Chapter Text
Ava was stone faced, looking at her father. For what it was worth, he looked appropriately sheepish, shuffling his weight back and fought and running a hand through his hair. He was sporting a beautiful black eye now, and his cheek was swollen slightly.
“Hi,”
“You said that already.”
“I did.” He nodded, agreeing easily, “Um, could we talk?” He asked. He looked… hopeful? Regretful? Sad?
Ava looked at Beatrice and Bernard. Beatrice made an expression that Ava knew meant ‘Its your call.’
“Just a few minutes of your time. Please.”
She took a breath and looked back at Nathan, “A few minutes?”
“That’s all I ask.”
“…Alright.”
Ava followed Nathan out of the police station, across the parking lot. There was a bus stop near the road and he sat down on the bench. Ava hesitated a moment before taking the spot next to him.
“I’m sorry about all of this,” He gestured vague towards the station, “Madeline didn’t understand what was going on. She just did what she thought was safest.”
“You should be apologizing to Bernard. He was the one who got arrested.”
“I did. I do. I’ll do it again.” Nathan said, his words coming out in a rush. He was nervous. If circumstances were different Ava might have felt bad for him.
“What do you want? Because you clearly didn’t want to see me when I knocked on your door.”
He sighed, rubbing a hand down his face, “I don’t have an excuse for that. I was shocked. You look so much like your mother, I knew who you were instantly. And admittedly I never expected you to be standing on my doorstep. Hell, I was told you’d never walk again. This is a miracle.”
Ava tried not to cringe too hard on the word ‘miracle’. “More like an experimental surgery developed at Arc-Tec.”
“Well, I’m happy for you, really I am.”
“You got a weird way of showing it.”
“I should have handled that better. Definitely should not have slammed the door on you like that. I’m sorry.”
Ava snorted, “Is that why you sighed away your parental rights for me? Because I was crippled.”
Nathan winced, “Listen, I’m not trying to make excuses. I was 25 when I got the news about you and your mom. I was working two jobs then, living in this little condo on the 9th floor. I was in no way equipped to take care of a paralyzed kid. I assumed someone else better equipped would step in.”
“Well, they didn’t. I was stuck literally until I- aged out.”
“I’m sorry. If I had known-”
“You would have done something different?” Ava cut in, glaring at him.
“Honestly, I don’t know I would have. But I really thought…” He sighed, “It doesn’t matter what I thought. But for what its worth, that’s not why I sighed away my parental rights.”
Ava looked confused at that, brows pinching together. Nathan gave a sigh when he saw that.
“I guess your mom never explained it to you. Makes sense, you were so young when she passed. I wouldn’t tell my kids something like that until they were teenagers at least if I were in that position.”
“What are you talking about?”
“When Callie got pregnant, her folks weren’t trilled she got pregnant out of wedlock.”
“Oh, I know. I met them earlier today.”
“Oh,” Nathan looked surprised, “They’re still alive huh?”
“Yep.”
“That’s a shame. I kinda hoped they would have kicked the bucket just so Callie could kick their asses in heaven.”
“You think Russell and Virginia are making it to heaven?”
Nathan barked a laugh at that, “If I’m being honest, I hope they see the pearly gates, just long enough before your mom kicks them out of there.” He said with a small smile, “Well, if you met them, you probably know some of the story.”
“They kicked mom out for getting pregnant with me.”
“Yeah.” His eyes got haze with memories, “Me and Callie, we were in our senior year of high school. We were young, we were dumb. I’ll be honest, I didn’t want a kid at that age, but your mom decided to keep you. After her folks kicked her out, she stayed with me. Well, me and my parents.”
“And your parents were cool that?”
“Not entirely. They felt sorry for her after what her parents did, but they also were not happy I got a girl pregnant at 18. I was all set to start university in September and they were worried that having a baby would get in the way of that.”
