"My mom and I finally left Frank a few months after you left," he began to explain. "She didn't know she was pregnant until after, which was probably a good thing. Mickey is a great kid, and with Frank out of the picture, he's got a great dad now."
It felt wrong to ask what had happened to his father. Avery knew Frank was a temperamental asshole; however, whatever had become of him was none of her business.
"So, Meredith met someone new?" Avery asked.
She had always thought fondly of Julian's mom, and it was something they could talk about.
"Yeah, Will is nice enough, he treats Mickey real well, they are super close," Julian said, nodding.
"But you don't consider him to be your dad?" Avery questioned.
"One dad was enough," he grumbled.
Avery nodded. She understood that.
"So, why did you go to boarding school?" She asked curiously.
"Will suggested it actually, he knew how bad things were for me, he helped set things up and even paid for it," Julian explained.
"He sounds like a good guy," Avery noted. "Do you guys live with him now?"
"Yeah, we live in the town over from where we used to actually," he said.
"You know, I went back when they finally gave me the keys to my old house," she admitted.
"Was it weird?" he asked.
"The house is so empty," she said somewhat longingly. "I always thought I missed home, but I think now I realize I just missed the people who made my home so full of life."
Avery glanced over at him. A small smile appeared on his face.
"What?" she asked.
"Nothing," he murmured, although the smile had yet to disappear.
"Have you gone back at all?" she asked.
"I used to walk by your old place a lot before we moved in with Will, sometimes I would sneak in to see if you had come back," he admitted.
"That must've gotten hard to do after a while," she said softly.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "How come you never called? Or wrote a letter? Or even came back?"
Avery sighed and looked away, she knew he was going to ask that sooner or later. After everything, she knew he deserved an answer now. "I forgot my phone," she admitted. I thought about calling from the first hotel we stayed at, but I didn't know what to say. I thought maybe it would be easier to write a letter, but that was hard too." Avery glanced over at him. "I wanted to tell you why we left, but I never knew just how long we'd be gone and the longer I waited, the harder it got to say goodbye," she said quietly.
"It was harder sitting in that house not knowing what happened to you," he mumbled.
"I'm sorry," she said, glancing over at him. "I did come back once though," she said quietly, remembering a sour memory now.
Julian glanced over at her. "What?"
"I forgot about it, but we came back for a day when we passed through Colorado," she explained. "I went by your place and there was a new family there, I thought Frank might have-"
Avery didn't have to finish, she knew that Julian understood what she meant. After all, Avery had seen the marks of abuse all over Julian's body.
"Anyway," Avery continued quietly. "I wanted to tell you everything, but after that I almost convinced myself that you were also living your best life than the alternative."
It was quiet between them for a while.
"I really wish we had stayed in touch," he murmured.
Avery looked over at him. "Me too, I take full responsibility for that."
"It's okay," he said finally. "Things are okay now, right?"
"Well other than Nikki hating me, sure," she said with a shrug.
"Forget her, okay? We are away from Hartfield, away from all of its problems, just focus on having a good break," Julian encouraged. "And facing my mom who is going to kill me for not telling her sooner that I found you again."
"Meredith remembers me?" Avery asked, shocked by the idea.
"Of course, I mean we stopped talking about you once we realized you probably weren't coming back, but I know she remembers."
Avery smiled. "Does she still make those cookies with marshmallows, chocolate, and peanut butter?"
"Yep," he said, laughing. "She's been experimenting too, I wouldn't be surprised if she has something new waiting for us to try."
Avery's nerves began to settle, there was nothing to be worried about. As they approached a rather grand looking house, Julian pulled into the driveway. They got out of the car and Julian grabbed both of their duffle bags for them.
"I can carry it myself," she protested.
"It's fine," he said, shrugging.
Avery let him carry her bag and they walked into the house. Immediately, a little boy ran up to Julian.
"Julian!"
Julian dropped the bags and bent down. He scooped up the little boy in his arms.
"Mickey!" Julian said back in the same level of excitement as the boy.
"Guess what?" Mickey said happily.
"What?" he asked back.
"I got a trampoline, and I can do backflips way better than you," he said proudly.
"No way," Julian said, feigning shock.
"Way," Mickey said confidently.
"You'll have to show me later," Julian said, putting him down as he looked over at Avery. "Mickey, this is Avery," he explained.
Mickey shyly looked over at Avery. "Your hair's pink."
Avery smiled. "Yes it is," she said warmly.
"How'd you do it?" he asked in awe.
Avery chuckled. "Would you believe me if I said my fairy godmother did it?"
"Like Cinderella?" he said with excitement.
"Exactly," she grinned.
Another man, who Avery was assuming was Will, came over and shook hands with Julian.
"How are you, Julian?" he asked.
"Good, you?" Julian replied back.
"Always well when the whole family is together," Will answered.
Avery heard some noise from the kitchen and then Meredith came over immediately. She rushed over to Julian and hugged him.
"Oh, Julian, it's been too long," she said.
"You saw me at Thanksgiving," he replied.
