* * *

"Avery, there's a reason why I backed off." He spoke softly.

"There's so much that you don't know." He added.

"So, let me in. Tell me!" I begged softly. I wasn't going to make the same mistake I made last time, I needed to remain level headed. I knew this was going to be my only shot at getting my father to tell me the whole truth.

"I don't even know where to start." He said as he let out a sigh of frustration. I watched on as he looked straight ahead, I could tell he was trying to figure it out in his head. So, I sat there and waited patiently for him.

"You were right." He said

"Right about what?" I asked, creasing my eyebrows in confusion.

"I haven't been 100% honest about what happened." He responded almost instantly. My heart skipped a beat at the words. Was I supposed to say something? I didn't want to be premature with the words "I told you so" in case it would cause him to change his mind, so I sat there patiently as I watched him over.

"My world was shattered into a million pieces when I got the phone call, telling me your mum had moved away. I vowed to do everything in my power to find you girls and bring you back home."

"We both know how that turned out though." He added. I let out a sigh as he said those words.

"She went clean for a while, after she had moved away with you girls."

"I don't remember to be honest." I spoke as my face creased in confusion.

"That's because you hardly remember all the good when the bad triumphs over it." He spoke softly.

"This was back when she first started dating Henry. I found out where she moved and I knocked on her door, I wanted us to work it out, I still loved her."

"Weren't you cheating on her?" I asked, anger evident in my tone.

He let out a sigh as he rubbed his face with both hands, "It was a shitty mistake, one I never did again but I know- the damage was done."

"I wanted your mother back, I wanted to be a family again. We spent the entire day and night together. After that night, she said she wanted to go slow plus she wanted to break up with Henry gently. So I went at her pace. We spoke every day and it felt like we were finally on the right track."

I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach as he spoke the words, "What happened?" I asked.

"She fell pregnant."

"What?" I asked, leaning forward in shock.

"We found out she was pregnant and confirmed it was mine. We both knew at that point that we wanted to give our family a shot once more. She was determined to make it work with me, so we packed her things and she was going to tell Henry that night."

When he stopped I knew something had definitely gonna wrong. It was already obvious as to what happened, due to the fact that we don't have another sibling running around.

My focus redirected to him when I heard him take a deep breath before proceeding, "Henry didn't take it too well and your Mum ended up in hospital. I didn't find out until a few days later. As soon as I found out, I was by her side immediately, but the damage was already done. I have no idea what he told her but he managed to convince her that it was all my fault."

"What was your fault?"

"It was my fault she lost her baby." He forced the words through gritted teeth.

"Your mum wanted nothing to do with me and even allowed Henry to move you guys again. According to them, they wanted a clean slate. A house without any memories of me in it."

I remember us moving to another house, to the one we resided in for many years to come. I was always confused about why we had moved but trying to get information out of my mother was like trying to get a brick wall to talk back.

"I did try to find you girls but I couldn't. I'll admit, I wasn't looking that hard. I was still grieving about losing her and losing my unborn baby."

"I'm so sorry. I should have manned up and taken you away from that house. I let this happen to you." He forced the words out in between sobs.

I slowly scooted closer to him and debated if I should rub his back. My hand involuntarily moved forward, clinching as I tried to make a decision. When another sob escaped his lips my hand immediately landed on his back, patting it slowly.

"When I was writing you those letters, I was also in the process of talking to my lawyers, in a bid to get custody over you girls. Henry found out, I still don't know how he found out but he did."

"What happened when he found out." I asked as I swallowed the lump in my throat. I scooted back to my original spot, giving him a little space.

My father looked over at me as he stared into my eyes, I looked over his puffy red eyes as another lone tear escaped.

"He made a comment about how much of a woman you were turning into."

My stomach turned at that thought and where the conversation no doubt ended up going.

"We both knew he wouldn't try anything but he was still unstable and I didn't want to risk that. I couldn't risk him hurting you that way." He forced the words out through gritted teeth.

"I stopped writing the letters but I had someone keep an eye on you girls every day." He spoke softly as he turned to look into my eyes.

"It doesn't matter that you had someone look over us. They didn't stop the bruises and broken bones we received. He may not have hurt me like that but he found a way to hurt me." I said as I leaned forward to look at my father.

"I know and I will forever regret my decision. I let fear win."

