Dad and I sat together on the couch on Christmas morning, pretending to watch the Christmas specials on the tv even though it was simply just background noise. It was only 2AM and we were on our second box of pizza, a binge we felt we deserved after such a rough year. If mom was here, she would have made us eat something healthy and would've sent us both to bed early, wanting us to be in tip top shape for all the Christmas parties we'd be going to the next evening.

We didn't have any parties to go to apart from dinner at Steve's. I was grateful because it gave me more time to be around him, the him I loved. Not the New York socialite one. He ruffled my hair as he stood up to reach for the remote and turned the TV off. Neither of us wanted to go to bed so we just sat together, side by side on the couch.

"This has been the hardest year of my life," my dad chuckled, pulling me into a hug. I was silent. I could hear his heartbeat underneath my head and the steadiness soothed me. "When your mom left, I thought it was a dream. A part of me was expecting her to show up and tell me she wouldn't ever dare leave me but she was gone. And so were you."

I wanted to tell him that I hadn't left him but we both knew that wasn't true. As soon as we'd moved away I'd painted this city and everyone in it as bad person because I didn't want to miss it. I focused on the negatives of my dad instead of his many many positive ones because the thought of leaving him was too much for me to bare.

Sitting there, inhaling his cologne, I realised that I had missed him. I had missed being able to hug him and feel safe in his strong arms. No matter what, I'd always be a daddy's girl.

"I'm here now," I told him, "And I'm going to make sure you're never alone again."

His hands brushed through my hair. I could hear the New York City traffic outside, a calming sound but different in comparison to the quiet streets of a small town. Had I really been gone for so long that this was all new to me?

My dad broke the silence. "Are you sure about Archer?"

There it was. I knew he had been thinking about it as soon as I'd told him about my plan. I knew he wasn't happy with my decision but he also knew he couldn't intervene. My dad was always trying to hide me from the harsh realities of this world and it probably felt like he'd lost control ever since what had happened with Archer had happened.

"Yes I am dad," I said, tilting my head to face him properly. "I know it will open a lot of old wounds for myself but I need the closure."

He nodded silently, knowing he couldn't argue. "Fine," he said, "We'll go on boxing day."

For now, we could live blissfully, enjoying our Christmas and pretend we were a happy family. Pretend like it was just the two of us. I was ok with that.

-------

"Flora's bawling her eyes out over here," Jaden muttered on the other side of the phone. "I'm wondering whether or not I want to throw her out a window."

"Jaden, shut up," I chuckled, running a hand through my wet hair as I walked into my room. I could imagine him on the other end, probably playing with Flora's tiny hands or glancing around the room for her mother. "Tell her I say hi."

"She misses you fool," he retorted, "I think saying your name will make her cry more."

That warmed my heart. At the beginning of November, Elizabeth had given birth to a baby girl she'd named Flora. I'd instantly fallen in love. She was beautiful and watching her grow had eased some of my nervousness about going away. Sometimes her mother joked that she liked me more.

Flora's arrival had brought with it another new member of our large family. Jack had come over to the town to see her and to reconcile with Elizabeth. Of course he'd been upset that she'd left him. But missing her had overcome that feeling.

"I miss her too," I cooed, pausing for a moment before adding, "I miss all of you."

"Your house looks so empty," he complained, sighing deeply. "I can't wait until after New Years for the first time in my life."

The city outside was bustling with life. I wondered if life back home was like this. I couldn't imagine a Christmas over there and a part of me figured I never would. Christmas next year would most likely be spent here and then I'd graduate. The thought scared me.

"How's everyone over there?" I asked.

"You know how they are," Jaden answered immediately, obviously refusing to accept small talk. He wanted to know about New York, I knew. And about Steven, probably. I rolled my eyes.

"My dad says he wants to meet you before you get to comfortable," I chuckled, "So you'll probably get to see the city for yourself."

He practically squealed. I chuckled at his excitement and set myself on the matress. I knew that I had to get dressed but I wasn't ready because in a blur Christmas would be gone and Archer day would be upon me. Also, Jaden's voice was calming.

He laughed, "You'll give me a proper tour of the city."

"Trust me, we'll both be touring," I admitted, standing up to look through my clothes. "Now help me find an outfit."

"Party at Steven's?" He asked, his voice somewhat stiff.

"Yeah," I said, "His girlfriend is gonna be there too."

There was a moment of silence before, "You don't have to do that."

"Don't make me have to."

"Okay," he chuckled, probably looking at Flora with a face that suggested I was the one who was being unreasonable. I laughed at the thought and quickly switched it to video call. Flora was laying on the couch besides him, looking up at the roof in silence. I guessed that he had gotten her to stop crying.  The camera focused back on him and he smiled, "Okay then, let's do this."

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Well, seeing as this is the second last chapter of the book I thought I'd let it be sweet. I really hope you've enjoyed this book and if you have any queries about anything feel free to ask so I can fix anything I missed out when I decide to edit.

Don't be a silent reader! Let me know you're reading ಡ ͜ ʖ ಡ

Lots of love
Musawa