𝙼𝚞𝚖 𝙰𝚝 𝚂𝚒𝚡𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗

09

Dad?

I swung the door open, my heart racing as I saw my dad standing there. What the heck? After three long years of silence, he was back? And with a whole new family in tow. I couldn't believe my eyes as I saw him sitting on the couch with his new wife and my step-siblings.

I couldn't resist the urge to run over to him, despite all the hurt and anger I had bottled up inside. "Dad, what are you doing here?" I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady.

He looked up at me, a hint of sadness in his eyes as he released me from his embrace. "I heard I was having a grandchild," he said softly. My heart sank as I realized someone had spilled the beans about my pregnancy to him. And now he was back, bringing his new family into our already fractured one.

"Who told you?" I stammered.

And then, out of nowhere, Claudia jumped in with a smirk on her face. "It was me," she said dramatically, clearly enjoying the drama she had caused.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at Claudia. She just couldn't keep her big mouth shut, could she?

As Gina introduced herself, her voice had this warm, friendly tone that sounded like the kind of mom you'd find in a cheesy sitcom. "Hi there, I'm Gina," she said with a smile, extending her hand in greeting. "I'm a pilot, and it's so nice to meet you all."

Meanwhile, inside my head, I'm just like, "Uh, okay, nice to meet you too, I guess." But seriously, why does Dad always have to complicate things by bringing new people into our already chaotic lives? Not that Gina seems unpleasant or anything, but let's be real, I'm not exactly known for my warm welcome to outsiders.

And then there's Ethan, Mr. Perfect, whistling away as he set down a tray on the coffee table. "Ethan, seriously, what are you doing?" I ask, half annoyed, half bewildered. And of course, he's all like, "I just want to welcome Dad back. He's been gone for three years, Bridge. Can't I do that?"

Fine, whatever, Ethan. Suit yourself.

Just as we were about to sit down for what promises to be an incredibly awkward meal, the door swung open and Mom storms in, all guns blazing.

"What the heck are you all doing in my house? And you had to bring your useless family along too?" Tension hangs thick in the air, and before you know it, everyone was darting off to various corners of the house. Except for Ethan. He stays put in the living room, looking like he's ready to take on whatever's about to go down. And honestly, I can't blame him.

Mom acts like a complete lunatic whenever Dad's mentioned. It's weird, but I've always felt like she's jealous of Gina. I mean, she's so much nicer, kinder, and caring. Mom's just... well, too much, you know? So, I couldn't blame Ethan if he didn't want Mom to ruin the already awkward lunch.

I watched as Ethan stood his ground while Mom berated Dad and his new wife. "Calm down, Melissa," Dad interjected, trying to diffuse the tension. "I'm just here to see the kids and Bridget, you know." But Mom wasn't having it. "Just get out of our house!" she yelled. "You've already caused enough damage three years ago by running away with this... this woman. And now you want to bring them back into our lives? We don't want to see you!"

Suddenly, Mom was cut off by Ethan's outburst. "What do you mean, Mom? Who says that we don't want him in our lives?" he yelled back. Mom snapped back, "Wait, don't stick your nose in this, Ethan. Just go to your room." Ethan was defiant. "What? No, I'm not a child anymore. I'm freaking 19, and you still treat us like we're babies!"