Before dinner, I had to force myself to pull Anne aside to finally tell her the truth about why I moved here, and what happened to my mom. I felt like a coward for not telling her in the first place, but I had my reasons. I tried to convince myself that I was finally telling her the truth, so I shouldn’t feel guilty anymore.

Anne’s reaction was not what I was expecting. Well, I’m not entirely sure what I expected her to react like, but her tears and tight embrace left me speechless. I was thankful that she was not angry nor upset with me; Anne was merely sorry for me, that I had to go through what I did. She promised me that she understood why I asked my father to keep it a secret and why I did not want to tell her. It was nice to connect with someone who has been through a similar situation other than Harry. I know he will always be there for me, but knowing I have yet another supporter means the world to me.



“Chloe, sweetheart, I’d never try to replace your mother. Of course I’d love you to think of me as someone you can look up to; a step-mom or even just a friend, but I’d never try to replace her.” Anne hugs me tightly as she tells me exactly what I needed to hear. I was so afraid she’d take over the place for my mom, but hearing her words make me sigh in relief.

“I really appreciate it, Anne.” My voice is quiet. I really am relieved and grateful for this talk. Although it was long overdue, it’s over with, and hopefully we can move on without any conflict.

Anne holds me at arms-length and gets a good look at me. “You’re a beautiful young woman, Chloe. I’m here for you whether you need me or not, okay?”

She sounds so much like Harry, I think to myself. The thought brings a smile to my face. I’m grateful again for getting the chance to become close to this wonderful family.

“Thanks,” I smile.

“Well, we should probably bring dinner out to the boys, they’re probably wondering where we are,” Anne says as she grabs the dish with the pasta.

I nod with a laugh and offer to grab the salad bowl. The dreaded conversation is now over, and I just get to enjoy a nice home-cooked meal with my new family. These people around me are now my life, and for once I finally feel okay with that.



“So how’s school going, Chlo?” Dad asks me once we all have our plates full with food. Sometimes I hate the fact that he’s always working because he doesn’t know how I’m doing in school or what’s going on in my life, but I can’t complain because I know his insane work hours give Harry and I plenty of alone time here.

“It’s fine,” I shrug. “Just the same as always.”

“Well that sounds fun,” Dad says sarcastically and Anne laughs.

I look over to Harry to see him silently moving the food around on his plate. Once he finally looks up and catches my glance, he mouths “how was it?”

I immediately know he’s talking about the talk I just had with Anne, so I smile and nod discretely. He returns a small smile before looking away from me.

Anne and my dad begin talking about something with their work, so I silently eat my dinner. Now that I’ve worked things out with Anne, I begin thinking what I can do about Harry. That sounds terrible. I love him, and I by no means want to break up with him, but the fact that he still overwhelms me with his love at times has not subsided. Maybe it’s just a phase, and we need to let it play out… I don’t know, but I’m not sure how much more I can take.

Once the conversation dies down between Anne and my dad, I decide to mention my run-in with his old friend when I was picking up lunch. “Hey dad, I ran into a woman who said she went to college with you and Mom.”

“Oh yeah?” My dad says around a mouthful of pasta. “How did that happen?"

I shrug, “She said she knew me. She heard my name when I was getting lunch earlier and asked me if I was your daughter.”

Dad’s eyebrows knit together as if he’s trying to imagine who it may be. “Did you catch her name?”

“Ruth, I think. I can’t remember if she told me her last name or not.”

Dad stays silent for a second and takes a sip of his water. “Oh, Ruth. Yeah, she went to Saint John’s with me and your mother.”

I nod as he changes the subject to ask Harry when his motorcycle will be ready for him to ride again. I get the chills just hearing Harry say he expects it to be back in mint condition by next week. My initial feeling of hatred towards those modes of transportation still stand; especially after his terrible accident.

---

The next morning, I wake up before Harry does. I stretch a lazy, Sunday morning stretch as I get out of bed to go to the bathroom.

