Ava knows who Jimmy O'Brien is - her first love and soulmate. Forced to spend time apart, Ava and Jim deal with their trust issues and insecurities.
When the lovers finally reunite and resolve to fight for each other, their fragile happiness is put...
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Alan wasn't at work.
The only thing a member of the hospital staff told me was that he took a day off, and I drove to his house, hoping he'd be there. Wasting time wasn't in my plans. Ava wouldn't sleep for much longer, and I wanted to be by her side when she woke up.
To my relief, Alan's car was in the driveway. I parked, got out of my Audi, and strolled to the porch, rehearsing what I'd say to him in my head.
Half of the questions I needed to ask vanished from my brain when Ava's father opened the door and acknowledged me with a barely-there nod. "Jim."
I took in the dark shadows under his eyes, his rumpled hair, and the scruff on his jaw. "I was hoping we could talk," I said.
"Sure. Come in."
Alan ambled to the kitchen, and once I crossed the threshold, my gaze landed on the half-empty bottle of whiskey on the table and a stack of what looked like photo albums.
"How's Ava?" Alan asked, lowering himself into a chair at the kitchen table.
"Asleep. Her friend Harper is with her. I was away and knew nothing, and I wanted to talk to you to understand what happened."
"Want some?" Alan raised his tumbler.
"I drove here, so I'll have some water if that's okay."
"In the fridge. Help yourself."
I grabbed a bottle and poured some water into a glass before sitting across from Alan.
"I'm glad you're here," he said, studying the amber liquid in his glass. "And I'm glad Ava has you."
I set my drink on the table. "Is her mother really alive?"
Alan downed his Jack in one gulp and nodded, rubbing his palms over his face. "Okay," he said, leaning back. "I'll tell you all the truth, and you'll decide what to do with it."
I said nothing, just made myself comfortable in my seat, and rested my elbows on the table, steepling my hands together.
"Marina and I met in college. We were both premed students full of ambition and big dreams. Things went well - we studied hard, partied harder, and everything was easy until our third year.
"I got her pregnant. I guess you know how it can be." Alan let out a sad chuckle, running his fingers over an album on top of the pile. "Feelings and lust and hormones, and suddenly what they teach you about unprotected sex is forgotten.
"The news threw me off guard, but I was happy. I wanted a family, and even though I was twenty and jobless, I knew we could make it work. My parents were great, and they'd help us. But, although I saw my future with Marina, she didn't.
"She said she wasn't sure I was the one. She thought we were too young, and having a kid didn't fit in her plans.
"I understood it was her body and her decision, but the child was mine too. After endless arguments, she agreed to carry on with the pregnancy, but as soon as Ava was born, she handed her to me and gave up her parental rights.