We both sat in silence for a few seconds until he let out a sigh before speaking out, sadness evident in his tone, "When they told me you were in hospital, I almost died. I thought it was because of Henry but it wasn't, was it?"

"No." I responded in shame as I looked at the ground.

"Why did you do it? Avery?" He asked

I swallowed the lump in my through as I thought back to that night, "He said it was safe."

"Noah?"

"Yes."

"I'm going to kill him."

"Wait. How do you know about Noah?" I asked, looking into his eyes with confusion.

My father raised an eyebrow in question, "I had you girls followed. Of course I know who that piece of shit is."

I let out a light chuckle as I shook my head.

"I came to visit you in hospital. I didn't want to wake you up so I left you the fifteen white roses with the small bear."

"Bastard."

"Pardon?"

"Not you. Noah made it out like it was him who brought the roses when I asked about them."

My father let out a sigh, "Of course he did."

A sob escapes my fathers lips, I looked over to see a single tear fall down his face, "I thought I lost you."

My eyes began to tear up as he said those words. They were pure, honest and unexpected. I scooted closer and placed my hand on his back to comfort him.

"I learnt my lesson. I'm not that naive girl anymore." I spoke softly

"I know you aren't baby girl. I'm very proud of the woman you turned into." He said.

"Can I ask you a question though?" I asked, uncertainty in my tone.

"Of course you can."

"Is Ashley the woman you cheated on Mum with?"

He let out a sad sigh and that was enough for me to confirm that she was in fact the other woman. I couldn't be mad at her though, I didn't know the full story. Did she know he was married? Did he lie to her and say he was divorced? There were endless possibilities.

"She is. She didn't know I was still married. I was in love with both of them in different ways. It was a very confusing time for me." He said.

I knew exactly what he was referring to. Once upon a time I was in love with both Noah and Isaac, I couldn't prosecute him when I did the exact same thing.

"I will always have a special place in my heart for your mother and I'm so glad that she's finally getting help."

My head whipped around in shock to look at my father who was already starring at me.

"How did-"

"How did I know?" He interrupted.

"She called me sobbing that you two had left, she was talking all non-sense about ending her life. I told her this was her opportunity to get clean and show you girls that she can do it. She didn't have any money for it, because all her money was put in an account that no one could get access to."

"Why did she do that?" I asked in confusion.

"To keep the money away from Henry."

I looked into his eyes as realisation creeped over me slowly, "You've been paying for her rehab."

"Yes, I am."

I immediately jumped up and wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him as a soft sob escaped my lips, "Thank you, Dad."

A light gasp escaped his lip before he wrapped his arms around my waist, "Of course, baby."

I felt embarrassed at the way I practically attacked him, a light giggle escaped my lips as I slowly let go, "Sorry about that."

My dad smiled at me before shaking his head, "Do not apologise for that."

I turned to face the front of the yard, my eyes involuntarily moving to where Drew's car sat peacefully.

"I love you girls more than life itself. I want nothing more than to work out our problems. I want to be in your lives, Avery." He spoke softly before reaching his hand out, his palm facing up.

I looked at his palm for a few seconds, before I reached across my body with my right arm to secure his hand with my palm. Our fingers intertwined and just like that I felt like I was on top of the world.

My head turned to look into my dad's eyes, "I'm willing to make this work."

He smiled at me as he squeezed his hand lightly in reassurance.

"Don't expect me to sing kumbaya and all that shit" I added as I smirked at him.

His eyebrow raised in challenge, "How about Hakuna matata?"

I burst out in laughter as I head tilted back lightly, nodding softly, "Solid joke, Dad."

My smile dropped as I only just realised that I had called him Dad, I swallowed the lump in my throat as I was prepared to apologise to him. He must of realised my change in mood because he shook his head lightly, "I love that you called me Dad. Don't change that."

My cheeks began to flush as I smiled lightly before nodding.

"Darling. I don't mean to interrupt but everyone else has eaten. Will you two be eating?" Ashley asked softly as she looked at me, smiling at me in a motherly way. I smiled back at her before I looked back at Dad.

He winked at me before standing up and then reached down to help me get up, "Let's go eat, kiddo."

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders as we walked inside the house together.

* * *

A/N: Finally!!!! Right?! Only took a book and a half lol

Next Chapter: Drew has a question for the girls. Someone is crushing over Drew and something seems to be bugging Jaxon. What could that be?