1
Ava
"Were you with her when you were married to Mom?"
My father’s face pales. Raisa gasps from her seat on the other side of the settee.
"That’s not fair, Ava," he admonishes me without raising his voice. "You know I loved your mother."
"And she loved you."
"She’d have wanted me to be happy," he murmurs.
"She wouldn’t’ve wanted you to marry her best friend," I snap. "Not so soon after her death."
"Actually," his lips twist, "this was her idea."
"What?" I blink. "I don’t believe it."
"When your mother found out that she was suffering from cancer and had only months to live, she swung into action. She asked Lina to move in with us so we could spend time together, to get comfortable."
"She asked Aunty Lina to move in so she could take care of her," I protest.
"And...so she could ensure that the two of us would give our relationship a chance to work."
"I…" I swallow and my heart begins to drum so hard in my chest that I am sure it’s going to burst out of my rib cage. "It’s not possible."
My father gives me a sad smile. "Why would I lie to you?"
"Because…" the words choke in my throat, "because you want to paint your relationship in a favorable light with me and Raisa? Because you want us to not hate you for marrying another woman?"
"You’re upset about your mother leaving us. You miss her—"
"Don’t you?" I frown at him.
"Every single moment of my life. After she died, I wanted to kill myself."
"Dad," I say, shocked.
"It’s true." He looks at Raisa, then back at me. "I never wanted to admit it, because what father wants to be seen as weak in front of his children?"
"We aren't kids anymore. We could have handled it if you had shared some of your grief with us. Maybe we could have helped you."
"You were busy trying to get your degree and you—" he turned to Raisa, "you were building your career."
"We’d have made time for you; we’d have found a way," I insist.
"I wouldn’t have wanted to take more out of that crucial time in your lives." He shakes his head. "No, your mother was right. She knew I wouldn't be able to go on alone. Even from beyond the grave, that woman made sure I was taken care of. And she chose Lina for it."
"You turned to Lina," I say quietly. "You found comfort in her arms. How long did you wait before Mother was gone before you shagged her?"
"Ava," Raisa snaps, "enough."
"Enough?" I gesture to my father, "Look at him. He doesn’t even deny it. Tell me, Dad, how long did you wait after Mum was gone before you turned to her?"
"The truth is, I was in a relationship with Lina before I met your mother."
"What?" Raisa and I exclaim at the same time.
