I shake my head. “Be my guest, girls. Check out the other woman. I don’t care,” I tell them. “I just can’t go with you… she kind of hates me.”
Abigail laughs. “That’s crazy. Who in the world could possibly hate you.”
My heart warms at her words. I’m not sure if it’s the tea, or just being in the company of my wonderful friends, but I’m feeling very loved.
* * *
We’re goingto meet Ava tomorrow, and I couldn’t be more on edge. Despite the fact that we’ve become friends on Facebook, she still doesn’t know I’m her biological father’s wife. She only knows me as Joel’s friend. She’ll be overwhelmed as it is, meeting Brian for the first time. I definitely do not want to add to her stress.
With trembling fingers, I start to type…
Hi Ava,
Good luck tomorrow! I know you will be meeting your biological dad for the first time. He is extremely excited to meet you. I know this because…
I hesitate for a moment, take a deep breath, and carry on.
I should tell you something… I will be there tomorrow. I’ve enjoyed my friendship with you, but I haven’t been completely honest. I’m not only Joel’s friend, I’m also Brian’s wife. Yes… Brian… your biological dad. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you before, but it was not my place to tell you about Brian. I had to wait until it was all out in the open. I hope you forgive me. I’m hoping you and I can be good friends in the years ahead.
I can be a little uptight sometimes, but I’d make a great stepmom. I make excellent muffins, and I’m a decent cook. And I also love shopping… if that’s your thing. And yoga too.
Your friend, Mischa.
I checkmy Messenger app obsessively, until about two hours later, I spot the wordSeenunder my message. Then I proceed to keep checking my phone obsessively for a reply.
Nothing.
I toss and turn in bed as confusion and worry weigh me down. Following countless restless hours, I finally fall into slumber.
40
The first thing I do when I wake is grab my phone. My heart swells when I spot a small red dot with the number 1 on the corner of the Messenger app logo. My pulse races as I tap it.
Yes!
Hi Mischa,
Sorry I didn’t reply sooner. I was just so SHOCKED!! Anyway, I’ve thought things through all night and I understand why you couldn’t tell me. I look forward to seeing you today. Actually, having you there will probably make everything easier. :)
See ya later,
Ava
I couldn’t be happier.I hop off my bed with a bounce in my step and dash to my closet. I need to pick out the perfect outfit.
* * *
Renee and Ava are late,and Brian and I are sitting on a bench next to the hostess podium waiting impatiently for them. The diner is quaint, one of those fun fifties retro places. It was my idea — I thought that some place fun and casual would lessen the tension.
My pulse races as soon as I spot them through the window. Renee is dressed in a long flower patterned skirt, white blouse, and platform heels. Her long hair is flowing — she looks like she’s just walked off one of the pages of a J.Crew catalog. Ava is wearing jeans shorts and a pink tank top. And she looks absolutely terrified. And with reason — she’s meeting her biological father for the first time today.
As soon as the door swings open, we both stand. Ava shoots me a quick smile and swiftly turns her gaze to Brian. They stare awkwardly at each other for the longest time. Finally, he hesitantly closes the distance between them and reaches for her. She’s very shy.
When he finally scoops her up in his arms, he’s full of emotion. The sight of them in an embrace is too much for me to bear — my chest aches, my throat thickens. I close my eyes in an attempt to keep the tears at bay. Seeing the two of them together is kind of… freaky. They look so much alike. He’s probably better looking than she anticipated. When they finally let go of each other, Ava smiles sweetly at him. “This is kinda weird.”
He laughs. “I know… we’ll have to patient. I’m sure that eventually it won’t feel so strange,” he tells her, the words spoken in his ‘teacher voice’. It’s going to take a while until he speaks to her with the familiarity he reserves for the boys and I. Like he said, we must all be patient.
“You want to go sit down?” he asks her.
