Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Vasiah
I sat on the edge of the bed in the same clothes I’d worn yesterday, my back hunched, elbows heavy on my knees. I hadn’t slept, not really. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard Sera’s sobs through the door, felt the weight of her words pressing against my chest.
I could’ve forced my way into that little clubhouse of hers, but that wasn’t the point. She needed space. She needed to grieve and burn through it her way. What she didn’t need was me barging in and turning it into a battle of wills. So I sat here instead. All night. Waiting.
The morning light was pale, cutting slivers of gold across the floorboards. The room smelled faintly of takeout that had gone untouched, and beneath that—her. Even in her absence, she was everywhere.
The door creaked. My head snapped up.
She emerged slowly, eyes swollen, hair sticking up in uneven tufts, Daddy’s t-shirt so long it resembled a dress on her shorter frame. Vulnerable. Beautiful. Breakable.
Her gaze flicked toward me, startled. I knew how I must look—worn down, tired lines carved deep under my eyes—but steady. Still here.
“Morning, little one.” My voice was quiet, gravelly from the hours of silence. “I waited.”
She froze, hugging that damn fleece blanket around herself like it was armor. “Why?”
“Because I don’t leave.” I leaned forward, resting my forearms on my thighs. “Not when it gets hard. Not when you spiral. Not when you slam doors and scream. I don’t leave, Sera.”
Her lip trembled, and she bit down on it like she could hold the emotion in. I saw right through her.
I pushed up from the bed, slow and deliberate, giving her every chance to retreat if she wanted.
“I know you were hurting last night. I know someone said or did something to you that cut you deep. And I know I wasn’t here to answer when you called.
That”—I tapped my chest with two fingers—“that gutted me.”
Her breath caught.
“I had Emerson,” I admitted, “and he needed me in a way that only I could show up. But hear me when I say this: you also need me. And if you’d told me in your messages that it was an emergency, that you were falling apart, I would’ve found a way to call.
I always will. But I can’t read silence.
I need you to tell me what’s happening in here.
” I reached, gently laying my palm over her heart.
It was racing.
She didn’t answer. Just stared at me, tears glassing her eyes again.
“I’m not your parents,” I said softly. “I don’t dismiss you. I don’t laugh at you. I don’t make you smaller. But I can’t prove that with words alone. I have to prove it by being here. And I will be. You just have to let me.”
Her first sob was quiet, muffled against the blanket. Then she dropped it and threw herself at me, arms tight around my waist. My chest cracked open with relief as I caught her, holding her so tightly I could feel every tremor in her body.
“Daddy…” she whispered into my shirt, like she hadn’t called me that in days instead of hours.
“I’m here, little one,” I murmured into her hair. “Right here. And I’m not going anywhere. So whenever you’re ready, I’m here to listen to whatever happened.”
Her breath hitched against me, and I felt the way her fingers curled tighter, like she was testing if I meant it. The fight drained out of her by degrees, replaced by raw, unshielded ache.
Her breath shuddered, and when she finally spoke, her voice was jagged. “I told her. I told my mom the truth.”
I pulled back just enough to see her face, wet and blotchy, but her eyes were burning. “The truth?” I asked gently.
“That I’m lesbian.” The words cracked as they left her. “She kept pushing me about this guy—kept saying I needed to set a date—and I couldn’t take it anymore. I just blurted it out. And she… she didn’t believe me. She said I was only saying it so I wouldn’t have to date him. Like I’d made it up.”
Her shoulders shook, the tears spilling faster.
“I said it again. Louder. But she kept questioning me, and I… I hung up. I couldn’t—” She swallowed hard, her chest heaving. “I couldn’t listen to her tear me apart like that.”
I held her tighter, stroking her back in long, steady lines. “Little one…” My heart ached with pride and fury all at once. “You were brave. Braver than most. And I’m so damn proud of you.”
She shook her head against me. “But you didn’t answer. I needed you. I called and called and—” Her words broke into a sob. “I thought I was alone.”
I kissed the crown of her head, voice low but fierce. “You will never be alone. Not while we’re together.”
Her sobs slowed, shoulders trembling against me until all that was left were sniffles and hiccups. I brushed her hair back and kissed her temple.
“You did so good, little one. I know it hurts but telling the truth… that’s power. That’s yours now.”
She leaned heavier into me, quiet for a long time. And then her eyes flicked up, tentative. “I… I never asked.”
I tilted my head. “Asked what, baby?”
Her throat worked, shame coloring her cheeks. “What the emergency was. I was so caught up in myself that I didn’t even think—”
I hushed her softly, thumb brushing her cheek. “You’re allowed to feel what you feel. But… since you’re asking, I’ll tell you.”
I guided us both down to sit on the edge of the bed.
Her hands curled into mine as I spoke. “Emerson got into a small car accident. He’d gone to pick up Audrey—she’d been drinking—and he was trying to do the right thing.
Nobody was hurt, thank God. But the car was damaged, and Audrey… she blamed him.”
Sera’s lips parted in shock, her fingers tightening around mine.
“He ran off. Scared. Angry. So he went home to my place.” My chest ached just remembering his face. “We had a long talk. About everything. And by the end of it… we decided he’s going to move in with me permanently. That was the emergency.”
