Chapter Text
"Claaaaaass! Today, in honor of Father's Day, that will come soon, we’re making crafts for our dads!"
The young teacher’s voice rang brightly across the classroom as she walked down the rows, dropping small packs of seed beads, various shaped, colored beads, and wire onto the desks.
Holly lit up, taking her kit. She began sorting the beads by color and shape, completely focused on the important task at hand.
Jessica stared at her own kit with her usual blank expression and pursed lips.
"Jessica, what's wrong?"
Holly’s fingers were already threading bead after bead onto the thin wire, creating a neat pattern.
"My dad slept with my grandma's nurse, and now my mom won't let him back into the house," Jessica shrugged, watching Holly's creative process intently.
The two of them got lost in making the gift. Jessica handed her friend the beads she thought matched best, and Holly approved, weaving them into a crafty colorful ring.
She twisted the wire tightly, snipped off the excess, and without a second thought, started working on a second ring.
Jessica raised her eyebrows, confused.
"But...you already finished one gift."
Holly opened her mouth but closed it again.
Yes, Jessica had always been her best friend, and Holly knew her better than anyone...
She knew her better than anyone, which meant she knew Jessica couldn't keep her mouth shut to save her life.
And Holly had absolutely no intention of risking Jack and dad just for an excuse to gossip with a friend.
"My dad loves rings. You know him," Holly looked into Jessica's eyes, flashing a smile so natural that the other girl had no reason to doubt her.
"Mm-hmm...I wish my dad was that fashionable...he would've cheated on my mom sooner, tho..." she murmured thoughtfully.
Holly pursed her lips, looking a bit awkward.
The door slammed so hard that the hallway windows rattled.
Holland jumped, a fierce scowl forming on his face as he opened his mouth to scold her, but Holly beat him to it.
"Close your eyes!"
March sucked in a breath and instantly covered his eyes with his hands.
Healy didn't react in time, his gaze just shifting up toward Holly.
And then March’s hand smacked right into his face, painfully pinning his glasses against his skin to cover Healy's eyes.
"March—"
"Shh..."
Holly was rummaging through her backpack, biting and licking her lips in tense, nervous concentration.
"Okay...you can open them now!"
Both adults opened their eyes—March with an expectant smile, and Healy rubbing his face under his glasses, where a fresh red print was already forming.
"Ta-daaaa!!"
Holly stared at them, waiting for a reaction, and she got it instantly.
Her dad’s eyes filled with tears, a quiet sob slipping past his lips as he covered his mouth with a hand.
"Oh...sweetheart..."
Healy silently reached for the orange ring, only to get his hand slapped away.
March whimpered pitifully through his tears,
"The orange one is mine..."
He opened his arms, and Holly immediately threw herself into his embrace—no longer quite so little, but still their precious, fiercely loved girl.
He held her tight, burying his face in her shoulder.
"Thank you, pumpkin..."
Healy smiled softly, watching the two of them.
Without a single word, he slid the green beaded ring onto his ring finger.
He caught Holly’s eye over March’s shoulder and wiggled his fingers in the air with a deeply content grin.
Holly smiled happily, hugging her dad tighter as she looked at a satisfied Jack.
And who cared that they couldn't get married?
Holly could make them rings in every single shape and color, so they could change them every day and be the most fashionable dads in town.