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Chapter 12
It felt like a pivotal moment to be in this situation.
Gale grips his knees anxiously as the car pulled over in front of the house that will be hosting a dinner as a thank you tribute for him.
Ben and Molly didn't utter a single word in the whole ride. They gave Gale the time he needed to control his roaring emotion, and Gale felt thankful for their understanding.
Suddenly, there's a soft knock on the passenger window. Gale jumped a little in his seat and look to the side to find a set of eyes squinting and peering inside the car.
It was Julia.
The car window was too high for her. Gale chuckled while seeing her struggling to stand on her toes. He pushed the button to lowered the window and stick his head out to meet her gaze.
Julia was beaming at him.
"Excuse me, miss, it's not polite to peer into a stranger's car," Gale said in mock seriousness.
Julia raised her hands and covered her mouth while giggling. "I'm sorry, mister. I
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She stands at the entrance of the living room. She was looking at Gale and Alex with an unreadable expression. She flinched after a few seconds and bent down to pick up the phone she dropped."I'm sorry," she said with a tight smile. "The pie is ready.""Ave, come here," the old lady said. Avelyn walked towards her. "Gentleman, my name is Maya Shelley, and this is Avelyn, my daughter. Julia is her daughter."Gale unconsciously exhaled a breath of relief.Avelyn uses her maiden name. Maybe she's divorced from Julia's father or never married at all. Still, he was slightly anxious. For the first time, he dared to look at her. He was studying her face while she wasn't looking at him.She was as beautiful as Gale remember her from yesterday. Her hair was in a low ponytail this time. A few tendrils were loose from the ponytail and dangling on the side of her face. She wears high-waisted khaki trousers with a cream blouse. She looked gorgeous.A nu
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"Julia was born prematurely," Maya said once everyone settled on their chairs.Alex and Julia had insisted on sitting next to Gale, so he sat in the middle between the two kids, and he wasn't about to complain. He likes these kids too much.Avelyn was evidently uncomfortable with it, but she didn't say a word, she silently took a seat across Julia.Trying not to read too much into the situation and decided that it would be alright to engage in the conversation as long as he doesn't seem too eager, Gale chimed in. "I've been wondering how Julia and Alex shared the same birthday.""You know their birthday?" Avelyn asked Gale, the first time she talked to him since he arrived.Gale nodded calmly even though his heart was beating wildly. "Alex told me when we introduced ourselves to each other so I can help them. Julia was very persistent that I can't help as long as I am a stranger.""Uncle Gale's birthday is in November!" Alex said.Gal
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Both Gale and Avelyn snapped their heads towards Alex."Alex!" Denise hissed."It's okay, Dee," Avelyn interjected. "I am a single parent, Doctor.""Please, call me Gale." He said as he tried to suppress his victorious smile at knowing that Avelyn is a single parent.Avelyn made a face to protest, but then she sighed. "I– alright.""I'm sorry if my question makes you uncomfortable.""No, it's fine. It's just– it's been so long since the last time I have to explain this matter to anyone. I hardly have time to make friends, so meeting new people was quite a challenging task for me. I'm sorry if my demeanour was a bit slack and cold. I hope I don't offend you." She said to Gale and then glanced at Molly and Ben with an apologetic smile.Molly and Ben smiled understandingly at Avelyn, but Gale only watched her with a straight face, although deep down he still felt so happy at the prospect that he could have feelings for
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When they arrived at the living room, Alex was already seated on the couch. Josh was adjusting the pillow that lay beneath his son's casted leg."Uncle Gale! Sit here next to me!" Alex exclaimed.Gale walked towards Alex and slowly lowered himself to sit next to Alex. Julia had whispered to him and asked him to carry her and let her sit on his lap. Gale was happily obliged.Talking with Julia and Alex was very easy and calming - it made Gale didn't aware of the stares from the other people in that room."You know what, Gale?" Martin suddenly said. Gale glanced towards Martin and raised his brows questioningly. "I think this is the first time I see Julia being very clingy towards male adults aside from me, Josh, and Callum.""Callum?" Gale asked, alerted."Uncle Callum! Mommy's best friend." Julia answered first.Gale forced a smile, suddenly feeling anxious. "And why is that, if I may know?" Gale asked Martin."Julia is n
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Gale exhales slowly to calm his roaring feelings and then begins to tell the rest of the story. He told everyone about his first year of recovery and how Meryl had helped him a great deal. He then told them what he thought when he decided that he wanted something more than friendship with Meryl, which was very uncomfortable as he realized he never thought he was in love with her. Gale only thought about the advantages of dating Meryl, how kind, beautiful, smart, and patient she was. How she made him feel secure and safe. And then he admitted he was scared of losing the one person that shows him endless support, and he thought that if he didn't have any ties with her, she would leave him. Then he finally comes to the reason for the downfall of his relationship with Meryl."At first, everything was fine, happy and well... steady. I love feeling secure. But there was something I didn't tell Meryl." Gale glances at Ben and Molly on the opposite side of the room, and both of them
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She woke up with a start and mumbling curses under her breath at the sound of her sister's voice, shouting her name."Ave! Wake up!!!"Avelyn slowly sat on her bed as she rubbed her sleepy eyes and yawned at the same time.Right, it's Saturday."I'm up! Stop yelling!" Avelyn said as she kept hearing her sister yelling around the house.At the age of twenty-two years old, having a job as a middle school teacher, Avelyn still lives with her parents. What's the point of renting a flat when she could give the money to her parents? Besides, the school where she works was close to her parents' house. And as for her parents, they were more than happy that she decided to stay with them. After Denise married five years ago and moved out to the house a couple of blocks from her parent's house, their parents have been feeling lonely, and Avelyn went to college in Vancouver, they got more lonely. So by the time Avelyn finished college and got a
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"You are going back to Toronto tomorrow?" Avelyn said to her phone screen.After the hike to the Wapta Falls, Avelyn has been constantly in contact with Gabe. They also met a couple of times in town, just walking and talking."Yeah, I was hoping to see you tomorrow, but then I got a call from my friend informing me about my professor's schedule change. I was supposed to go back next weekend, but that blasted professor is always changing her schedule unexpectedly." He sighed. "I guess I just have to be content on seeing your face through my phone screen,"Avelyn laughs heartily. "What time is your flight? Is your family going back tomorrow too?""Eight am. My class starts at three pm. No, they're staying for another week. I envy them,""Can you go out tonight?" Avelyn asked, then she bites her lower lip nervously."Avelyn... I was about to ask the same question." Gabe replied softly."Let's meet outside,""Yeah? Where?"
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