Sera’s face crumpled. “Oh my God, Daddy. I’m so sorry. I was sitting here falling apart while you were—”
I shook my head, firm but soft. “No guilt, little one. Both things were true. You needed me, and he did too. That’s life—it throws it all at once sometimes.” I cupped her chin until her eyes met mine. “You’re not a burden. Not ever.”
Her tears welled again, this time quieter, heavier.
I kissed her forehead and spoke low, carefully. “But I do think we need help. Not because I don’t want to be here with you—I do, more than anything. But because spiraling like that? Carrying all that trauma alone? It’s not fair to you.”
Her breath caught, lips trembling.
“I think you should talk to a therapist, babygirl. About your grief. About your mom. About everything.” My thumb stroked her jaw, grounding her. “And if you want, I’ll go with you. So I can learn too. So I have the tools to take care of you the way you deserve.”
Her eyes widened, searching mine, vulnerable and afraid but also… hopeful.
“I’m not going anywhere, Sera,” I whispered. “But I want us to have every chance to thrive. Not just survive.”
She nodded and I took a minute before saying what I said next.
“I’m sorry for how I treated you that day when you came to my house to talk.
I was going through a lot and I took it out on you.
What Emerson doesn’t know is that Audrey and I have still been having issues even though we’re not together.
I’m not sure what’s going on with her, but she’s always angry, throwing tantrums, and going to do reckless things.
Also, had it not been for you, she would have been on the road somewhere wrapped around a pole.
Because Emerson went to get her, they were both safe.
The only reason he crashed is because he swerved to prevent hitting a deer. ”
Sera exhaled a long sigh.
“He did all the right things, minus the parked car. And he would’ve done even better if Audrey wouldn’t have tried to grab the wheel.
No matter how many times I’ve told him that it’s not his fault, he can’t see it yet.
” I exhaled. “For now, my mother is there with him. He said that he’d been fine alone, but she’s one of his favorite people in the world.
He promised to call every day. He’s going to wait until you’re back in order to go back to driving school. ”
“He wants to go back?” she inquired.
“He does. He asked for you specifically.”
Sera couldn’t hold back the beam she was feeling. “I don’t know if I’m going to pick up that job again. I mainly had it to fund my vacation. But I can still teach him.”
“Where are you going?”
“Disney World. But, I’m not sure if I’ll go.”
“You should. It seems like a place where you’ll have more fun that you’ll know what to do with.”
“I really want to go on the cruise, it’s a little more than going on land.”
“How about this, keep saving and we’ll see how much you’re short when the time comes? You deserve it, don’t sell yourself short.”
“I’ll think about it.” She curled into me.
“I’m sorry that I was such a brat. You really did need to be with him and the entire time, I couldn’t cope with my own stuff.
” Sera swallowed and then looked up at me.
“I’ll start looking for somebody for therapy.
I think I saw an office here, I’ll ask about it tomorrow. ”
I nodded. “There’s my brave girl.”
“How are you feeling about all of this?” Sera asked me. Her fingers tightened around mine. “But… what about you? How do you feel about all this? About me losing it like that, and Emerson, and Audrey blaming him for everything? It’s too much, isn’t it?”
I exhaled slowly, brushing my thumb across the back of her hand.
“It is a lot, little one. I won’t lie. Watching you spiral last night broke my heart because I couldn’t reach you.
And Emerson… he’s my son. Seeing him blame himself, seeing Audrey twist the knife—of course that hurts.
I wish I could protect you both from everything. ”
Her eyes went glassy, shame flickering there, but I tipped her chin so she couldn’t look away.
“But listen to me. Just because it’s heavy doesn’t mean it’s too much. I chose this life. I chose you. I chose him. None of this scares me off. It just means I have to dig deeper, stay steadier, so that when the people I love are breaking, I can hold them until they aren’t.”
Her breath hitched. “Even when I scream at you? Even when I make it harder?”
“Especially then.” My voice softened. “That’s when you need me most. And I’d rather be here for the messy, painful moments than not at all. Do you understand that?”
Tears spilled down her cheeks, silent and raw.
I kissed them away, whispering against her skin, “You’re not too much, Sera. And neither is Emerson. Audrey’s anger? That’s hers to carry. Not yours, not his. What I feel is tired, yes… but grateful. Because you’re both still here. And I still get to love you through it.”
“Love us?” she asked.
“Mhm… I do.” I kissed the top of her head.
Sera was quiet so I continued on.
“I don’t think Audrey is doing well with Emerson.
I honestly don’t think she ever really wanted to be a mother.
So, I’m going to adjust things to the way they need to be.
I’ve already spoken to her and she thinks that I’m overreacting.
But she was drunk. I’m going to call her tomorrow and try again.
I don’t think she’s going to handle this easily, but it needs to happen. ” I sighed.
“You sound stressed.”
“I am. Sometimes things have to feel heavy for a while so that you can make it lighter. I don’t ever want to feel like this again.
So I’ll make sure there’s not a repeat. Other than that, I’m worried about you.
But I think you going to therapy and us having more open communication is going to fix that.
I’ve been thinking about settling down and not traveling for work as much.
People need hygienic mouths locally, right? ” I joked.
Sera giggled. “We do, Daddy.”
“Then everything will be alright.”
I truly believed it would.