Page 45 of The Sweetest Chirp

“No,” I answer. “I never thought she could do it either, but she did it out of fear, and that’s my cross to bear. It’s my fault.”

“But we lost time with her too,” Dad says, looking between us.

“But Thatcher obviously hurt her enough to warrant this,” William says. “She wouldn’t have run and hid for no reason.”

“Dad,” Audrina almost pleads. “Everyone, please. Let this be between Thatcher and me.”

I don’t think anyone hears her, because William asks, “Are you going to make an honest woman out of my daughter?”

Before I can say, “Name the time and place and make sure Audrina shows up,” Audrina shrieks. “What? Dad! This isn’t the 1800s in the middle of Russia. We don’t need to get married because we have a kid.”

Anya isn’t having that. Her face is beet red as her eyes set on me. “So, you knock my daughter up but won’t marry her?”

“That’s unfair, Anya,” Mom snaps. “Why would he want to marry someone who hid his child?”

“Why would she want to marry someone who forced her to run and hide a child?” Anya throws back at my mother.

“It’s obvious they’re both at fault,” my dad says, trying to reason with everyone. “As I said, they’re adults. We have to trust they know what they’re doing.”

“Don is right. We raised them the best we could,” William adds, running his hands down his face.

Anya doesn’t agree. “But if he hadn’t broken my daughter after knocking her up, this wouldn’t have happened!”

“You’ve been pushing them together since they were born!” Mom accuses her. “I told you they’re better as friends.”

This is getting out of control.

Ingrid snorts. “And this is why I’ll be your cool older aunt who won’t marry, so I can take you all over the world and away from all this crazy,” she signs and says to Arwen. I don’t know if Arwen knows what she’s talking about, but she looks at Ingrid like she hung the moon.

I throw my hands up. “Let me stop everyone right here,” I say as calmly as I can. “Audrina and I have a lot to figure out, but that’s our responsibility. Just the two of us and no one else. I don’t know how else to tell you this.” I pause, looking at each one of our parents. “I have every intention of being the best father I can be, and together, we’ll raise Arwen. We don’t know the details, but please let us work through it. All we ask is for you to love our daughter.”

I feel Audrina tense beside me, and when I look at her, her eyes are cloudy with tears. “Our priority is Arwen. That’s it.”

I know she’s saying it for herself, and I wonder if anyone else believes her.

“Everyone’s main concern should be getting to know and love Arwen,” Ingrid says. She boops Arwen’s nose and signs, “Because she is the sweetest little girl.”

The tension in the room is suffocating, and emotions are all over the place. I can see why Audrina felt like this would come between our families. I see it happening in the way the two best friends of almost fifty years glare at each other.

I tuck my hands in my pockets, rocking on my heels as I look at the four people who raised me. “I know it’s all very messy, butwhat Audrina and I don’t want is this coming between us. No matter what, Arwen will come first.”

Audrina moves closer to me. “There has been enough pain and anger just between the two of us. We don’t want that for anyone else.” I smile to myself at her use of us, and I don’t miss the way she side-eyes me. I grin widely at her, and she rolls her eyes. She exhales and then looks at her mom. “I’m home. Thatcher made sure of that. Can we please just come together and love Arwen?”

“That’s a given,malyshonuk,” Anya says, her tears spilling over her lashes. “But you’re my baby, and I don’t like that you felt you had to run when you came up pregnant because of some boy.”

“Some boy,” my mom snaps. “That some boy is my boy, who is the best goddamn man in the world, besides my husband.”

Anya snorts at that, looking at me like she wants to spit on me. “Don would never knock you up, break your heart, and then force you to run.”

“Mom,” Audrina pleads. “Please, I’m good.” I actually believe her. “Has my world been turned upside down? Yes, but it’s for the best. Arwen has her daddy, her aunt, and now her babas and dedes. That’s important to her. To me. I made sure she knew all your faces.”

I watch as Mom chokes on a sob, and I swallow past my own emotion that threatens to choke me. I look away, and my gaze finds Audrina’s. Her eyes are wide, full of apprehension, and my heart aches at the sight. I reach out, taking her hand. She threads her fingers through mine, and then she whispers, “Thank you.”

I smile. “Anything for you.”

Her eyes flash with a look of displeasure that I’m becoming acquainted with. It’s her “You’re approaching the boundaries I’ve put up” look, but what she doesn’t realize is that I love that look. I love the flush that fills her cheeks, the way her eyesnarrow as she raises her brows to her hairline. Fuck, she does it for me. She can look at me like that all she wants, as long as she’s looking at me.

I just hope she isseeingme.

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