Phone call with Dad

Ava.

I stood in the kitchen, watching Alex hurry towards the door with Emilia skipping ahead of him. The migraine that had been pounding at my temples mere seconds ago faded into the background, forgotten in the face of this moment.

Something about the scene before me felt achingly familiar, and painful difficult to ignore. As Alex and Emilia disappeared from view, my late husband's face superimposed itself over Alex's in my mind's eye. "James," I whispered absentmindedly, the name slipping out unbidden.

A heavy, shaky breath escaped me, snapping me back to reality. Suddenly, I became aware of a dampness on my cheeks. I swallowed hard, reaching up to wipe my face. I'd been crying without even realizing it.

"Ms. Ava?"

Rosa's voice startled me. I turned to find her standing at the threshold that led to the main lodge of the house. I hadn't even heard her approach. She tilted her head, genuine concern shining in her eyes. She didn't say anything more, but her gaze held a wealth of unspoken words.

I blinked rapidly, trying to fight back the fresh wave of tears threatening to spill over. The sight of Rosa, with her quiet care, was almost my undoing.

I noticed she was holding a phone in her hands, cradling it carefully as if it were something precious.

Sniffling, I sighed and swallowed hard, struggling to regain my composure. "Yes, Rosa?" I managed, my voice steadier than I felt.

Rosa stepped forward, her movements calm and deliberate. "This has been ringing for the past hour," she said softly. "I didn't answer, as per your instructions."

I nodded, remembering the work line I'd insisted on keeping here at home. It seemed unnecessary, even silly – I was sure Alex would mock me if he knew. But I'd been adamant about having it, just in case of emergencies. It had to be a separate work line, not my personal one. Unnecessary? Probably. But it was a precaution I couldn't bring myself to abandon.

I took the phone from Rosa, mustering a smile. "Thank you," I said softly.

She nodded and turned away, heading back to her duties without another word. I watched her go, wondering not for the first time what she thought about everything that was happening. About this engagement. Rosa would never question me outright, but I couldn't help but be curious about her perspective.

Glancing down at the phone, I saw it was indeed packed with missed calls. My assistant's number flashed repeatedly, matching the missed calls on my personal line. And then there was my dad – enough missed calls from him to warrant filing a missing person's report.

I sighed, my thumb hovering over the call back button. My work was important, yes, but I didn't call my assistant back. My dad, on the other hand... well, my job would be the last thing I'd have to worry about if I didn't return his calls soon.

I stared at the phone, my thumb hovering over my dad's number. With a deep breath, I hit call. It barely rang once before his voice came blaring through the speaker.

"Ava! You shouldn't ignore your own father. I'm too old for that nonsense!"

I winced, pulling the phone away from my ear slightly. "Hi, Dad," I said, keeping my voice level.

"Don't you 'Hi, Dad' me, young lady. I was this close to dropping everything and coming to your house!"

Despite myself, I felt a smile tugging at my lips. "Don't be dramatic," I said, a hint of playfulness creeping into my tone. "We both know you can't do that."

"Ah, shit," he cursed, his voice hoarse but full of life. Even after seven years in a wheelchair, my father had enough energy to power a small town. It was good to hear him so vibrant, but sometimes I wished he'd tone it down just a notch.

"So," he continued, "how's Alex doing?"

At the mention of his name, I frowned. "How about him?" I replied flatly.

"Now, now," Dad chided, "that's no way to react. Don't get too big for your britches, missy."

I rolled my eyes, grateful he couldn't see me. "He's fine," I answered reluctantly.

"GREAT!" Dad's jolly response boomed through the phone. Then, his tone shifted slightly. "Now, don't you pay any attention to what the media's saying. They just need a story, you know how it is."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. Of course, he'd seen the headlines. My father was practically my personal clipping service. "Of course," I muttered.

We continued talking, my headache slowly creeping back as Dad rambled on about this and that. Just when I thought he was wrapping up, he said, "Oh, hold on a minute. You need to bring Alex home. It's about time."

I nearly dropped the phone. "What?" I sputtered.

"What do you mean, 'what'?" Dad sounded genuinely confused. "It's only right to bring home the man you're going to marry. At least introduce us! That's what normal people do, you know."

I groaned, a long, drawn-out sound of pure frustration. This was the last thing I needed right now. But I knew arguing with my father would be pointless. When he got an idea in his head, he was like a dog with a bone.

"Fine," I sighed, defeat coloring my voice.

As I hung up, I couldn't help but wonder how Alex would react to this. I only hoped he'd be in a good mood when I broke the news. Somehow, I doubted it.

I set the phone down on the counter, my head throbbing. One more complication in this already complicated charade. God I need sleep, a long one.