“Sorry if I messed up school for you.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. Your mom stayed with us until a little after you were born. Then a friend in the states got a job for her. One with decent pay and healthcare coverage for you. The immigration process with a baby was complicated, but she could uncomplicate it a little if I gave up parental rights. It made sense at the time. I wasn’t ready to be a dad then and she wanted to be a mom. Looking back, I wouldn’t call it love. But I did care for her. I figured the States would be a good place to start over. A few years later I heard through some mutual friends she was really doing good for herself. But not long after that I got the news about… you know.”
“Oh…” Ava said simply, not really sure what else she could say to that.
“It was like seeing a ghost, you standing on my doorstep today. I didn’t know what to think. I just reacted.”
“Why didn’t you tell your wife about me? Seems like a pretty big thing to keep from someone you decided to spend your life with. That you have a whole kid out in the world.”
Nathan sighed again, leaning back. He looked up, rubbing the back of his neck, “I don’t know. When I was younger, it wasn’t something I wanted to advertise with anyone I was dating. Felt like a great way to send someone running for the hills, ‘Hey, this date has been great. Just so you know. I have a kid somewhere. So do you want to head back to my place now?’”
Ava snorted, “Alright, I guess I can get that. But she’s your wife.”
“I know. I thought about telling her a few times over the years, but the longer I didn’t tell her, the more it felt like a dirty secret. Not that I think you’re dirty or anything like that. But for me, the longer I didn’t tell Mads, the more it felt like I could ruin things if I did tell. And I really never thought you’d show up.”
“Well…sorry about that, I guess.”
Nathan shook his head, “No. I was the one who kept it from her. I should have told her, just another thing I have to apologize for. I’m going to be groveling for days when I get back home.”
“Wait, you left without explaining things to her?”
“I tired, but she’s a little hot right now. I figure I give her some time to cool off. And I felt bad about your… um… who is that guy to you?”
“Bernard’s my girlfriend’s dad.”
“And the Asian woman is your girlfriend?” He asked. He glanced over his shoulder where Beatrice and Bernard were doing a poor job of pretending like they weren’t looking their way.
“Yeah.”
“Okay, cool. That’s cool. They seem to care about you lot.”
“Yeah, they do,” Following Nathan’s eyeline. Bernard tried to pretend like he hadn’t been looking, but Beatrice made eye contact, silent asking if everything was okay. Ava just raised her hand in answer.
“Um, so I actually have something for you,” Nathan pulled something out of his jacket pocket. He handed Ava a glossy piece of paper that looked like it had been ripped out of a school year book and a few pictures. The page had sets of school sport teams on it and Nathan pointed to one on the bottom, “Callie was on the track team in high school.” He said, his finger moving to point her out in the image of teenagers grouped up on a running track, smiling at the camera.
There were three pictures, the first two where older, slightly faded. The first showed a set of teenagers, in the parking lot of a McDonalds, sitting in the back of an old beat-up pickup sharing from a pile of greasy fired food. Ava recognized her mother’s face instantly. And after a few moments she saw the similarities that one of the boys in the image shared with Nathan. The next was a prom photo and it was easier to match Nathan now to the boy smiling widely in the picture his arms around a girl who looked so much like Ava.
“I wish I had more to give you,” Nathan said.
“No,” Ava shook her head, “This is more than I have. It means a lot to me.” She shifted the third photo to the front and her brows arched towards her hairline. This one wasn’t of her mother. But it showed two young boys in it, a little boy holding toddler up, a big gag tooth smile in the picture both of them wearing party hats.
Nathan coughed, looking sheepish. “It’s probably presumptuous of me to give that you.”
“You think?” Ava flipped over the photo to see a date written on the back from about a year ago along with the words, “Kevin’s 1st birthday.”
“Listen, you have every right to be mad at me right now. But maybe one day when the boys are older, you guys could have a relationship.”
Ava snorted.
“I know, its selfish of me to ask. But don’t let my stupid choices stop you guys from being siblings.”
“I don’t think your wife is going to like that very much.”
