smile. "Afternoon son. You still hate to fly don't you?" I hugged my father. "Who is the girl that is with you?" "Did Thomas tell you about her because it was supposed to be a surprise?" "No, Thomas didn't say anything but I can see her walking in the room." Did I wake Ava? "Tell you what how about you two come over for dinner at my house tonight then we can talk properly." "That would be grate father." "See you tonight son." he left and I close the door and see Ava sitting on the bed. "Hey why didn't you wake me?" "Because I woke up three minutes ago with a knock on the door. How did you sleep?" "Like a baby and you. Who was at the door?" "I slept like a rock and it was my father at the door."

Ava's POV

Hearing that Dale's father invited us over for dinner made me very nervous. Dale told me that he isn't like his mother but I don't know. I have been starring at the closet full of clothing that Dale had brought for me for the past hour. I don't know what am I going to wear? What do you wear if you are going to meet your boyfriend's father? "You almost done?" I hear Dale ask from the bathroom. "Uhm I don't know what to wear." He walks into the room wearing black denim and a grey button up shirt. "How about that purple dress?" He points to a knee-long purple dress. I do really like the dress so I decided to wear it.

"You look beautiful don't worry everything is going to be fine." Dale whisper to me just before he rang the doorbell and a mid aged man opened the door. "Dale son I'm glad you could make it and who is this fine lady?" "Adelya Anderson but you can call me Ava, Mr. Cunningham." "Oh please call me Robert." We entered the house and went to the dining area. So far so good. "So how long have you been a couple Ava?" What is he going to think of me if I say only a month? "A while." Dale answers for me. We sat down at the dining table. "Sorry to be so forward but Ava you look really familiar have we ever met?" Dale and I almost smiled instantaneously. "We use to be neighbours nineteen years ago." "Are you Michael's daughter?" "Yes, that is me." "It has been so long, how is your father?" I knew this question was coming. I feel Dale take my hand. "He died a couple year ago. He died in a car crash." "I'm sorry I didn't know." "It is alright." "So father how have you been?" Dale changed the subject. "The hotel is doing better than ever." "That is great. Is Claire out back? I'd love to show Ava her." not knowing what they are talking about I kept quiet. Dale sensing I don't understand tells me. "Claire is my father's sailboat." "Wow you have a sailboat I have always wanted to go on one." "I had a feeling you were going to say that so I have a surprise for you tomorrow." Dale smiled with an evil smile on his face. "Ava, if you don't mind me asking; why do you call yourself Ava when your name is Adelya?" I couldn't help but to smile. "Actually my full name is Adelya Vanessa Anderson and Ava for short. I don't want to change it because I like my name but if you are in a meeting it is easier to call me Ava because there was a time when people called me Vanessa my second name and my clients got a bit confused."

"So what did you study, Ava?" "Business degree." "Really where?" "Stanford University Graduate School of Business." "That is great what was your pass rate?" "Father!" Dale spoke up. "96%." They both looked at me shocked. "What?" "Nothing." Dale said quickly. "Are you part of the company? Is that how you two met?" I knew Robert talked about his company. "No, I own a restaurant and I served Dale's table and he asked me out and her we are now." I left the part out about the guessing game, Josh and all the other stuff that happened. "That is grate you have your own restaurant?" "Yes." "How is the company doing Dale?" "Good we had to sell a few shares but it is doing fine now." "And your mother." "Still as stuck up as ever." Robert started to laugh. "You know you shouldn't talk about her like that." "I do but she is worse than a terrier sometimes." "Have you met Dale's mother Ava? What is your opinion about her?" Why did Robert just put me on the spot? What if I say something terrible? "Uhm she is a powerful woman, who can influent others and have a strong personality." "Je l'aime elle a dit d'une manière créative qu'elle pense que ta mère est une salope." Robert spoke in French. "In my defence I didn't say she is a bitch you said it." Dale burst out laughing which left a confused expression on his father's face. "Ava can speak French Father.

****

After we got home after the dinner we went to walk on the beach. We sat down on a big rock and just listening to the waves. "Are you going to tell me what is wrong?" Dale's arm wrap around my shoulder. "How did you know something was wrong?" "You are un-normally quiet. Do you want to talk about it?" "It is just seeing you with your father talking about the good old days, making jokes made me realise how bad I really miss my dad." "I'm so sorry I didn't even think about that." "And the worst part is that it is my fault my dad is dead." "No, stop saying that it wasn't your fault he got into car cash." I took a deep breath. "I lied about that. That isn't how my father died." Dale had a confused look on his face so I began to tell him what really happened.

"After my fifteenth birthday my condition took a turn for a worse. I was in and out of the hospital. It got so bad that I was put on life-support." I try to keep the tears back. "My father couldn't take it anymore and devised a plan with my doctor. That my dad will give his heart to me so that I can live. I don't know how he did it but eventually they put his heart in my body." Tears start to flow from my eyes. "And my body rejected the heart almost killing me. After about three weeks my mother told me that my dad died in a car cash and I believed her for a while that was until one day I heard the doctor talk outside with my mother that they were sorry the plan didn't work but my dad knew the consequences. I was so mad at him but I was furious with myself that my body rejected his heart. His live was taken away by me. Don't you see I killed my dad?"

Dale pulls me into a hug and I cry into his shirt. "No, you didn't kill your dad it was your dad's choice. He loved you so much that he wanted you to live and he loved you with everything and if I was in his shoes I would do the same." I took a deep breath and look Dale in his eyes. "Why would you do that?" "Because." He put a strand of hair behind my ear. "Because I love you and I don't want anything to happen to you." I lead in and we kissed.