My Dad's Bestfriend

Chapter 25 Awkward Communication

Evelyn

To be honest, Dad's wedding felt like the longest destination wedding ever conceived. It was my meticulously planned affair, and I had no regrets about its duration. The actual wedding ceremony was scheduled for about a week later, so at this point, the mansion was filled with close friends and relatives. Other guests were expected to arrive a day before the wedding, while some would come on the final day.

However, amidst the people present here, there were a few individuals whom I despised, and one of them was undeniably my mother. The only reason she was here was to face the consequences of her past actions.

"Your father truly cares about you," Jacob said, a smile playing on his lips as he handed me a cup of coffee. He glanced over at Dad, who was massaging my feet as a way of compensating for the upheaval he had caused by inviting my mother to the wedding.

Dad's intentions were not unfounded; he simply wanted to mend the strained relationship between my mother and me. However, that doesn't excuse him from the fact that he invited her to his wedding without informing me. He had done it completely behind my back, making him a culprit in my eyes, even if not in reality.

"I know, right?" I chuckled, leaning in to press a kiss on Dad's cheek. "But sometimes he just acts like a bonehead."

While Jacob and Clara burst into laughter, a deep frown settled on Dad's face, clearly displaying his irritation.

"Excuse me, this foot massage doesn't give you the right to call me stupid. You won't be getting anything else as compensation," Dad retorted.

"You're too cute," I laughed.

"And you're too stubborn."

"That's kind of true," Jacob chimed in, taking a sip of his coffee. A small, almost imperceptible smirk formed at the corner of his lips.

However, as soon as Dad's gaze fell on him, Jacob quickly brushed it off with a laugh. "She's always been like this since childhood, hasn't she?"

Dad's earlier peculiar expression disappeared, replaced by a plain, blank expression.

"Yeah, she has always been like this. Stubborn and a bit childish," he chuckled lightly.

"Excuse me," I frowned, feeling the need to defend myself. "I was never childish."

to break it to you, but that's debatable," Clara interjected, causing a gasp of disbelief to

with them, "Clara, you

tongue. "Well, I didn't mean it... What I meant is that..." She searched for

so much, Clara. That was truly helpful," I

she clearly caught the sarcasm in my voice, before she could respond, a voice interrupted us- the last person I wanted to see at that

hall, and suddenly, the desire to

greeted her with

settled beside Clara, exchanging pleasantries with Jacob and Dad before her gaze finally fell upon

wanted to talk to me. No matter how many years we had spent apart, she was still

before she spoke, "Hey, Evelyn." Her hesitation was palpable, her eyes wavering. "How's everything going?" Without knowing why, my gaze shifted to Jacob, who sat across from Dad and me on the couch. I felt a strange mix of certainty and uncertainty, as if my body and heart were seeking answers from him,

nodded and blinked, and at that moment, the invisible restraints that had held me back from communicating seemed to dissipate into

up on me until it became a full-blown dependency, without me even realising it. Now that I finally acknowledged it, it seemed too late to do anything about it, and truthfully, I didn't even

and me, but she

Mom," I forced a smile onto

a smile broke across her face at my response. Maybe I hadn't sounded as cold as

that a simple response from me

truly loved me so much, then why did she leave us

are you doing with your studies? I remember the last time I heard from Samuel, he mentioned that you did really well in the semester. Have

I struggled

child and husband years ago, it was surprising that she still retained such small details about

a tremendous help to me over the past few years, and my maths skills

me.

Mason, Nancy, and... what's her name... Jennie? Are you still friends

never expected her to remember anything about me, let alone these small details that were once a part of my life. "Yeah, everything's

excitement in her eyes making me want to avert my gaze, "I didn't really get the chance to catch

to quell the guilt that had been lingering within me. I shouldn't feel guilty for not maintaining contact with her all these years. Yes, she tried to reach out

keep her involved in the events of my life was simple. She abandoned me, despite my desperate pleas for her to stay. At the time when Dad and I needed her the