Cherished (Wanted 4)

“Mom…why are you not surprised to see him?” Jeff asked.

My mother walked over and stood next to our father.

Oh god…she’s not leaving Philip for our father, is she?

“Ellie, sweetheart, calm the thoughts in your head. I see you thinking a mile a minute.”

I shook my head. “Mom…are you leaving Philip for…for him?” I pointed to the man standing in front of me.

I didn’t even want to call him my father. It was his fault that my mother had treated us so badly all those years. He had been the reason for her sadness and bitterness.

“What? No! My god, no, Ellie. Jeff…Ellie, baby…please sit down,” my mother said with a weak smile. She turned and looked at my father. “You couldn’t wait for a few days longer until I talked to them?” she asked in a soft…almost caring voice.

He shook his head as he sat down. My mother took a seat next to him.

“Okay…can I just say that this is fucking weird?” Jefferson said as we both sat down.

They both gave us a slight smile, and then I almost fell out of my chair when my mother reached for my father’s hand.

I stood up quickly. “What is going on?” I practically shouted.

Jefferson reached up and pulled me back down. “Calm down, Ells…let Mom talk.”

My head was spinning. This is not happening. Are they friends now? Did he get in touch with her? Or did she get in touch with him?

“About three months ago, your father contacted me. I agreed to meet him—with Philip.”

I felt sick to my stomach. I put my hand on my swollen stomach, and right at that moment, the baby moved. I’d felt her move this morning, and I thought Gunner would have come out of his skin because he’d wanted to feel it so bad.

“Mom, why would you open up that hurt again?” Jefferson asked.

I watched as my father looked down and then up at my mom. She looked at him and smiled.

“Jefferson, Ellie, I will always love your father. He was my first love. He was probably the love of my life.”

My father reached up and wiped a tear away from his cheek. My heart jumped a beat, and I grabbed Jefferson’s hand.

“But I am also deeply in love with Philip, and I plan on spending the rest of my life with him. He gives me unconditional love, and I can’t imagine my life without him.”

I was finally able to open my mouth and say something. “Are you still with Angie?”

My father snapped his eyes up at me, and the moment his blue eyes caught mine, I wanted to cry. I remembered those eyes looking into mine while he’d told me stories. I used to dream I would marry someone like him.

“No. We divorced a few years ago. She left me and said she couldn’t live in the shadow of another woman.”

I shook my head, the anger building. “What in the hell does that mean?”

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Ellie…your mother was my first love. She’s probably the only woman I’ve ever truly loved in my life.”

I went to say something, but Jefferson squeezed my hand.

“I had all these plans for us…and when we went to college, I sort of freaked out. I was leaving town for games, and all I could do was think about her. What was she doing? Who was she with? Did she miss me? My mind was consumed with thoughts of your mother.”

I began shaking. “Why did you cheat on her then?” I spat out with as much hate as I could.

My mother looked down and away.

Oh god…hearing him say this must be tearing her apart inside!