"Too long," she repeated.
Meredith then turned to Avery. Will too was staring at her. Avery hoped her cheeks weren't too red.
"Oh, hi there, and you are?" she asked kindly.
"Avery," she said quietly. "Avery Davidson."
Confusion settled on her face as she glanced between Julian and Avery before she began to smile.
"As in the same Avery Davidson who lived on our old street?" Meredith asked Julian.
He nodded. "The very same, well with pink hair."
"Oh, Avery," she said excitedly, pulling her into a hug.
Avery hugged her back and smiled when they parted.
"It's good to see you, Meredith," Avery said.
"Avery, you don't know how thrilled I am, it's really you, how did you two meet again?" she asked.
"I'm going to Hartfield now," Avery explained.
Meredith gently smacked Julian on the arm. "You waited months to tell me Avery was at Hartfield with you?"
"Well wasn't the surprise worth it?" he asked.
"It was a lovely surprise," she said wholeheartedly. "Are you staying for dinner?" she asked.
Avery glanced over at Julian nervously.
"Uh, I was hoping she could stay here for the whole break actually," Julian said.
"Oh, of course, but won't Keith want to see you?" Meredith asked Avery.
Avery looked away although she sensed Julian's eyes on her.
"He passed away actually," she said quietly.
"Oh, I didn't know," she said softly.
"It's fine," Avery mumbled.
"Julian, show Avery to the guest room, you guys can hang out until dinner in about an hour," Meredith said.
He nodded and picked up their bags, once more not letting Avery carry her own. She followed him up the stairs and into a room which she figured was the guest room. He set her bag down and then looked over at her.
"Sorry, I probably should have told her not to ask questions," he said.
"It's fine," she murmured as she took a seat on the bed.
Julian went over and sat across from her.
"What are you thinking so hard about?" he asked.
She glanced over at him. "How did you know that?"
He smiled. "Your eyebrows always get all furrowed together when you're deep in thought, what's wrong?"
"I'm thinking about how I abandoned you for years and yet your mom is still nothing but kind to me," she admitted. "I don't deserve it."
"That's not true," he said immediately. "Sure, you left but you came back, isn't that all that matters?"
She stared at him. "You have been uncharacteristically kind to me as well."
"Well contrary to gossip at Hartfield, I can be kind," he said. "To people I like," he added.
Avery chuckled. "I'm sorry for all the rude and mean things I said to you," she apologized.
"Ah, it's okay, I'm sorry too," he said. "I'm sorry for punching your boyfriend too, I shouldn't have done that."
"He's not my boyfriend anymore," she said quietly.
Julian's head shot up at that. "Oh, uh, I didn't know."
"Yeah, it got mixed in with the mess of that fateful night," she explained.
They stared at each other a moment longer before the door opened and Mickey stormed in.
"Julian, come play with me," Mickey demanded.
Julian glanced back over at her.
Avery smiled. "Go, I'm going to call someone anyway."
"Okay, I'll come get you for dinner," he said.
When Julian left the room, the first person she tried to call was Nikki, and it immediately went to voicemail. She sighed and wrote out a message to her instead:
I'm so sorry, Nikki, I know you hate me but I never intended to hurt you. I was drunk, and it hindered my ability to think clearly. I never would have done what I did if I was sober and thinking clearly. You have been a good friend to me and again I am so sorry.
Avery sent the message but it refused to go through. Had Nikki blocked her? She groaned and laid back on the bed in frustration. After a while, she called Chelsey.
"Hey," Avery said when she picked up.
"Hey girl, how's it going? Where did you end up?" Chelsey asked.
"Don't hate or judge me for my answer," Avery begged.
"Okay, why?" she asked.
"I'm at Julian's house," Avery said weakly.
"No freaking way," she said in awe. "How did you manage that?"
"What do you mean? He offered," she said.
"Oh, if I wasn't so happy with Brady, the Chelsey from a few months ago would hate you right now," she replied.
"Uh, sorry?" she said, unsure of what else to say.
"Nikki is so going to murder you," Chelsey pointed out.
"So is it wrong if I spend time with him? Does that break the girl code or something?" Avery asked.
"I have no idea, but honestly after hearing what Nikki said to you, I don't think there is a friendship there anyway."
"Ugh, you were listening in?" Avery asked.
"I'm sorry, the walls are thin."
"You live five rooms down," Avery pointed out.
"Okay, fine I was eavesdropping, I'm sorry but hey, for what it's worth, I think you should try things out with Julian."
"You think?" Avery asked nervously.
"Sure, and if he breaks your heart, at least you and Nikki can bond over that."
"Ha-ha," Avery said dryly.
"Have a good break with Julian," she said excitedly. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
"Thanks. You too, I'm guessing you're with Brady?" Avery asked.
"We're going to Paris," she said dreamily.
Avery smiled. "Have fun."
"You know I will."
Avery ended the call just as Julian came to get her for dinner. She smiled to herself, it felt nice to sit at a family dinner table, make conversation, and be by her friend's side. It felt like an old part of her had come back tonight.