After that conversation, somehow, we managed to fall asleep. Well, Violet did. I was dozing off when I heard the door click and, looking towards the living room door, I saw our fathers giving us an awkward look. I knew perfectly well what they were thinking, but I didn’t tell them it wasn’t that. Were I to start expining what was going on, they wouldn’t believe me, and Violet would die of embarrassment. I was already dying of it, so I could do without having to deal with her.

  I uncovered a single arm from the tent we had formed and gestured them to be quiet go back. My father just looked confused but fortunately, Violet’s understood what I meant and—giving me a thumbs up—dragged him back to the door while shushing him. I just had to wake her up and think of something that would keep Violet from understanding what was going on. I would also have to deal with the misunderstanding sometime ter.

  “Violet? Wake up,” I called while giving her pats on the side of the thigh.

  “Mmh… What is it?” she mumbled as she squeezed me tighter and rested her head on my shoulder.

  “We need to get ready. They must be arriving at any time.”

  “Wake me up then,” she mumbled back. “Mmh, you’re so warm to hold.”

  Why did she have to be so hard to wake up? And acting so cutely too.

  “Won’t you be embarrassed if they saw us like this?” I urged her, trying to keep the conversation to just the two of us.

  “Hmm… Yeah, I guess,” she said while lightening her grip.

  “All right, miss sleepy head.”

  I undid the rest of her hold and pulled her up with me, the bnket falling to the floor. That actually felt painful, just not in a physical way.

  “Let’s go wash that face. I refuse to let my dad see you like this.”

  She grumbled something I couldn’t understand as I dragged her towards the bathroom by the hand, both because it was incoherent and because I was having chills on my back. If it was due to the cold because I wasn’t nested on Violet, or because both our dads had their eyes on our backs, I don’t know. What I do know is, I too needed to wash my face to cool down.

  “Erm… what do you… erm… what do you think me and Violet… are?” I asked in a hushed tone.

  I had left Violet go first, so I decided to take the time to clear things up. Sluggish as Violet was when she woke up, I knew I had lots of time.

  “Erm… aren’t you two… dating?” Violet’s dad asked.

  Dad awkwardly nodded in agreement.

  “Ah, no. We aren’t like that. We are… just friends,” I told them.

  “Really? But we both heard… erm… well… noises,” my dad said.

  “No, no! That’s a misunderstanding!” I whispered loudly. “Violet would never do such a thing. Ah!”

  The way I worded it betrayed some of my inner thoughts and fears.

  Violet wouldn’t. But what about me?

  Perhaps that wasn’t enough for them to catch on to it, but the face I reflexively made was. It was now obvious they realised it.

  “So… is it one sided?” Stan asked.

  He did so surprisingly bluntly.

  “It’s not like that… I mean… I… I don’t know… maybe?”

  I confessed. I was afraid of what they would say next, but I told them anyway.

  “Well, whatever it is, I think I speak for the both of us that we won’t oppose. Right?” Stan said.

  “Erm, y-yes. I admit, I’m still getting used to it, but it’s like Stan told me yesterday. If you are happy, that should be enough.”

  I was being accepted? After all my fears and worries, just this easily, I was accepted for being like that?

  “I’m sorry for being like this,” I said as I embraced my dad with tears forming in my eyes.

  “Don’t be, sweety. I should be the one saying sorry for having been such a poor father,” he said as he patted my head.

  “It’s all right dad. I know why you did all that. I know…”

  I couldn’t finish my sentence as I started to choke on my words. By the way my dad’s chest shook, I could tell he was having the same reaction.

  “Oh, erm… sorry,” a voice stammered.

  “It’s ok, Violet. I think we are done talking.”

  “Also, your dad is right over there.”

  I was pointing to a corner of the room after having wiped my tears.

  Violet peered around the doorframe to where I was pointing, looking confused.

  “Hello there,” her father said cheerfully while waving.

  Violet gave him a single hand wave as a response, looking to all of us even more confused. I now was just ughing. She really did make the funniest faces.

  After having pizza for lunch, it came the time for me to go home. Well, back to the hotel. Anyway, my dad was in the car waiting for me to finish my farewells with Violet, which to be frank, were feeling more painful than ever. If I had to choose the reason between the time we spent apart and having to go our separate ways again, I’d say it was due to both.

  “So, erm… I guess we will see each other at school,” I said.

  “Yeah, although… I don’t think I’ll be going during the first week,” she said, pointing to her face.

  “That’s probably for the best,” I concurred. “I could see them calling the police on your father if you did.”

  “I hadn’t thought that far, but yeah.”

  “…Want me to give you a call every day?” I said jokingly.

  “…You don’t have to do it every day.”

  The little pause that always betrayed her inner thoughts, how I’d be missing it.

  “Hehe. Around ten o’clock before you go to bed?”

  “I’m… ok with that.”

  “Ok, in that case, talk with you ter?”

  “We are doing it today?”

  “Could you not…”

  I started to point out the way she phrased it but stopped myself. Dad was waiting for me and that could take some time.

  “Actually, never mind. I’m going now so, bye.”

  “Hmm? Ok. Bye,” she said, confused.

  Getting into the car, I was met with my dad making a funny expression. That got me curious.

  “What’s up with that face?” I asked as he started driving off.

  “Sorry. I was watching you talk with Violet and saw the faces she was making,” he expined. “Is she always like that?”

  “Yup. It’s one of her best traits.”

  “Is that what made you interested in her?”

  “Hmm… Maybe at the beginning, but after dealing with Violet for some time, I came to like her personality the most.”

  “I see,” he said with a nod.

  “Is this about what I told you guys before?”

  “No. I was just curious how you two became friends. We never talked about it at home.”

  “Yeah…”

  I looked back to all the times I wanted to talk about Violet, but dad was always in a hurry to go back to the office, and when he wasn’t, mum was nearby.

  “Will you be going back to work?”

  “I will, but not right now. I’ll be having a week of leave.”

  “Erm… can I stay with you during that week?” I asked meekly.

  “You mean… you don’t want to go to school?”

  “Yeah… I don’t feal ready to face people yet, and… I think… we could use that time… to catch on?”

  My dad thought about my request for a while.

  “Ok, Abbigail. I would like that very much.”

  My phone started ringing. I pulled it out, wondering who might be calling. To my astonishment, it was Violet.

  “Are you missing me that much already?” I said as I answered the phone.

  “It’s not that! I just wanted to ask you if you saw where I pced my gsses.”

  “Have you looked on the side table by the armchair? I think you pced it there when we were sitting together.”

  I could hear her rushing around before coming to a stop followed by a sigh.

  “Found them. Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome. Is that all?”

  “Yes.”

  “Ok, then. Bye.”

  “Bye. Oh, wait!”

  I stayed silent for a second to tease her a bit.

  “Abby? Abby? Are you there?”

  “Yes, I’m still here. What’s up?”

  “I just wanted to tell you… have a safe trip.”

  “Thanks. Talk with you ter,” I said as I hung up.

  My dad was back to having an amused expression. That felt very refreshing.

  “So, what are we doing today?” I now asked him.

  “Well, I’m going to check some pces for us to live. Do you want to come along?”

  “Sure. Sounds like it might be fun.”

  “Fun? Are you pnning on harassing me like you do to Violet?” my dad said with a grin.

  “Gee dad,” I said in fake annoyance. “How about having some faith in me.”

  JasaNull