Once I shower and get ready for the day, I leave the sleeping boy in my bed and head downstairs for breakfast. I wasn’t expecting anyone to be downstairs yet because Anne and Dad usually sleep in late on Sundays just like Harry, so that’s why I was startled when I heard my father’s voice in his study just down the hall from the kitchen.

His voice was stern; not quite yelling, but he was definitely not having a pleasant conversation with whoever he was talking to. I wonder if it’s Anne?

My curiosity got the best of me as I quietly shuffled from the kitchen, down the hall and towards his study.

“You can’t just do that! Do you know how hard I’ve tried to make this work out? You were this close to fucking everything up.”

I hope he’s not talking to Anne… But who else would it be?

I take a risk and step carefully closer to where his voice comes from. I press my ear to the door to hear a quiet feminine voice talking back to my dad, but I can’t decipher what she’s actually saying. I decide it’s not Anne after hearing the American accent.

“No. You’re fucking with my life again. I made a mistake and I’m still trying to fix it. Just stay out of my life like I have stayed out of yours; it’s for the best, remember?”

I find my hands covering my mouth. My dad is being such an asshole, and I don’t even know who he’s speaking to like this! I try to think of who it could be… maybe someone he works with? But he sounds so intense…

My thoughts are interrupted by the woman’s sobs breaking through. Part of me wants to barge in there to yell at my dad for being an ass, but the other part wants to stay out here and eavesdrop a little more.

There’s some quiet murmuring that I can’t understand, but the woman seems to calm down along with my father.

“You need to go, and you need to stay away. I mean it. Things are finally good for me. I got Chloe back, and I’m getting married soon. Married,” he pauses, “It’s over, and this time I mean it.”

My mind begins to think of every possible scenario for what is going on, and who this woman is, but there’s only one explanation that comes to mind. Whoever’s in there is someone he has been in a relationship with. I just don’t understand why he is being so harsh. Has she tried to make a pass at him while Anne has been in the picture? Poor Anne.

I’m not given anymore time to think when the door abruptly opens and the woman that introduced herself as Ruth yesterday at the sandwich shop stomps out with my father right behind her. They don’t even notice me. What is she doing here!?

“Ruth, I mean it! My fiancé is right upstairs! If you fuck this up like you did my last marriage, you’ll regret it,” my dad threatens.

I can’t believe neither of them has noticed me, especially when Ruth stops at my dad’s words.

“I didn’t fuck up your marriage. For fuck’s sake, David, I didn’t even know you were married and had an eight-year-old daughter when we started seeing each other! It’s not my fault you decided not to tell me, and it sure as hell is not my fault that you decided to leave them. If I recall, you left her for me. So don’t give me this shit. I wasn’t trying to start anything by introducing myself to Chloe, but you never let me meet her, and when I saw her, I didn’t think before saying hi. Now let me leave before I really do fuck up your new life.”

Ruth huffs and stomps her five-inch heels to the front door. She closes it behind her with a slam, leaving me shocked by the door of my father’s study, and he in the middle of the foyer, stunned as well.

I don’t know how long we both stand there in shock, but once he finally makes a move, he turns and sees me. This adds even more astonishment to his expression.

He stops in his tracks upon noticing me and scrubs his face with his hands.

What have I just discovered? Did I just hear what I think I heard?

“Chloe…” His voice is strained with stress and agony. “How much of that did you hear?” He's asking me, but by the way his eyes are glued to the floor with his hands fisted in his hair at the nape of his neck, you'd never know if he hadn't have said my name.

He doesn’t dare risk a glance at me. He knows that he just fucked up. Again.

Notes

Hi, I know I suck for keeping you all waiting for so long, but please forgive me!
it's been hard to fid time to write! I went out of town last week and I went to the Miley concert yesterday, so it's been hard to find time to write!

Anyways, I hope you like this update, and I promise I'll update again either tomorrow or Thursday :)

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