“Probably not, but in a few years Oliver is going to be hitting his angsty teenage years and just think, you could be the person he calls for advice about drinking and girls, or I don’t boys if he’s into that.”
“Wow, that’s more interest than you’ve shown about my life in the last two decades.”
“That’s not really fair.”
“I think it’s a reasonable about of fair.”
Nathan sighed, “Listen, I really didn’t come here to make you feel bad about my family, or anything. I do want to apologize. I know it’s not my place to ask anything off you as a father. I really hope you don’t hold that against my boys.”
Ava snorted, but she tucked all the photos carefully under her arm, “Don’t hold your breath for anything.”
“Hey, that’s not a no, I’ll take that.”
“Beatrice, if you stare any harder, than man’s head might just explode.” Bernard said as he rubbed his hand.
“One can only hope,” Beatrice muttered not bothering to move her gaze. Bernard chuckled softly at that. “What do you think they’re talking about?”
“I couldn’t say. Maybe the things a father and daughter talk about.”
“I was so hoping this would go well for her.”
“I know you were, sweetheart. I was too. But, at least things seem more amicable now that they were earlier.”
“Is your hand alright?” Beatrice asked, taking notice that he was still rubbing it.
“Just a little sore after that punch,”
“Let me see.”
“Really Beatrice, its nothi- aow!” He yelped as Beatrice ignored his protests, took his hand in her own and promptly popped something back into place.
“You dislocated a finger with only one punch?”
“Not all of us could be trained by fourth dan nun in judo.”
“It’s a sixth dan in Aikido, actually.”
Bernard huffed through his nose, “My apologizes.”
“I could show you how to throw a punch, without hurting yourself.”
“I am far too old to be throwing anything, but I appreciate the offer.”
Beatrice smiled faintly at that, “You say that, but you were rather quick to swing that right hook.”
“I’ve never been good at containing my temper when family is involved. An unfortunate quality I inherited from your grandfather I’m afraid.” When Beatrice didn’t have a reply, Bernard looked over at her and found her staring right back. It took a few seconds of silently wondering why until his own words registered to him. He coughed, “I should call your mother, let her know everything is fine.” As he stepped away to make the call, Ava came up.
“Hey,” Beatrice greeted, “You okay?” she asked as her eyes found Nathan across the lot, making his way to where his truck was parked.
“Surprisingly, yeah, I think I am.” She said, “Check this out, my mom was on the track team in high school.” And she eagerly showed the picture to Beatrice, “Bet I got all my running skills from her.”
Beatrice hummed, “Somehow I doubt your mother complained every morning before going on her run.”
“Hey,” Ava shoved Beatrice’s shoulder, “Rude. Well, I doubt my mother had a coach as hard to please as you.”
“I was not hard to please.”
“You totally were.”
Beatrice rolled her eyes fondly, looking at the picture, “She’s beautiful Ava. That you definitely take after.”
A pleased blush rose on Ava’s cheeks as her smile grew.
“Alright girls, Lydia has properly chewed me out for my recklessness. If its alright with you, I’m ready to head back to the hotel. I’ve had more than enough excitement for today. I think we can finally book our tickets home.”
“Oh, before we go back, can we go to Wonderland? And Nigeria Falls? And I was looking online, and there’s this thing at the CN tower where you can walk around the outside of it up in the air. It sounds cool and I wanted to try.”
“Ava, you can fly,” Beatrice pointed out.
“Yeah, but I can’t fly around the CN tower, someone might see. Guys, please, can we?”
Beatrice and Bernard sighed at the same time, sharing a look. Bernard said, “If the trip extends more than four days, I’m leaving you to fly back on my own.”
“Yes,” Ava punched the air, “We could go to the tower tomorrow. And there’s a few museums within walking distance, so we could do one or two afterwards. And maybe the next day we could go to Wonderland, or the Falls. I don’t know, they’re both a bit of drive…” And Ava kept rambling on about their plans, as Beatrice and Bernard walked with her, heading back together.