DADDY'S VISIT

My heart skipped a beat when Daniel suddenly declared his love for me. I was taken aback by his sudden confession, and my mind raced with a flurry of conflicting emotions. I knew I liked him, but I wasn't sure if I was ready to take the next step.

"I...I don't know what to say," I stammered, my voice trembling with uncertainty.

Daniel's expression turned somber, and I could sense the hurt in his eyes. "What's the matter? Don't you feel the same way?" he asked, his tone laced with disappointment.

"It's not that," I said quickly. "It's just...I don't know if I'm ready to say that yet."

As I spoke, I could see the hope in his eyes fading away, replaced by a sense of dejection. I didn't want to hurt him, but I couldn't bring myself to say something that I didn't genuinely feel.

"I like you a lot, Daniel," I said softly, trying to reassure him. "But I just need more time."

He nodded slowly, trying to hide his disappointment. "Okay. I understand," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

The silence between us felt like an eternity, as we both sat lost in our own thoughts. The weight of his disappointment hung heavily in the air, and I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of guilt for being unable to reciprocate his feelings.

As I looked at him, I could see the pain etched on his face, and it made my heart ache. I knew that I had let him down, and the thought weighed heavily on my mind. Every passing moment felt like a lifetime, as the silence between us grew more suffocating.

The room was filled with a palpable tension, and it seemed as though the air had grown thicker.But no matter what, the truth remained unchanged. 

I couldn't force myself to feel something that wasn't there, and it pained me to see him suffer because of it. As we sat there in silence, I couldn't help but wonder if things would ever be the same again.

Finally, I mustered up the courage to speak. "Can I ask you something?" I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Sure," Daniel replied, looking up at me with a hint of curiosity.

As I sat beside Daniel, my heart filled with gratitude for his selfless act of donating blood for my son. I couldn't help but feel indebted to him, but I didn't want to give him the wrong impression.

"You didn't have to do that," I said softly, my voice filled with appreciation. "I'm grateful for what you did, but I don't want you to think that it means I owe you anything."

Daniel looked at me with a serious expression, his eyes filled with sincerity. "I don't expect anything from you, Ava. I did it because I wanted to help, not because I wanted anything in return."

His words warmed my heart, and I couldn't help but feel touched by his kindness. I smiled, feeling relieved that we were on the same page.

"Thank you," I said, my voice filled with gratitude. "I just wanted to make sure we're clear on that."

Daniel nodded, his eyes meeting mine with a gentle intensity. "We are. And I'm glad we talked about it."

As we sat there in silence, I could feel the tension between us, a palpable energy that crackled in the air. I couldn't help but feel drawn to him, his presence filling me with a sense of comfort and security.

For a moment, we just stared into each other's eyes, a wordless conversation passing between us. I could feel my heart racing, and I wondered if he could hear it too.

Finally, Daniel spoke up. "Can I at least take you out on a proper date?"

I smiled, feeling a sense of relief. "I'd like that."

Daniel's face lit up, and he grinned at me. "Great. How about Saturday ni

As I left his office , I felt a sense of hope. Maybe things would work out between us after all.

Over the next few weeks, Daniel and and even took a weekend trip to the beach. I was startin till

 wasn't ready to say those three little words.

 I was in the middle of cleaning up my apartment one breezy morning when I heard a knock at the door. "Who's there?" I called out, trying to shake off the grogginess that lingered in my mind. As I made my way to the door, I couldn't help but wonder who it could be.

But as I opened the door, my heart skipped a beat. It was the mask guy- the same guy who had disappeared from my life after the night we had shared together leaving me to nurture our child alone.. To my surprise, he was standing right in front of me.

As I locked eyes with him, I couldn't help but sense the nervous energy emanating from his every pore. His heart was pounding so loudly that I could almost hear it, and I wondered what could have brought him here after all this time. 

My mind was clouded with a mix of emotions - anger, pain, and confusion. I couldn't help but wonder why he had come back into my life after all these years. Had he been searching for me? Did he want to pick up where we left off? The uncertainty of the situation was almost suffocating.

I couldn't help but take in every detail - the way his hair fell across his forehead, the slight quiver in his voice, even the way his hands shook ever so slightly. It was as though time had stood still since the last time we had seen each other.

But despite the flood of memories and emotions that threatened to overwhelm me, I knew that I had to stay strong. I couldn't let him see how much his unexpected reappearance had affected me. And so, I squared my shoulders and prepared to face whatever it was that he had come to tell me.

As I opened the door, my heart skipped a beat at the sight of Ethan standing before me. A wave of emotions washed over me - surprise, confusion, and most of all, pain. I could see the guilt etched on his face, and I knew that he had a lot of explaining to do.

As our eyes met, I couldn't help but feel a lump form in my throat. My heart felt heavy with hurt, and I struggled to keep my voice steady as I spoke.

"Ava," he managed to say, his voice barely above a whisper.